As I've wandered off the path of "organized religion", while maintaining a central core of spirituality, I sometimes wonder if I can find a way to sum up my beliefs simply and succinctly. Sort of like Linus in "A Charlie Brown Christmas", where he recites Luke 2 and concludes, "And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown!"
(You put your right hand in...)But this is not easy, as I look around at what gives my life meaning. My family, my home, music, the trees and green growing things outside, the rhythm of the seasons- how do you summarize all this?
(You put your left hand in...)
Teaching, singing, knitting, reading, playing with the dog, nestling with my beloved, communicating with my kids- all give me a deep feeling of satisfaction and connection with more than myself. Walking in the woods, or along the beach, or even on a city sidewalk, centers me, opens me to the Other. Gardening, digging, working hard, working out, reminds me that there is more than myself. Star gazing, listening to exquisite music, remind me of the vastness of all that is, beyond our ability to understand or conceive. Being silly, playful, stops me from taking myself so seriously that I can't experience joy.
(You put your right leg in...)
It's true, there have been times in my life when I have had to reconsider and make changes, and turn myself around. That's all part of the journey.
I remember a conversation with someone I loved dearly, who said he believed we were on this earth to reach beyond earthly things, to separate from the physical and connect to the spiritual. I objected to this philosophy- I said I believed we were on this earth to savor it, experience it, in all its delicious juiciness. That we couldn't experience heaven above unless we experienced it in the joy of living. That it was ALL spiritual, that there was no dichotomy between the physical and the spiritual.
In fact, to summarize my spirituality:
You put your whole self in!
That's what it's all about!
