Prayer

Praying by Melissa Bube
Licensed under Creative Commons

I haven't really considered myself the praying type.  Sure, there are prayers said during many of the different religious services and events I've attended, but I considered these more of meditations for myself, even in Catholic and Protestant churches.  I never really thought about what prayers were or what the word even meant.  After reading this blog post from Deanna Vandiver, I've come to the conclusion that prayer is meaningful and I probably should become a praying type.  It would be a healthy thing to do.  Vandiver wrote about what a professor of hers taught her about prayer, which was:

There were really only three essential elements to any prayer, and they could be prayed through almost any life situation or stages of faith. The three elements are: 

Yes.
Thank you.
I love you.

She continued that this was a prayer she could pray, and I see it as a prayer I can pray as well. Yes, I'm experiencing life which makes me feel happy, sad, pain, and pleasure.  Thanks for such experiences, that I'm loved, and well provided for.  I love you family, friends, and interdependent web of all existence.  It's generic today, but it can be made more specific to situations as they arise.  I like that this approach to praying is so simple, to the point, and not offensive.

Autumn Fairies

Autumn Fairies by Arthur Rackham

I'm really appreciating autumn these days.  I like the colors of leaves changing, the simple beauty of watching leaves fall from trees and blanket the earth, the crispness of the air, and the sweet smell of the fallen leaves and acorns.  I enjoy hearing the pitter-patter of rain falling on gray days, and seeing the brilliance of the sun shining through the colorful remaining leaves on the trees on the sunny days (or hours as it may be in Cleveland).  Driving home through Pennsylvania yesterday I noticed how the colors of the trees seemed even brighter because of the gray sky; it was really pretty.  I like all my seasons.  During the beginning of every season I think, "this is my favorite season."  So right now, autumn is my favorite season.

I remember a scene in Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue where the little girl, Lizzy, says something the effect of "I thought the change of seasons had something to do with the axis of the earth as it rotates around the sun."  To which Tinker Bell responds, "That's just what we [fairies] wanted you [humans] to think."  Of course I know that the change in seasons really does have to do with the axis of the earth as it rotates around the sun.  However, I'm appreciative of Tink's point of view too.  There is a certain spirit to the change of seasons, and to each season specifically, which I believe fairies to create.  In the Tinker Bell movies, creating the spirit of the different seasons is the major responsibility of fairies, which they do by painting the colors of leaves, and insect wings, making the wind blow to make the leaves fall, creating dew drops, and snowflakes, etc.  Leaves change colors in Autumn because the chlorophyll is disappearing since photosynthesis won't work in the winter, but fairies paint the beauty and spirit into the changing colors of the leaves.