Followed by grace

For a while now, I have been followed by grace. Whenever I have paused and looked over my left shoulder, grace has been there. So it should be no surprise, I have been curious about grace for some time. Curious about how this word keeps popping up in my life, coming to me at unexpected times, calling me. 

Facing a challenging situation, I awoke this morning intuitively feeling: grace is what I need. Not as a word, but in its living form. True to grace's personality, grace has been patiently following me. Flowing behind me with light steps all these years. Allowing me space and time. Faithful the realisation would come and I would slow down and allow grace to catch up.

Lying in bed as the early morning light danced from under the blinds, I could feel myself awakening to grace. In that moment, I realised I was aware of grace but did not really know grace.

So, I started musing about where I had seen grace and who embodies grace, in the hope that looking deeply at their characteristics would give me some hints about living with grace.

An image of actress Grace Kelly immediately entered my mind. I have always thought she embodied her name. I moved on quickly, considering her perhaps a product of her time. I needed someone closer. Two people turned up: the Dalai Lama and a member of my meditation community. 

The Dalai Lama faces mistreatment from one of the largest countries in the world and his state of exile with so much grace. I am grateful he has helped me become aware, with great clarity, what grace is and what grace is not. Grace is not anger or resentment. Grace is not victimhood. Grace is your heart dancing lightly despite the heaviness of your situation. Grace is equanimity. 

As for the member of my meditation community, she shows me graceful living is finding flow with whatever is happening in your life. To live freely from the perceived duality of good and bad. She shows me grace is to step lightly, to flow and keep moving with the light. It is no wonder the word is used to describe dance and how we move. 

And then suddenly I began to know grace.

Grace is the kindness and gratitude I show in the face of hate, anger, resentment, misunderstanding, mistreatment and mistrust.

Grace is a lightness of being. Grace is the whisper of clouds as they gently dance across the face of the sky. Grace is the smile of trees as autumn leaves gently float to the ground. Grace is the delicate lotus flower growing from the mud.