The Waiting Place

​In this holidaying life, and life in general, we have had many visits to the 'waiting place'......

THE WAITING PLACE  by Dr. Seuss
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come,
or a plane to go or the mail to come,
or the rain to go or the phone to ring,
or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting...

In this holidaying life, and life in general, we have had many visits to the 'waiting place'. I was inspired to put 'pen to paper' and write this as we are actually waiting for the snow to snow. We are in our ski gear awaiting a forecast drop in temperature that will turn the sleeting rain to snow for our final day of skiing. Dave is reading out loud to the children, creating the opportunity for me to type this quick sharing.

We have become much more skilled and settled with waiting places - this is a great learning for life. Maintaining a positive outlook, curiosity, diversity and settledness when nothing is happening, no thing to distract and engage. When we are just waiting...

The children learn a lot in these waiting places. As do us adults. Each day 'just waiting' 'just being' is something that we explicitly practice. On our train trips, we read, do our studies and then simply looking out the window and doing nothing but observing the scenery becomes our focus for a while. It doesn't come easy on some occasions but overall we benefit from the experience.

We are often waiting for the train to come or go: usually this is in the company of our two kids, and requires active engagement in their energy and activity. But the other day I had the opportunity to sit quietly with our luggage for an hour or so, just me - surrounded by the concrete of the underground train network and the company of the many people passing by. I decided to meditate - open eye mediation; partly to not call too much attention to myself - partly to continue a conscious curiosity towards the comings and goings around me. 

I grounded through the sit bones and settled in - our big backpack makes for a great meditation cushion! I found a neon light arrow sign across in the distance. Upwards pointing arrow for uplifting. This became a refocus and anchor for my mediation. A place to return to when distraction played its usual games. At a nearby Bakerei, the kneading cycle of bread machine provided a steady beat for my ears to tune to. A calming, felt sense of my breath coming and going from the body completed the combination. Peace, observation and stillness followed. What a great way to use a 'waiting place'.       

"Wie gehts, gut?" ("how are you? good?") cuts across this space. Slightly startled, I look up at the Polizei towering over me in their formal uniform. My still and lengthy presence in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the train station had obviously attracted their attention and concern. "Gut, danke" and a smile was my convincing reply. 

After my snap-awake conversation with the Polizei I stayed seated, but shift my mediation style. I allowed curiosity to guide my open eye meditation. The sounds of conversation and footsteps - previously unheard -  were the soundtrack. The interest of people's features, the possibilities of their stories. Oh the places you can go! in meditation.

P.S. The weather has cooled - snow is now falling. Activity calls. Our final day skiing in the Alps awaits...