Join the Two Writing Teachers blog for March Slice of Life Challenge.
I try to take a photo of the sun coming through the clouds. My photo can’t capture the beauty. It can’t capture the moment. So I will try these words. Maybe they can tell you what I see and why it is magnificent.
The sun is a bright yellow-white light shining through a bluish-grey sea of clouds. Beams of light reach from the sun to the ground below, spotlighting the golden fields fallow now in winter. The clouds are white-capped waves dancing on the surface of the sea.
When the sun does this, no matter my mood or what I am worried about, my breath calms and sighs. Because of the magnanimity of it. How can I stay moody, anxious, or worried? Like when the geese fly with Mary Oliver and “announce my place in the family of things.”
I am driving to school. My car slows. Another driver passes me, honks the horn, zooms the engine, but still I slow down. I should slow down, enter my day like this sun plays on the sky’s monkey bars.
A dedicated science teacher I knew had a bumper sticker that read, “I stop for road kill.” My bumper sticker should be “I slow down for sun beams.” How else are we to be present in this world? How else can we say “thank you” to our creator? Recalls to mind a church camp song, “This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Glad! That’s it. Be glad.
Reflections on the Teche 
“I slow down for sun beams.” Margaret, that is so you! I LOVE this! I want this bumper sticker too. You enter the day with reverence and joy! It’s a powerful reminder. Happy slicing!
“Beams of light reach from the sun to the ground below, spotlighting the golden fields fallow now in winter.” Beautiful! Your Slice today helps to calm my spirit. You’re right – This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Morning from Cancun. I’m embracing the shift to slow down and be glad even when I’m sad.
Great way to be forced to compose
When that’s all we got👍🏻
Back for another year
Yay!!!!
What a beautiful way to start the day–and I’m talking about your attitude, Margaret! Although the sunbeams are beautiful too…
Here’s to the 31 Days of March!
Life is beautiful, Margaret, when we slow down like you did. This line reminds me of the ocean that I have missed visiting this winter. “The clouds are white-capped waves dancing on the surface of the sea.” I am excited to start your journey with you. I am still having computer glitches although the list is whittling down. If you cannot comment at my blog this week you can use Facebook because I add everything there too. Thanks for your friendship and the gift of sun watching.
I so get your words, “my photo can’t capture the beauty.” I clicked on your post knowing your poetry would be soothing. Yes, even your words in prose are poetry. When I read your words, “my breath calms and sighs,” I couldn’t help but take a sigh of pleasure!
Just like Ramona, “hmmm,” is what I said when I got to the end of your post. Your words lift me up Margaret. Like the sunbeams on the water.
Your words describe the light so beautifully. If you make that bumper sticker I will want one- I slow down for sunbeams, sunrises and sunsets too!
“I slow down for sun beams.”
Yes! And because you did, you were able to write a slice that allowed me to slow down, too!
I’m glad you slowed down, Margaret, for all of us, too! (Time for a bumper sticker!) Love “enter my day like this sun plays on the sky’s monkey bars.” Gorgeous!
“I slow down for sun beams.” – I love this! I love the thought of slowing down to watch the sky! Thanks for the nice morning reflection!
“I slow down for sunbeams!” Love this! Let us be glad! Thanks for making me smile today.
Beautiful way to start the day! Slowing down and enjoying the world around us is so important!
I’ve seen that sun…thanks for bringing it to my cloudy, rainy day with your words. I did have beauty this morning, too…first thing I heard outside my window this morning was birdsong. On the drive to school, the half moon hung in the sky and the clouds were streaked with light and color as the sun rose.
When we take the time to notice, there is always beauty.
This is beautiful, Margaret! I love “I slow down for sun beams.” Mine would say “I slow down for birds.”