Looking Up

A recent trip has me thinking a lot about the expression “Things are looking up.” This is not a phrase I ever use myself because, like other optimists, I usually find glimmers of hope in challenging situations. In the past few weeks, two things happened that have shifted my perspective to one of even greater optimism, and have given me an appreciation for the practice of literally looking up.

For nearly six months, our family has been adjusting to life without my Dad. Our grief comes in waves – days and sometimes even weeks apart, but as fresh and as heavy as it was when Dad first crossed over. On one of those sad days, I was taking a walk and stopped for a moment to look up at the sky. I stared for a long time at the tops of the trees that surrounded me. They looked so different. They were lush from the many downpours of our rainy summer, and they moved slowly in the gentle breeze. The next afternoon, when I looked up, I noticed the beautiful pale moon in the bright afternoon sky. It was a wonderful and unexpected gift.

A couple of days later, I was driving home from my Mom’s and as I made one of the last turns of the drive, I saw a magnificent rainbow across the sky. The beauty of it brought me to tears. As I drove up the main street of our small town, the rainbow was directly in front of me. I could barely take my eyes from it, and as I glanced around to check for a place to pull over and park the car, I noticed someone walking. The rainbow was right there, directly in front of her, too, but her eyes were focused on the screen of her mobile phone. “Look up,” I thought, “Look up at that magnificent rainbow!” And then my attention turned back to my appreciation of the gift of the rainbow, the only one I have seen this year. The question that stayed with me until the rainbow faded away was this – How many precious moments am I ignoring all around me because I am not looking up, not looking around as toddlers do, with the certainty that wondrous gifts await at every turn. They do.

29 thoughts on “Looking Up”

  1. Such a simple movement of the head has us stop and pause at the beauty all around. Even my journey from home to work, less than 3 miles one way, and into such a busy urban town, there is so much to smile at and to give thanks for. It’s there for us all. Thank you for posting these moments to remind us, wow, nature is awesome! O&Xs!

  2. Thank you Sharon, for reminding us that each moment is so precious and in some moments it’s like an artist’s masterpiece. Sending a virtual hug your way my dear friend.

  3. Thank you Sharon for reminding us how special each moment is. And some moments are like a perfect masterpiece that only nature provides.

  4. Thanks Sharon, this is so true for all of us. I appreciate you sharing your insight and wisdom!
    Sending much love and hugs,
    Lin

  5. Thank you for the reminder Sharon as I have been struggling lately and looking for a “sign”. Here it is…look up as I do love to look at the stars/sky/moon.

  6. Sharon,
    Once again, you have reminded us all of the beauty and serenity of nature. Way too often, we are immersed in our thoughts and our to-do lists, and we forget to just stop, look up, look around, and enjoy those little magnificent moments. Thank you for sharing this!

    1. Thanks so much, MJ! Yes, we can allow our to-do lists to hold a special power over us. Perhaps we can all remind each other to look up, look around, and celebrate the beauty that surrounds us.

      Sending a big hug,

      Sharon

  7. I loved reading this, Sharon, on such a beautiful evening when the night is buzzing with the last gasp of summer sounds. Thank you for reminding us to stop, pay attention, and look not only up, but all around.

  8. Hi Sharon – thank you for this beautiful post which came into my email box at just the right moment. Certainly, things are happening all around us these days that can distract us from the real beauty of life. This lovely reminder came to me at just the right moment. Hugs to you!!

    1. Thanks very much, Claudia. Yes, “the real beauty of life” is helping me deal with these very troubling times and I am so grateful every time I focus on this beauty. Hugs gratefully received and enthusiastically returned!

  9. Thanks! It’s usually positive when we say, “things are looking up” so why not us too? Most often if I am sitting at my desk, when I look up, I see blue sky, often cloudless and amazing, inviting me to let my thoughts flow, evolve and inform me about more of who I am, where I am and where I’m going. If I am outdoors on the lake or walking it’s even easier to look up and around, sometimes down to avoid tripping. And there you have it….

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