Oh, I am so pleased by the things I have grown accustomed to. My eyes are singing this morning as I drive through a small town full of wonderful sights that I’m so used to now I don’t look twice. Now I look on lovingly at the woman walking slowly down the street with a bag of rice on her head. The man behind her is completed hidden beneath the bustle of dry grass pouring off of his head. The baby is a limp doll in the other arm of the shopkeeper who is sweeping the morning dust from her stoop. The baby chickens hoping on twiggy branches are playing out of their mother’s eyesight and bigger than yesterday. I can smile at anyone of my choice and they’ll smile right back. The jukung boats are white dots across the big blue world we live beside. The Galungan offers are wilting and dry.

Kid’s faces peek over the handlebars of their parent’s scooters. A family of three zipped by, kid dangling off the side hip of the back passenger. It’s a warm tropical day and they’re wearing parkas. The morning chill is too much for some. For me, the weather is perfection and I am not afraid it will leave me. I feel a gentle trust in her now. I believe the sun will shine for me again tomorrow and if not tomorrow then the next day for sure. I needed a cozy rainy day anyway. My scooter curves with more confidence these days around and down the hill. I steal a quick glance out over the palm forest and a smile steals centerstage on my face. I love this place so much. My heart swells. The soft wind is like silk sheets on my morning skin. I can’t think of a better physical explanation of heavenly pleasure than this wind on my skin.

Raika is sleepy this morning as she creates my morning matcha. She was working late. I walked into my favorite cafe, all smiles and energy after my beautiful coastal scooter ride. I felt rougher than her twenty minutes ago though. My morning was fatigue waking up for the sunrise again, determined to watch the neon red ball rise above the horizon. That is a sight I refuse to miss. I need no alarm to open my eyes. I may be exhausted from days after days of bleeding my sweet soul onto pages, making my muscles sweaty at the gym, and kicking myself into the ocean to practice holding my breath 16m under the ocean, staying up into the moonlight to catch the words that float in on the midnight breeze….all this sleepy tired yawwwwnnnnning and still I wake up to see the sunrise. It is just too precious to miss and I never get used to it.

Lately, I have often heard people say “There is still beauty in this world.” On mornings like this one I am so surrounded by all the beauty that never left or lessened. There is more beauty in this world than there is ugly. Look around you right now. How many more beautiful things can you notice? Perhaps there is one ugly thing about you now…even within that there is beauty to be found. And even if it really truly is the ugliest little ugly thing that ever existed, surely it existing in an environment that is otherwise entirely filled to the brim with beauty. Yes or no?

If your answer is yes, tell me all about the beauty in your life. If your answer is no, keep looking and come back to me when you can sing of the beauty that is your trying so so hard to catch your precious attention…if only you would open your eyes and take notice.

Love & Rainbows,
Cha Wilde

Wonderful Things I've Gotten Used To