?Stillness 8-20:Ribbons are lovely! They bring added charm and delight to whatever they adorn. They’re colorful, cheerful, and allur g.
Adorning ourselves with ribbons appears to be as old as clothing itself. That in itself makes them seem important. Coats, cloaks, hats, and gowns were ornamented and embellished with luxurious ribbons made of soft velvets, delicate laces, smooth satins, rare jacquard, as well as real gold and silver threads and other precious metals. Later, they were used in ornamenting furniture and tapestries, and still later for wrapping gifts. Tying up a present with ribbons is a relatively recent fashion. But it’s a lovely one. When you untie a ribbon that’s wrapped around a box, you’re actively anticipating a great pleasure. Ribbons have a yummy, enticing feeling to them. They are how the gift presents itself in the world.
A teacher told me once that each time he encountered any fellow human, whether his familiar students, family members, or a friend, he tried to meet and greet them as though it were for the first time: Without holding on to their previous encounter. Without a story, without a history, without a name. Without making assumptions. Without bearing grudges. He always consciously tried to meet their spirit, their higher self.
I always remember that when I’m teaching or when I meet someone along the way of my day. I like to imagine the person before me as a present. Try it. What we see are lovely ribbons! It’s rare that any of us reveal the present that is inside, at least not right away. Our task is to untie the ribbon that wraps them and somewhat disguises them. It’s the untying of the ribbon that is as delightful as unwrapping and admiring the gift itself.
What are your ribbons like? Bouncy and curly? Elegant and stiff? Blue, red, or gold? Or green? Knotted tightly or loosely, or casually tied and easily untied?
Imagine you’re a ribbon … now, gently, untie yourself. Think of yourself not as the box, or the gift wrapped in tissue inside the box—instead think of yourself as the ribbon tied gaily around it, curling, festooning, and decorated with a cheerful bow.
Become the ribbon – that adornment to the space around you and the thing inside you. That thing is your imagination, your wisdom, your love. How will you present yourself to the world today?
P.S. My inspiration today is this lovely tarot card from
“The Carnival at the End of the World Tarot”
— just so marvelous: 