Waking up Souls

Things have a life of their own…it’s simply a matter of waking up their souls.”

-Gabriel Garcia Marquez, from “One Hundred Years of Solitude”

Just recently, I began re-reading one of my favorite books, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. When I read this line—near the beginning of the book—I was shaken to the core, and re-read it probably ten to twenty times. Great books are like that; their words can touch you deeply and differently throughout your life. And, as I read this line over and over, I thought about how we so often go through life—unintentionally, I believe—with a sense of ownership over things and people, and even situations. And much of our dissatisfaction—it seems—occurs when life doesn’t unfold as we’d like. But, what if we could step back and see things, people, nature, as having a life of their own? As if this thing appeared at this time and in this way to reveal something—to me or to others. Maybe then I would stop feeling as if I were in conflict so much of the time. Maybe then I would be able to enter into dialogue and go beyond my limited perspective. Maybe I would be able to see my life as a beautiful and creative act unfolding with each new addition. This animated way of engaging with life has changed me; it engages my mind and fills my heart love and reverence, wonder, and of course gratitude—which is fitting, as we head into this blessed season of Thanksgiving