I have arrived

I took the kids downtown today. We walked for quite some time, between a few different places. Primarily, we were going to see my friend L, who was working at an Art Festival.

I stopped at the most gorgeous exhibit of portraits from around the world and was transfixed by the entire booth. Many of the smaller prints included quotations at the bottom, which were also wonderful. I knew I wanted one but could not make up my mind.

I asked my daughter to pick the one she liked and she pointed to a print of a little black girl sitting on a chair and a quote from Marianne Williamson beneath her. I still could not make up my mind and the kids were getting restless, so I decided we would go find L and come back.

The photographer came up to me with the print and told me it was for my daughter. The quote read, "We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone."

We thanked him and went to get L. I told her about the artist and we went back and looked together. She loved the photographs too.

I lingered for a long time and struggled to pick one. The kids finally went to play next to us at an enclosed park. I finally decided on a beautiful older Turkish woman, wearing no makeup and the hijab.

I went to purchase it and the photographer looked carefully at what I had picked. He said, she's beautiful - is this for you?

I told him it was and he said, you take it. I told him I could not and that he had already given us one. He said, no, you have children - give them everything. I nearly cried and he gave me a big hug.

The picture and the quote are what my hope is for myself, someday.

"I have arrived. I am home in the now. I am solid. I am free. In the ultimate I dwell. What a loving place to be."
-Thich Nhat Hanh