THE TRICK

I randomly started looking up one day while sitting on a bench. Then I thought it would be neat to look up occasionally and take notice of things from a different perspective. Kind of like Carpe Diem in Dead Poets Society, only with less standing on furniture.

If you try it, don't just lift your eyes. You have to tilt your head way back, until it's hard to keep your mouth closed.

You might notice a beautiful sky. You might notice the attention to detail of an architect. You might only notice the dust on your ceiling fan.

You might notice you can't see what's in front of you any more.

Last weekend our family gathered to celebrate our precious Reid's 1st birthday. We were walking along the path behind my sister's house; I was carrying Aubrey so we could have some special time. And I decided to look up. So I stopped and told Aubrey to look up into those gloriously tall East Texas pine trees that line the path.

And that beautiful child who loves to share experiences called ahead "Daddy! Uncle Bus! Stop walking! Look up!"

So there we all stood. Looking up at the blue of a late afternoon summer sky filtering through all those lovely branches. Quiet. Still.

And I realized...that's the trick.

You have to stop walking to look up. (Or at least it's fairly dangerous to be moving and looking up at the same time.) And it's hard to speak when your head is tilted back, stretching out your vocal chords, I suppose.

When I'm looking up, I'm still. And my mind is quieter and focused on seeing what's above me. The whole world seems calmer because I can't see all the busyness going on around me.

Maybe you'll take a minute today and Look Up.

looking up at Halcyon