Life’s Quiet Smile
Life sings in our silences, and dreams in our slumber. Even when we are beaten and low, Life is enthroned and high. And when we weep, Life smiles upon the day, and is free even when we drag our chains. Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only when the soul goes wandering in desolate places, and the heart is drunk with overmindfulness of self.
— Kahlil Gibran
Life moves through us, even when we think we can’t feel it, even when we suffer the seemingly unbearable weight of our sorrows.
When we think Life is absent, perhaps it’s our vision clouded by self-absorption, our sense of self too narrow, too confined. What if the bitterness and sense of abandonment we feel are not Life’s doing or non-doing, but our own perception reflected back at us?
Life smiles beneath the surface of things, undisturbed by our judgments, patiently non-waiting waiting for us to loosen our grip and find freedom in surrender, even amidst what might seem desolate and dark.
How often do we overlook the vibrancy and beauty present simply because we’ve convinced ourselves it isn’t there?