SPRING BREAK Meditation: "Miracles Right Next Door"

This morning I unexpectedly thought of the beautiful beach that’s just down the street from me. It just came to me suddenly: one of the loveliest beaches in the world is five minutes away. I pictured it in my mind – the endless stretch of sand, the surf, the colorful sky. As I thought about it, I reminded myself that this is a beach people travel thousands of miles to see – and it’s almost right next door to me. What was astonishing about this is that I haven’t been to the beach in probably six months! There it is, waiting for me in all its unbelievable beauty, and I have consistently ignored it. A startling miracle has been unfolding so close to me I could probably hear it if I tried hard enough, and yet I have been totally unmindful of it. This brings me to a scary question: Have I been ignoring other miracles “right next door” – maybe hundreds of them? Have I been blind to unbelievable marvels that have been arising, moment by moment, all around me? I think I’ll take a walk on the beach today and ponder those important questions.