Enjoy It While It Lasts

I looked up at the mansion while sitting on a bench near Humanities: the sun was shining, the grass gleaming and the birds chirping. This whole setting was stunning. It was in between classes, and so it was very quiet. A quaint breeze flew through my newly long hair. I listened to the rustling trees making a tremendous noise, dropping perfectly alive dead leaves.

I had Hegel in one hand and a coffee in another (drinking it the right way, of course). I felt so at ease that I pulled out my journal and just wrote about how I felt and what I was thinking. I tried to come to a conclusion about whether I was actually thinking at all. Of course, I completely negated myself—I was thinking about not thinking…duh!

But the most perfect thing was, I was thinking although I wasn’t thinking about anything; I was in a mode of bliss, taking in the environment and what was around me. It was a serene moment of meditation, which I wasn’t in control of. A flawless, exquisite moment.

Shouldn’t we cherish moments like this? An unforced, natural happiness, which the sun really brought home. We all know that weather, the ‘Indian summer,’ isn’t going to last. The fierce, brisk cold is on our doorstep, and although I love winter and the ‘koselig’ feeling, as the Norwegians would say (meaning cozy), I don’t think there is anything better than a sunny day with a slight breeze, and a gorgeous campus to top it off, right?

I think the most tremendous part of the feeling at that moment was that it was totally unexpected. I, for one, had no idea that a Tuesday in mid-October was going to turn into a sensational sunny slumber of shorts and sunglasses. We have to enjoy these days while they last. Before we know it, a hot chocolate and a turtleneck will be needed to pinch through our weekly adventure of academia.

As I was sitting on that wonderfully weathered bench, with Hegel on my right, blessing me substantial (hopefully you get the pun) security and wisdom, a few of those perfectly alive dead leaves suffered the force of gravity and graced me with their presence on my shoulder. Instantly, the delicateness and its message of serenity made me smile.

As I wrote last week, a tiny gesture such as the refinement of a leaf dropping from a tree on to me, made me happy. But what also got to me was, not only was I being witness to the beautiful Mother Nature; a fitting song from Fleetwood Mac caressed my ears…“You’ve got me mystified,” the voice sang.

What the heck? If there is something more mystic than what I have described, let me know. A religious man might be persuaded to tell me that I was lost in heaven. (And yes, I just compared the outside of Humanities Hall with the white pearly gates of heaven). But that’s the beauty of not only a beautiful summer’s day, but a beautiful day.

Please enjoy a beautiful day, enjoy it while it lasts, and cherish those moments of genuine happiness. When we are suffering from stress at school or work, or suffering under the hands of life, we can go back to that blissfulness and smile. “Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful” – Thich Nhat Hanh.