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Walk in Beauty

"Walking in Beauty" Navajo Prayer

In beauty I walk
With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
It has become beauty again
Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me
I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.
I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.
I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.
I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.
I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.
In beauty all day long may I walk.
Through the returning seasons, may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With dew about my feet, may I walk.
With beauty before me may I walk.
With beauty behind me may I walk.
With beauty below me may I walk.
With beauty above me may I walk.
With beauty all around me may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.
My words will be beautiful.

The last two days have been absolutely beautiful, and I have been been enjoying simple summer activities (farmer's market, walking near the lake, reading in the sun, etc.) that will be a part of my life more frequently in a week. This Navajo prayer was recited at church this morning. As I sat outside enjoying the birds (especially the female cardinal) and reading, I thought of the beauty around me. Today was "Ascension Sunday" at church, and in typical manner my service found a way around the rising up of Jesus. Instead we focused on ascension as stepping up to our responsibilities (injustice, poverty, prejudice, etc.). It was even mentioned that perhaps we needed to stopping looking up and be present. On beautiful sunny days like today it is easier to be present in the wonders around me. A couple of days ago I read a blog in which the author was remarking about the beauty of the cottonwood. When I saw the author, I told him he was a better person than me because I wanted to take a chainsaw and cut the one that floats cottonwood seeds all around and into my screens. Today as the stuck to my skin, I realized there was some beauty in the soft whiteness. May I remember this all days knowing that there are still wonders around me.

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