I finally made it home!
After two years and seven months of socially distancing because of COVID-19, Ken, Grace and I arrived in my hometown of Carpinteria, California, to see family and dear friends. We had a FABULOUS trip filled with laughter, great meals, and gratitude. But something I couldn’t shake burned in the back of my mind.
New Mexico, our adopted state of four years, was on fire; the worst wildfires the state has ever seen. Headlines informed us that flames headed toward Santa Fe, where we live. I watched online as my neighbors posted apocalyptic-looking pictures featuring a sizzling red sun and dark murky skies and wondered what the future held in store.
Surfer Girl
As I sat on Rincon Point, an idyllic beach made famous by the Beach Boys, I grew melancholy thinking about global warming, which the fires in the southwest are attributed. Grace had a different experience. Until a few minutes earlier, she had never seen the ocean before and was playing a game of catch-me-if you-can with the waves. The excitement on her face, her crazed running in circles, followed by exuberant paws digging in the sand, made me laugh and released my gloom. I realized that, unlike me, Grace was living in the moment and the result was she was enjoying herself to no end. I, on the other hand, had succumbed to fear and was living everywhere except in the only place that truly matters—The Now.
I was reminded of living in The Now the following afternoon when we visited Lee and Donna; good friends, who had already lost one house to fire. Donna shared that, in some ways, losing their home was a blessing and that she felt grateful because it made her recognize they had only lost “things” in the fire and not each other.
We crossed a little bridge hanging over their creek. At the end of it, a tea house sat under the oak trees. Once inside it, the four of us shared our insights about life while Grace slept between us, amusing us with her generous snores. Ken said the wildfires reminded him to take life, “moment by moment.” Lee shared, “inch by inch.” I added, “breath by breath.”
Living in the Now
We are back in Santa Fe now and the fires, driven by unpredictable winds, continue to blaze. When my heart sinks from the latest news, and I feel the pull toward our couch to binge on Netflix and eat Vegan Bon Bons, I’m reminded of my new mantra, moment by moment, inch by inch, breath by breath. Then I look at my dog, Grace, who, even after all she suffered in her past, embodies that mantra every day.
Life is a tough gig, and sometimes frustration makes us want to throw our hands up and call it a day, but I believe animals have something to teach us about living with uncertainty, doubt, and fear. Moment by moment, inch by inch, breath by breath—our animal friends model well how to be in the Now, and to live each day with a smile.
Stay healthy & stay pawsitive,
Carlyn MDO 💜
PS: Please keep New Mexico in your most empowered thoughts.
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful, timely reminder, Carlyn. I love your blog. It always seems to resonate so deeply with me at just the right time. Wishing you all safety during this intense fire season.
I’m so happy you are enjoying the blogs as much as I enjoy writing them, Jessi. I’m glad they are resonating. That means the world to me.
This is sweet and I love your new mantra! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Bella! I like it too:)
Dear Carlyn,
You are so so special. Hang in there.
Love,
Gloria
Wow, thank you, Gloria. We are hanging in, taking everything a day at a time.
I took a long hike this morning and fell in love all over again w/Santa Fe.
Thank you for the lovely thoughts
Thank you, Dianne. Have a beautiful day!
HI Carlyn
great article and so true we have to live in the moment. I hope the wildfires can start to be contained and you all remain safe.
Tim
Thank you Tim! I hope the same thing. Fortunately most of the day here has been easy to breath, seems like it’s smokier in the late afternoon.
It’s wonderful to hear from you.
Thank you so much for this letter. You made my heart sing, and reinforced what I have been making a priority now–living in the now.
Love to you,
I would love to hear your heart sing! What a beautiful image.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts:)
Great reminder and beautifully expressed philosophy of living. Grace has it down but we need a reminder now and then. Hubby is better than I am at living in the moment and being happy with it; I’m trying…
It’s a gentle and beautiful practice. No one is perfect at it. I’m grateful when I sit down for my 30 minutes of meditation and if I can get a minute of true living in the breath, I feel it’s a great success!
“moment by moment.” , “inch by inch.”, “breath by breath.”
stay safe dear friends
Hey Linda & Charli! We are doing our best. Today we invested in an air purifier. What a difference!
Inspiring
Thank you, Silviano. Great to hear from you.
I recently read that Guru Mayi said that it is an advanced practice to put things out of our minds that frighten us, make us feel like we cannot settle and take way from our general sense of well being.
I think living in the now is definitely a form of putting something out of your mind. It’s usually something that you can’t do anything about anyways. Like stopping a raging forest fire.
For now that’s what isn’t on my mind. We made a plan for evacuation and now we are just trying to live our lives and enjoy things as they evolve
Thank you for reminding me to do this.
I remember Guru Mayi! That is great advice though I always add one piece to my process. I pay attention to the emotion that is associated with what is bothering me and I have a brief convo w/it. I figure if it is there in a bothersome way, there is probably something I need to learn from it. I try not to entertain the challenging emotions for too long, just enough to hopefully get the take-away then move on. Yes to enjoying life in the moment!
Beautifully written , profound and inspiring.
As always ….
In my thoughts and prayers.
Love💜
Thank you so much for your very kind words, Deeann. I really appreciate hearing them. And hope you are well.
Dear Cousin Carlyn,
So glad to hear you are safely back home & that you got to enjoy a visit to Your beloved Carpinteria. Wish I could’ve seen you. 💕 Thanks for sharing reminders to breathe deeply & live in the moment. Stay safe!
Kathy Medel-Boisen
Kathy! So great to hear from you. I wish I could have seen everyone but time flew so fast and I hadn’t seen my family in so long that I spent as much time as I could with them. Though every time we drove up Foothill Rd. I thought of you:) Thank you for reaching out. Hoping you are well!