Days 11 & 12: Illinois

The Power of Presence

I arrived in Lisle, IL. on the night of Thursday, July 8, 2021. THIS stop was definitely a divine addition to the cross-country, spiritual sojourn because of the Human + Nature exhibit that I would have the honor of witnessing the next day.

I was sooooo excited to visit the Morton Arboretum, the next morning, that I didn't realize that my time was still set to Eastern Standard Time. So, when I woke up at 6:00am to start my day, I really woke up at 5:00am. WOW!!! What to do?

Since I was too excited to go back to bed, I decided to stay up and watch the sunrise near my hotel and then go have breakfast. While sitting in my car, I was able to bear witness to a gorgeous sunrise over the water tower and listen to a morning performance provided by the songbirds in the nearby tree. After absorbing that space, I headed to the restaurant.

After arriving at Quincy's, I soon realized that I was too early for breakfast. Hahahaha! So, once again, I decided to witness the sunrise from this new position. The golden hue warmed my spirit and assured me that this was going to be an amazing day!! Since I had about thirty minutes to spare, I decided to drive back to the hotel and continue watching the sunrise over the water tower. But, something caught my eye and I made a quick U-turn. I saw a rainbow!!

Typically, a rainbow appears after it just rained.Not this time. This rainbow proceeded the rain and I was able to stand in that in-between space of what was and what was to come. Liminality is what we call it in the academic space. 

The liminal space provided by this experience allowed me to witness the fullness of the rainbow, the arching power of its presence, and the majestic forces of Mother Earth. When I go back and look at the photos, I am reminded that we all have that same "rainbow" presence within us. That we have a fullness that others can witness. That we have an arch of power that serves as a bridge between two spaces. And, that we are majestic forces within the universal body of Mother Earth. 

With this knowing, I invite you to look within and begin a personal journey of presence. Be present before the storm so you can better prepare to ride it out. You never know who is seeing YOUR 'rainbow' within. Shine one!