Age Can Be Beautiful

It's Shivarathri at the temple. I didn't know this, and was spending my morning in Yellow Springs after sleeping there the previous night. As I was hanging out with my friends I got a phone call from the temple priest asking if I would be there to take photos, after figuring of what I was taking photos of I promised to be there at five and then made preparations to leave Yellow Springs and come home. For some reason I didn't have resistance to going as I have so much lately. I went home and got some chores done, took care of my geese, put on maple sap to boil into syrup, and replied to some hand written letters from friends (support your local post office today!), then went to my room and quickly dressed into my favorite half-sari, applied Kum Kum and went. It would be boring to describe my activities, but I want to write about something that caught my eye. A few times a year we have events In which the public can sponsor the main rituals such as an abishekum or Pooja, then they get to participate in someway. In the case of Shivarathri it's an abishekum and the sponserees get to pour some of the (almond) milk over the shiva linga. Most of the family's simply perform the ritual, but there is always an old woman or two who complete the action which such complete and utter devotion, it brings YOU a little closer to god. There's just something in the way it takes that extra effort to get up on the alter, the way they give the gods an extra glance, or take some drops of the liquid falling from the deity to sprinkle over their head. Maybe it's putting their hands, palms together in Anjali mudra, and looking at Anandaswaras face like he is her beloved. Perhaps it's all of those things put together, but its a moment in life that makes my heart open with joy.