“This day shall never come again.” – Thomas Merton
What comes to mind when you think of wisdom? By definition, wisdom is: experience and knowledge together with the power of applying them, sagacity, prudence, common sense, sageness, judgment, discernment, reason, judiciousness, insight, learning and perhaps erudition. For each of us, wisdom comes from many avenues of experience, learning and knowledge which begins the moment our eyes are opened on this earth.
All to soon time slips by . . . at first as young children, time appears to be interminable, it seems everything takes so long to arrive. As time progresses we experience how fast everything seems to happen, how quickly the days, months, seasons and years almost blur into our consciousness. Change happens in the “blink of an eye,” and we find ourselves wondering how we could have missed seeing the process taking place. We wake up one day and discover . . . time is short. This “waking up or present consciousness” may not happen for many, many years. And when it does, how very tragic that recognition becomes for all of us, because we finally realize as stated by Thomas Merton, “This day shall never come again.”
“When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” Recognition of the passing of time, and what we are missing by not being conscious in the moment is a hard reality to mindfully embrace. Whom or what is your teacher? For all of us, the teacher takes on the mantle of many things which may include: loss, illness, hurt, healing, forgiveness, surrender, pain, discomfort, sadness, depression, anxiety, repression, anger and revelation. The opportunity to become connected to something greater than ourselves is always present in consciousness, and the courage to take that small step into the unknown is the open invitation to wisdom.
Is this easy? Absolutely not, and taking those ”initial steps” can be frightening beyond measure. Savoring those moments that are precious to each of us for whatever reason, are to be treasured and not missed. Time will keep marching on, and when we connect with our conscious awareness and finally “look, listen, see, reflect, comprehend and embrace the moment in the now,” the student becomes the teacher, and wisely serves a purpose greater than himself. JLR