I frighten people when expressing my desire to live in the higher realms with the mystics and all the dogs and cats who have shared my life. No doubt, they’re enjoying the beauty not found here, a place hidden under concrete, a cluttered landscape of transformers and fast-food chains that hurts my heart.
When sadness overcomes me, Lily Rose and I lean against the large tree in the back field and wail over the lack of natural beauty. We do this while staring at an expanse of grass softened by colorful wildflowers and robins searching for food. We stand underneath a tree whose leaves shudder every time our tears fall over the loss of beauty.
The tree sends vibrations to calm our nerves and let us know we are not alone. I mop mine and Lily’s tears with the sleeve of my flannel shirt. We smile at each other and thank the tree for blessing us with a moment of reality and a reminder we will suffer less if we stay present.
Until that very moment, I always thought the words ‘be here now’ a tidy platitude used to dismiss a person needing to take a second to wallow in their misery. Now though, I am feeling the bliss of being present with my dog underneath a loving tree surrounded by wildflowers laughing at our ingratitude.