Golden Kobi lies in wait. Centered in the front entryway knowing beyond all knowing his Dad will soon be home. How he can tell time is beyond me but somehow when the clock ticks five p.m., Kobisan is there waiting. His faith is beyond all bounds. The joyous arrival will take place sometime very soon.
I descend the stairs, Little Guy Oscar following at my heals…Kobi looks up at me not bothering to rise…he might miss the favored arrival moment. Oscar goes to his side and begins cleaning Kobisan’s face. He closes his eyes poised to receive Oscar’s baptismal face licking…now not only is he in the perfect spot but he’ll be clean for Dad as well. Oscar plops to the floor now assisting via face cleansing in the anticipated arrival. There is no doubt for either of them as this ritual is a five day a week event.
My rituals seem to flow with less ease and certainly less faith. Almost every morning I find myself side tracking the ascent to my meditation sanctuary. It’s always there waiting for me, always alive with bright energy but somehow I find myself finding every other task that must be accomplished before hand. Where’s my grace?
It’s sitting with my two favorite hounds who are laying down in the entryway still waiting for Dad to open the front door…all I have to do is put one foot in front of the other and head up the stairs to meditate…all that is required is my ability to surrender.
Golden Kobi looks up at me, turns over to one side exposing his belly. His paw reaches out for my ankle…”Pet my tummy as long as we’re all waiting here”…So not only is my beloved Golden Boy laying in wait with complete and utter faith, graced with the knowing his father will be home any time now, and surrendered to the process…but he’s soliciting love from his mother in the mean time.
All I have to do is have faith my meditations will be of value, grace myself with a cup of tea as I surrender sitting at my altar and loving my experience. In other words all I have to do is get my sweet ass up the stairs to our Sanctuary, close my eyes and turn within…
I move into the kitchen to prepare dinner when the oh so specific barks of “Dad’s Home” crash through the silence. “OK guys…how about a cookie?” And before Ron can get to the kitchen the boys are faithfully sitting by the cookie jar gracefully surrendering to the love Dad pours over them with a sweet little treat…
All I have to do is get my sweet ass up the stairs, close my eyes and turn within.
“Faith is the Path
Grace is the Bridge
Surrender is the Gate
Love is the Garden”
—Kristina Sanborn