The Sky’s Invitation
One of my earliest childhood memories is of a dozen hot air balloons, floating across a beautiful blue sky. I was awe-struck. I think I have loved the sky and its endless ever-changing variety ever since. Much of the nature we watch is slow in its changing from day to day, but the sky can change minute to minute. The sky has inspired a science report on clouds, the purchase of The Cloud Collector's Handbook, and countless hours throughout the years of sunset watching and cloud gazing. It serves as the stage for some of nature's most spectacular performances.
And so I think it was no surprise, on a recent retreat where I was especially disposed to simply be and receive, rather than do, that I found myself sitting near a window in my room, gazing up at the sky. It was that vibrant middle-of-the-day clear blue, with just the right number of pure white clouds scattered across it. Graceful and fluid, they drifted along, and I couldn't help but compare them to a dance—swirling together, floating apart, changing shape with complete freedom. Mesmerizing. I lost not only the sense of time, but also of space, and somewhere along the way, watching turned into experiencing. I felt immersed in the vastness of the sky, as though I myself were floating amongst the clouds. What a wonderfully expansive feeling, to be part of something so grand. Eventually, my attention returned to the room, and when it did, that sense of expansiveness came with it—as though for a brief time I had been given a glimpse of the vastness of my soul.
The sky is a singular creature, unlike mountains, bodies of water, and stretches of land, which can be counted. One great, beautiful sky embracing each and every one of us. Ever present and silently inviting us each day to raise our gaze in awe, reflecting back to us a glimpse of the grandeur of what is within each of us. Something eternal. Something far greater and more beautiful than what we can fully comprehend...and yet something we are already a part of.
Step outside today, my friend, lift your gaze, and remember: you were created for the eternal.
If this reflection stirred something in you, you’re warmly invited to receive Notes from the Bower each month—quiet letters filled with nature reflections, glimpses from the studio, and small moments of beauty and joy. You can join here.
