perfection is a myth

This beautiful Monet postcard reminds me of every stream or river that I have ever loved. I notice the trees with partially bare branches and tawny leaves; the slight bits of snow on the bank and rocks. The rushing sounds are almost audible.What a genius.

There is a stream in the Catskill Mountains that has always enchanted me, the Esopus. It was a warm summer day when some friends joined me for what was advertised as a Buddhist Poetry Walk. Sounds delicious? A lovely grey haired woman monk with a bright smile, handed each of us a baby food jar, cleaned and holding a snippet of a poem. Following her like a quiet gaggle of geese, we slowly walked along the banks of the Esopus. She would ring a small bell, we would stop and take out a poem. Standing silently, we would savor the words amidst the stream sounds and the scent of fir trees. All senses seemed engaged. Then we would move on.

At the end of the walk,on the rocky bank stood a small wooden tea house with timber benches. Our leader quietly passed around a cup of hot tea to each of us with a cookie. This experience of the quiet, the muted sounds of water and shuffling feet , the scent of fresh flowing water and stirring fir trees, the taste of tea and cookies has stayed with me.

The Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi is not easy to translate, but I will try. It has to do with an intuitive response to nature. It also has to do with an acceptance of the imperfect, incomplete and impermanent nature of everything. And the recognition of the gifts of slow, natural living.

That walk by the Esopus was a perfect Wabi Sabi. And what happened next closed the circle. The next Fall, Hurricane Sandy took a rare trip up the East Coast to the Catskills and flooded stream and river.The Esopus was higher than ever recorded, and in a flash the tea house and benches were washed away. Impermanence. I was so saddened to hear that.

Still, I hear the whispers of the Blue Spruce and the Esopus:

Slow down......savor....observe...note....be ready, a hurricane will come...drink from that chipped cup, it's a reminder that nothing is perfect....breathe deeply of the things around you...appreciate.