Invitations

We all receive invitations as the years roll on, requesting our presence at various events and functions.  Most will ask for a timely response so that our host can plan their event accordingly.  Basically, we have the option of checking “yes” to indicate that we plan to mark it on our calendar or “no” if we have a previously scheduled commitment, or simply have chosen not to participate for one reason or another.

Lately however, I’ve been approaching this from a different point of view.  I have begun to focus on a concept, which I have dubbed: “Life Invitations.”  I’ve suddenly realized that my life has been continually sending to me personal, VIP invitations to experience the joys, the beauties and the endless wonders it has to offer.  Prior to this new viewpoint, I had left many of those invitations unanswered and many times, hadn’t even recognized their presence.  But, now I see them everywhere and after truly realizing the brevity of some and the significance of others, I feel compelled to respond positively in most instances.

If the invitations life sends to us were tangible, they’d arrive with parchment paper inside shimmering foil envelopes, embossed with only the option to: “Accept”  written in letters of gold.  Every morning as we awaken, during every hour of every day with which we are blessed and with every setting sun, these “invitations” are patiently awaiting our RSVP.  We may not receive them in our mailbox or in an email, but they are life’s parties, and we are cordially invited to attend.

They are subtle, yet blatantly obvious when recognized, as they silently beckon us to explore, discover, experience and feel, life itself.  But, the busier our lives become and the more responsibilities and deadlines we place upon ourselves and our schedules, the less time we have available to allow us to check that “Accept”  box.

A blooming rose sends an invitation to every passerby to stop and enjoy the aroma of its petals.  A gentle rainfall on a summer day sends an invitation to experience the cool drops of water falling upon our shoulders.  The autumn leaves send an invitation to drink in their wondrous hues and witness the graceful ballet of their inevitable descent from the trees.  Each sunset and sunrise sends an invitation to observe in awe its magnificence as one descends beyond the horizon signifying the conclusion of a day and the latter arrives with the promise of a new one.  The sound of a child’s laughter can warm the coldest heart if we pause long enough to pay attention…not to hear, but to listen.

Because there’s a difference between skimming the surface of life and truly experiencing it, and it is profound.  It is that difference between hearing…and listening, between touching and feeling, between eating and tasting, between floating where the current takes you and rowing toward a destination.  

When non-participation is your immediate response to a Life Invitation, ask yourself honestly: Why?  What are the reasons you cannot delve into what brings you joy?  Is it because of time restraints?  Is it because your task list contains too many inconsequential commitments?  Is it time to reprioritize your to-do list by using the “delete” key?  Is it time to start answering excessive requests of your time with the word, “no?”

As we grow older, and the time in between years seems to magically accelerate, we realize how very important it is to begin responding positively more often to these special invites.  Life’s blessings are infinite and like a sponge, we need to absorb them…drop by drop.  The invitations we’ve ignored and the times we’ve chosen not to participate begin to weigh more heavily on our shoulders, resulting in regret.  We begin to realize the longer we’re here, the less time remains and it becomes more important than ever to take advantage of every opportunity to dive into life’s waters.

Invitations

Copyright 2010 Linda Ellis
www.lindaellis.net