Baby Summer stood firmly, let go of the table’s edge, and toddled toward Jay. She had taken her first steps months ago but then stopped, preferring to crawl—fast—wherever she wanted to go. But yesterday, she was motivated. She wanted to hand Jay the remote. And so, throughout the day, she practiced walking instead of crawling.
I love her example of moving on her own time, waiting until she was more sure of her feet. She was capable of walking months ago, but why rush?
Lately, I’ve felt unsteady, too—discombobulated, a little helpless, obstructed from clarity. That’s why this newsletter is late. After weeks of focusing on sudden hearing loss, I expected to feel ready to move forward, to write with ease. Instead, nothing much was happening.
At one point, I turned to the I Ching and had to laugh—my hexagram was Obstructed, with the warning: If you try to act, you will encounter misfortune. Retreat and be patient.
I could have pushed through, but why? All signs were pointing to pausing.
The Space Between Effort and Readiness
So, instead, I retreated, watching where my attention naturally landed, waiting for tiny moments of movement and clarity. I wrote down how I felt: helpless, unknowing, discombobulated, obstructed. Then, before I realized what I was writing, I added “small things.”
Noticing the smallest things brought me back to presence: the joy in my chest when my granddaughter called to ask if she could come play, the smile that crept across my face as Summer toddled toward Jay with the remote, and the unexpected pull toward sewing—choosing cheerful fabric, piecing together a tiny dress, sewing on a button.
I realized patience isn’t just about waiting—it’s about noticing.
Reverence Lives in the Smallest Things
I also picked up a book that had been sitting on my Kindle for a year:Kabbalah: A Love Story by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner. From the first pages, I felt a deep resonance. Then, just as I was thinking about how life presents us with signs, Kushner wrote about noticing “signs”—not because some external force places them in our path, but because we access an inner knowing when we pay attention.
“Everything’s a sign,” one of the characters says, “actually, it might be more accurate to say that you yourself become a sign painter. You suddenly see what has been there all along.”
That’s how reading that book felt—as if each page held a sign pointing me to something important I already knew. I read each page with a sense of anticipation, feeling for the resonance. And then, I reached his section on reverence. I sighed deeply. Reverence. Yes.
Maybe this is what I’ve been unconsciously seeking—and missing.
I’ve discovered that reverence doesn’t require cathedrals or holy texts. It lives in the smallest things—the way a drop of water clings to a leaf, the hush of snowfall, the warmth of a hand resting lightly on my back. When I am present in these moments, something shifts. The habitual hum of thought recedes, and I find myself in communion with the world exactly as it is.
I once studied the idea of reverence noticing subtleties about it while on retreat at the Zen Monastery peace Center. I wrote in my journal: “the attitude of reverence holds an interesting role…rendering ego-I to a humble state of humility against a backdrop of something larger…the arms of gratitude can more easily embrace the self, which in turn allows the self to open more because of feeling cared for and loved, not needing to protect so much. From that space or attitude delight can irreverently escape all bounds“
Reverence isn’t about worship; it’s about noticing, letting go of our armoring. It is about offering our entire presence to what is before us—whether that’s a cup of tea, a conversation, or the way afternoon light slants through a window.
It made me think—maybe patience itself is an act of reverence. Waiting until something is ready, trusting the timing of things, honoring the natural unfolding of life—just noticing, noticing.
Summer didn’t force herself to walk before she was ready. The I Ching advised me to pause rather than push forward. And in that waiting space, something opened—a renewed sense of attention, a deepening awareness of the small things.
The Japanese Call It Yūgen
I recently learned the Japanese have a word for this—yūgen. It describes a quiet awareness of mystery, a beauty that can’t quite be named—the feeling of watching mist move through a valley, of hearing a song that stirs something profound and unexplainable.
Yūgen is reverence in its most elusive form, acknowledging that life is vast, intricate, and ultimately unknowable.
It is available to us at any moment. I was reminded of this while reading Kabbalah: A Love Story. I stopped and copied these words into my journal:
“People receive countless opportunities to be reverent before whatever is set before them. Sometimes it’s a wedding, sometimes a funeral. It could be a sunny spring morning; it could be a cancer ward. You don’t get to choose the event. You only get to choose whether or not you will be reverent.”
It struck me. In a world that often urges us toward control, certainty, and mastery, what if the most radical choice is to be with what is? To meet life with humility rather than conquest. To humbly open to awe and mystery, retreating intentionally, sometimes, but always noticing, noticing.
Upcoming Events & Good News
Good News: I’m thrilled to share that Naked in the Now is a finalist in the Wishing Shelf 2024 Nonfiction Book Awards! This brings the number of Naked in the Now awards to four. These recognitions have been little sparkles of delight for me to receive. We writers toil behind the scenes, often alone, and it means so much when our words are seen and honored by others.
Upcoming Events:
San Diego Writers Festival. I’ll be on a panel entitled Self-Help on Fire: Tips to Help You Hone Your Message. April 5, 2025, Coronado Public Library, 2:15 pm (free!)
Write by Red Rock—I am excited to announce that I am working with Tony Wilson,Programming Specialist for the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, to bring an in-person writing and awareness group to Las Vegas! The Blue Diamond Library has offered to host the event. Dates and times TBD. If you live in the area, I hope you’ll come! (Email if you are interested and I’ll send you more information directly.)
Write by the Sea Virtual Community – Join this amazing group of writers for a virtual retreat designed to refresh and ignite your writing practice. Mondays at 2 pm Pacific via Zoom (in person in Loreto Bay!)
Takeaway:
I invite you to slow down today and find one small moment to honor—whether it’s the warmth of sunlight on your face, a kind word from a friend, or the stillness of a single breath. Let this be your practice of joyful reverence.
I’m also making a small but significant shift in my own journey—moving this newsletter to Substack! I hope you’ll join me there as we continue exploring these tiny, transformative moments together.
Call to Action:
I’d love to hear about the small moments of reverence you discover in your day. Share them with me in the comments or via email. If this piece resonated with you, please consider sharing it with others who might benefit from this quiet reflection.
Speaking of milestones, Naked in the Now is approaching its one-year anniversary! If my writing has resonated with you, one of the most impactful ways to support an author is by leaving a review. Reviews help new readers find the book, and as I reach this milestone, they could even open new doors with my publisher. I would be beyond grateful for your words!
There are so many wonderful ways to support authors. A post I saw recently said it beautifully: “Write a review. Recommend to a friend. Follow on social media. Share content. Engage with posts. Subscribe to the newsletter. Give a shout-out. Cheer them on.” If you feel inspired to do any of these, I would deeply appreciate it!
Thank you for being part of this community. Together, we can create more reverence and spread joy in the world, one small moment at a time.
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