Presence in the Light of a Pre-dawn Moon
Recently I was picked up before dawn by a young immigrant Uber driver to take me to an early medical appointment nearby.
Before his arrival, I had stepped outside to check the weather, and my eyes were drawn to the brilliant full moon. Very taken with its luminous beauty in the pre-dawn silence, I photographed it, as it brightened everything in its glistening light.
While I marveled at the moon, the driver arrived and stepped out of his car, wondering if I had any bags he could help me carry.
Telling him that I had no bags, I asked if he had seen the moon, and pointed up at it. He looked at me curiously, then looked at the moon and smiled broadly. We both stood in silence, gazing upward, fully present, enjoying the beauty of the moment.
Happy with our shared discovery, we got into the car. I asked his name and told him mine. We talked throughout the ride, and he commented that most people did not converse with him, and he was grateful for the conversation and so happy to have shared the moon with me.
Arriving at my destination, he said, “I wish this was a longer ride so I could talk with you more. Most of my customers are in a hurry, some are not very nice. Now, every time I see a full moon, I will think of you and smile.”
How wonderful to have shared this simple joy with a stranger, and to know that we will be connected at every turning of the moon.
What might happen if you hold the intention to be present and appreciate a shared moment when you next encounter someone you don’t yet know?
To what one breath can do,
Amy Bloom Connolly, Founder
410.978.3380
amy@centerformindfulawareness.org