Seize the moment

This morning the sun rose, its rays bringing a soothing warmth on my forehead as the gentle light greeted my eyes. Over in the Eastern horizon, the sun's light pierced through the sky, and even though the peeking roofs of the Nairobi suburbs obscured my full view of the sunrise, I could still appreciate its beauty.

The birds chirped, their sweet song floating through space. The trees stood silent, undisturbed: the sway of their branches almost imperceptible on this warm, breezeless morning.

And then, the city woke up. In came sounds of multiple vehicles cruising on the road, a honk here and there interrupting the song of the birds and bringing an end to the serenity that seemed to last only a small moment. It was a lovely moment, and I'm glad I caught it. When the sun's rays and the heat intensified, I and my device sought shelter inside the house to continue writing.

What does the rest of the day bring, I asked myself? I did a mental checklist; Gratitude ?, reflection ? , appreciating beauty ?.

You see, these are things I make deliberate space and effort for. Before Corona, I did not need to remind myself to be grateful, set aside time to reflect or to appreciate beauty. Now, however, this intruder called Corona has come to claim part of my mind space, and I must reclaim it. Every. Single. Day.

When the month of May made its entrance last week, I thought about the plans I had made for this year - projects that should have hit certain milestones by now, and I thought - gee, the year is almost half-way gone. Time is running out! Then a voice in my head whispered these words:

Time is not running out. Time is just time, and you must understand the place of time in the context and perspective of seasons; time tells us nothing if it is not connected to some purpose. Purpose gives meaning to time. Your watch might tell you it is 8 O'clock, but your season might mean it is wait O'clock. It might be late in the night or early morning where you are, but a situation might call for immediate action, so you forget the time and swing into action. Rather than think about time, do what needs doing at the moment; find things to be grateful for at the moment; find things to appreciate and, reflect on what meaning this season might reveal to you.

The sun will rise, and the birds will sing. What will you do?

Have a beautiful day!