An unassuming lady wandered into the old bar room of the Hotel one brisk autumn morning. On greeting her she said she was “just browsing” and she disappeared quietly into the hallway that is filled with quotations hung boldly for all to embrace.

A little time passed, in strolled a gentleman, obviously looking for his wife. Confidently he enquired as to her whereabouts and I directed him to the hallway. As he reached the old bar taps still holding pride of place on the bar he stopped and remarked how his mates would not believe this…in all his travels he had not seen a bar ‘gone pretty’. He pulled out his camera, asking if he could snap this sight to behold to share with his friends as they would not believe a pub could look like this. He then proceeded to share his story with me. He and his wife were traveling and seeing many of the things he was intensely passionate about. His face came alive as he recounted some of the memorable moments of their journey. He then joined his wife in the hallway calling out soon after entering that they had found something on the wall they would like to purchase.

 As I entered the hallway I found the gentleman’s wife seated in one of the cosy armchairs looking ever so peaceful with the afternoon light filtering through the large windows of the doorway over her. She indicated she would like to have a particular sign as it was very symbolic to them. As she said this I noticed the look on her husbands face…he was deeply moved and immediately exclaimed “you know, this woman saved my life!” She looked somewhat awkward, even embarrassed and almost hushed her partner. He however shared further their own particular story of change and coming to terms with loss and heartache. It was this lady’s outlook, her courage in the face of adversity that had given her husband the strength to go forward in life. We shared a deep intimate connection in our personal belief of life giving us experiences we often don’t want and would not wish others to experience. We acknowledged the blessings that these changes brought…whether it was a new beginning, a new outlook, a new relationship, a new location, connection or the end of a season…it was about growing, learning, re-connecting with one’s vulnerability, humanness and strengthening ones spiritual awareness. True peace, happiness and connecting with our source of creation come from within. It is the gift we give ourselves when we count our blessings. What we take with us daily through life’s journey is our love, our memories, our experiences and our deep connections. No one can take these away from us. Our material things may come and go, people come and go, seasons will come and go, but our connection to our moments as passages of time is eternally imprinted in our being. Our perception, outlook, faith and our ability to trust in the divine process of life is part of our sacred journey of evolution and growth. If we are open to growing, learning, changing and focusing on being our best in our now time we create movement for our minds, body, heart or spirit. If we resist the challenge of change we are resisting our natural flow for emotional, spiritual, physical or mental growth which brings opportunity for learning, development, maturity, wisdom or peace.

 Change is our constant companion. It creates movement in the passages of time. Our present moment also accompanies us, ever present creating our past and our future. It is our moments that count …this is the substance of life and what we take with us. The gentleman I mentioned had finally found the joy of life and he and his darling wife were living life as the quotation on their ‘must’ have sign declared:

The Past is History, the Future is a Mystery,

This Moment is a Gift- that’s why it’s called the Present

 

She had indeed ‘saved his life’ as I have often seen happen when people are forced to reconnect with their ailing or dying spirit and rediscover their true essence of being. They feel renewed; begin feeling truly alive and living each moment.