I recently went to Germany, and seeing the town in all it's medieval splendor was nothing short of amazing. The lane you see in the picture was my daily walk for a week, from my hotel to the dance hall that I spent hours in with friends and good music and food.
Daily I was able to look out of my window and see the sunrise, and greet the familiar orb over a land and river foreign to me. It was wonderful! The rays were a familiar hug each day, and it was easier to go and explore on my own with the knowledge that I wasn't really alone with the beauty of the sun to help me long.
Miltenberg is a religious city, and there are many statues of Mary and the Blessed Child around. The church is central to the town, and the bells ring to tell the time, beautiful sounds over a city straight out of a fairy tale.
Visiting the world as we do, traveling to places that are home for some and lands of mystery for others, do we think about how that is true for people who visit the places we call home? The places we know like the back of our hands are places of mystery for others, but do we consider that? Do we stop and remember how immensely beautiful our home cities are to those who have never seen them before? This is important - we are stewards of our cities, and if we forget how beautiful they are, we forget what we're preserving, what we're protecting and what we're presenting to others.
Bringing it with you... bringing my practice to Germany, my morning rites were simple - a smile at the sun, a whispered thanks for the ability to travel here and see these things and a whispered request for protection while on the journey. I smiled at the moon each night, thankful for another day of fun and laughter, with no worries or harm.
I've brought a little of that serenity home with me, in images and memories and post cards.
When next you travel, remember to bring your practice with you, and see what a difference that makes in your day.
No comments:
Post a Comment