Before and After

At Carrie Newcomer's last show, she sang a new song called Before and After. It has been ringing in my head ever since, and it's an appropriate posting here for "new blog day one".

She spoke of how so much of our lives we separate into "before" and "after" - perhaps the birth of a child, a graduation, a death - the "big stuff". More often these days for me the separations occur in the small wonderment. As I lean into my life with more heart, these very little moments appear as big ones.

we live our lives from then until now
By the mercy received and the marks on our brow
To my heart I collect what the four winds will scatter
And frame my life into before and after

I sent last evening with some fFriends learning about a recent trip to Cuba. Their tale was of a large journey, heavy construction and immense effort. And yet, what struck me as most valuable were their small reactions, interactions with the Cuban people, efforts on both sides to learn and to grow and nurture in little ways that are really "big" indeed. I'm hoping to remember that lesson - but I suspect I would not have heard the message if I was not already on such a perceptive path.