I have been thinking about this Boris Pasternak quote for weeks now:

"When a great moment knocks on the door of your life,

its sound is often no louder than

the beating of your heart

and it is very easy to miss it."

(Boris Pasternak - 1890-1960)

I have been thinking back on this past year and all the great moments that have knocked on my door, disguised as everyday happenings, ordinary people, simple requests.

I tend to ground myself in silence on a regular basis so I can hear; hear the whisper of what I sure hope is God, hear my own thoughts, hear the internal wisdom that seems to only show up when I get real quiet.

And it is out of that of silence that the answer came to those invitations, those requests.

YES!

And what a year of surprise it has been:

I met people I never dreamed I would meet; people who have changed the trajectory of my life.

I ended up in places and spaces I never imagined I would be; places and spaces to which I was previously blind.

I found a new sense of release from strictures and structures that I didn't know were hampering my joy, until they were gone.

I have read more widely and broadly than ever before and my soul has soared because of this rich feast of ideas and thought.

I got a tattoo.

I discovered I have naturally curly hair. Who knew?

I am an ally for all those who feel vulnerable in our culture of cruelty.

Every single one of these things a gift. From the universe to me. For no reason.

And I realize, of course, that none of these gifts qualify as historically significant "great moments" for anyone else but me.

But in the end, isn't that what really counts?

To me, these simple experiences are great. And the only thing I had to do to experience them was to get quiet enough to hear the beating of my own heart and then to simply say YES.