Here it is. I completely agree with you, we are always in transition and transformation status. Nothing is fixed, including that idea.

While I have always found it fairly easy to be astounded by moments of beauty or wonder, especially in nature, I wasn't in the habit of saying these things aloud to myself. After reading Ross Gay's The Book Of Delights, I began employing his trick of exclaiming "DELIGHT!" Each time I see something that sparks that feeling within me. And during this season of sadness and grief for me, I've also begun adding it as a reminder on my calendar. For big example, driving along the other day I was feeling particularly low. The sun was out bright for a change, and I noticed that the position of the sun made the oncoming Lane of our street completely shadowed and dark. The lane I was driving in had the perfect outline of all of the treetops in Shadow about midpoint in the lane. So half of my Lane was pure brightness and the other half was filled with the stark outlines of treetops in shadow. It was beautiful. If I were an artist in that way I would have loved to paint it or sketch it. Instead, it lit me up and I shouted to myself in my car, "DELIGHT!" That small act grounded me. Felt the feelings in my body as I drove, and then put a small smile on my face to feel into that delight. It's not always that dramatic, this fall, every time I came around a corner and saw the sun shining on beautiful burnished leaves of all colors I shouted " DELIGHT!" ... The other day I looked out my bathroom window after a big rain, and the magnolia tree was showered in droplets of rain clinging to the bare twigs and branches like little shining crystals in an ornate chandelier, I declared it again. And last night when I heard my husband shouting with glee at the the of his favorite team, I smiled to myself and whispered "Delight". It's a lovely practice and I highly recommend the book no matter if you take up the practice. Both the practice and the book bring me many moments if Joy.

Sunday morning after my plunge; it will be half day since my sister and her wife are coming to town later that day.

I won't be joining at the allotted time, as it coincides with my Sunday wild swim group. However, I will watch for details and spend a couple of hours doing this on the 28th.

ALSO! If anyone wants to swim with us THIS Sunday, December 21, we're going in a bit early to catch the sunrise. We meet in Olalla at 0830 normally, though for Solstice we're meeting at 0745. I'm bringing rice paper for folks to write down anything they'd like to release, anything they'd like to invite in, both, or whatever they like. We'll release them to the sea as it holds us afloat. Newbies are always welcome, we love guiding people in for the first time.