This, too, will pass. And it did--but the freedom that came along with that realization was quite incredible! This is such an interesting thought; and one quite comforting in the midst of a challenging situation. But what about a beautiful moment?
The other day I was driving in my car, noticing the small pale green leaves coming out on the trees lining the road, the sun shining through the spaces between the branches, the songs of the birds cascading down into my open moon roof. The moment felt "right". My heart filled with this sense of peace and joy...and suddenly I thought "this, too, will pass". And for the first time that became much more than a mental concept, but an understanding deep within my inner Being. I wasn't waiting for the "other shoe to drop" or bummed out or depressed that this wonderful moment wouldn't last forever. It was this recognition that, yes, this moment will pass--but for now I'm going to enjoy it and honor it for everything that it is to me in the present moment.
It sounds cliche to say that I felt my soul just open up...but honestly, that's what it felt like. A burden was lifted off my shoulders and this sense of freedom washed over me. I understood it more in the midst of a "good" moment than during any of the "bad" ones. I don't have to hold on or cling to any moment--the outer world, outer circumstances are not who I am, but simply what I am aware of. Who I am runs so much deeper--to use Eckhart Tolle's analogy--I am the depths of the lake which remains unaffected by the ripples on the surface. When I can release even the "good" moments, it's so much easier to not identify with the "bad" and know that those, too, will pass.
