Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Honouring the Ordinary - Part two


Say 'Hi' to our black swans...well, they technically aren't ours - they have taken up residence in the dam not far from our house. They are graceful, serene and beautiful. Things I wish I were...but I'm not quite there yet! (In fact I'm not even anywhere close...)

Every time I drive past this pair, I slow down to a crawl and watch them slide across the water. Marvelling that such beauty chooses to live near our home. Until the two travelling with me crank up -
"Don't slow down...they're always here"
"Hurry up, we haven't got all day"

To which I reply something about taking a moment to enjoy the beauty in the world around us...honour the ordinary...you get the idea...

Then they gently remind me that the tractor is bogged to the axles, the chain has snapped in two, the paddock needs to be sprayed so the wheat can be planted, we need to get back to the shed to cobble the chain back together..... and the swans will truly be here tomorrow.

Tomorrow came and went, the swans are indeed still silkenly sliding on the dam, the tractor is no longer bogged, but the GPS is now broken and the 'expletive deleted' wheat is still in the bags and not yet in the ground!

It's easy to honour the swans - their grace is undeniable. But honouring the ordinariness of broken down and bogged machinery?....Not such a snap. And let me assure you - it IS ordinary! Happens all the time.

Then I discover this quote:

Without heat and pressure there would be no diamonds. It is the tough situations that provide opportunities to sparkle.

Today's mission is to attempt to find the way to turn the heat and pressure into sparkle...wish us luck!

(Wish I could attribute that quote to someone wise - if you happen to know who the sage soul was who first uttered these words - please let me know!)





2 comments:

Indounik said...

Warm greetings from the home of the black swan, Western Australia. This is a great post - lovely sentiments, beautifully expressed.

Well, you guys have had more than your fair share of tough situations so I hope it's all smooth sailing for a good spell.

Tracey Hewitt said...

Indounik! So lovely to hear from you! Thanks for your kind and encouraging words...a run of smooth sailing would certainly be quite a wonderful turn of events!

Hope all is well with you over there in WA. I often think of your kindness when we were flooding here - thank you.x