One Wild and Precious Life

In her poem, "The Summer Day," Mary Oliver asks us to consider: "..what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Its a good question to consider but hard for me to do. Because, I keep forgetting that I have only one life. My mind tells me, "You can do that later, next time, once things settle down and you are more secure. You have other lives to live, this one is just practice."

My mind draws comfort from these these words "next time" and "later" convinced that what really matters has either already happened or is yet to come. But, in truth, as the sages have taught us, "next" and "later" don't really exist. All we have, for sure, is this moment. This present moment in which we breath in and out, where we feel the hard knot of loneliness, the baby's soft cheek.

Surprisingly, time is infinite in the present moment, spacious, forgiving, and kind. And when I am awake, it is where I find my one wild and precious life.