Hiking in the Palisades last week, camera in hand, I stalked a bumblebee, clicking the shutter at the precise moment it landed on a vibrant yellow flower against a vivid azure sky. At home later, I studied the image, pleased I had executed the shot well. Then I saw something else: I had also captured a bug on the flower! I was astounded — I hadn’t even seen it when I took the shot, and the happy surprise made the image even more interesting.
I spend my time scanning, planning, living my life one beat ahead. That strategy has its benefits, but it doesn’t allow for the unanticipated mysteries of the universe, where transformation takes place. My best moments, and some of my hardest, weren’t planned at all. They just appeared against the background of my life, leaving me wiser and more fulfilled.
While I probably won’t stop trying to stay a beat out ahead, the unexpected insect on the flower reminds me that rewards come when you slow down and open up to the unforeseen possibilities and gifts that appear along the way. And those gifts can be astounding.
