This morning as I was driving in through scattered showers, I noticed how the trees were starting to leaf. There were startling colors of white, russet, magenta and spring green in the forest lining the highway, punctuated with occasional white flowering cherry trees. The effect was subtle and glorious. I was thrilled to see the leaves and flowers bursting joyfully forth. Part of what I love is that the trees don’t go to all this trouble to send out beautiful flowers and leaves because they should, it’s just what they do, it’s part of their whole, what keeps them alive. They don’t need to be so beautiful, they just are. Unselfconscious beauty!
I took a ramp onto another highway, coming around the corner to see a magnificent rainbow glowing against the black bloated clouds. Again, I was struck with the casual display of splendor. The sky doesn’t create the rainbow because it has to, the rainbow spontaneously exists because the conditions are right – it just is. God didn’t need to give us such spectacular events, but he created the universe and filled it with wondrous phenomena that happen without reason.
I want to be like that. I want to be able to smile and laugh and be positive and sunny, to bring joy and peace wherever I go, not because I should, but because I can’t help it – it’s who I am. I want to feel the joy bubbling up from within burst forth to radiate on all those around me; I want to see them smile too. The trees can do it – so can I!
So, just for today, I will unleash my joy unfettered into the world. People will enjoy it or not, it doesn’t matter. I will do it, because it’s what I do!