I took a walk alone today. I got on the train and I got off after a couple of stops. I walked down to the busy street below. An impressive entrance caused me to turn down an alley. It was marked with a large beautiful sign but it was in Thai and I did not understand it. I wasn’t sure where I was going but I walked down the alley as though I belonged there. I saw a little street market that was half closed and a public health clinic teaming with people. As I was about to turn back to the main street, I came around the corner and saw what the grand sign was announcing. It was a temple (a wat). It was worthy of the glorious sign at the street. I walked inside, took a few photos and sat quietly in a chair in the corner of the room. I watched as devotees walked in and worshipped.
I am very firm in my personal religious beliefs. That does not stop me from experiencing others forms of worship and their beliefs. As I sat there, I was struck with awe and wonder. I sat in that corner and marveled. It was the first time I have experienced this sort of awe and wonder in many years. So many emotions welled up inside me. Here I sat 10,000 miles away from “home” in a Buddhist temple. Tears streamed down my face as the emotion left my body. I was so happy to be sitting there in that moment. I soaked up every minute of the experience.
Don’t get me wrong I loved my “regular” life in America. I was privileged to get to stay home with my kids and even home school them. Later I had the opportunity to pursue my dream job. It had certainly been the life I actively participated in. And then it happened, before I knew it, it was all over. The active mothering of 2 growing young kids and the constant obligations from a demanding career were all over. I was stripped down to just me and my husband. Just the two of us again. We had dreamed about this day and planned on it. It was our time to slow down and take a look around. It was time to stop planning and start doing. We are at the beginning of this chapter.
Sitting in the corner of that temple marveling at the experience, at the people, at this life, I was grateful. My prayer is that you get the chance to marvel in your life. You can talk about what you want to do but what are you actively doing to get you there? May this year will be the year you start. It doesn’t matter what you do, just do something!
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