The Bonsai stood alone. There was no setting. I could not see a context that might indicate it was in a natural place. Alone, a story of one, resolute. As I found myself drifting into a meditative state, I found the fact that it was the lone symbol in an otherwise sterile corporate building encouraging. Far too often, I see myself in the same position. It is never a complete story, but it is the one I tell myself I am in. I saw myself trapped in the scene. Life whispers reached out to pull me back into the moment at hand. The story that unfolded is one I hold at the beginning of my day.
One is never as alone as one thinks s/he is. Even in the moment when this scene etched itself on my mind, there was light, scents, and more filling the scene. I was steps away from people hard at work. I was moments away from intense conversations. Community, conversations, and commitments were elusive while within reach, a paradox playing with my fears and hopes.
The trappings of what was need not define what will be. The simplicity of the scene in front of me was never as simple as it seemed. The scents shaping the moment reflected a distillation of beauty and wonder. The bonsai a moment in time shaped by attention to detail, a willingness to leave behind anything not required, and the sacrifice that comes through both. As I placed myself in the scene, I knew how “fortunate those whose crimes are carted off, whose sins are wiped clean from the slate.” (Romans 4.7)
Life is simple, living is complex. Living fully, with compassion, community, and care, is a calling worthy of the divine. To live, in the day that is here, in the moment that is now, is challenging. Everything is possible as I let go of the shadows, remember my calling, and embrace the possibilities. I am never alone. A greater power is here, gifting us with freedom, courage, and the power to act with love.
