Sublime Moments
Today, I'm using a prompt from blogprompts.fyi:
Write a blog post about moments in your current or past life that you would classify as sublime.
Many moments with Danny come to mind, of course. We've had lots of times together that I would consider sublime, both extravagant and mundane. Of course, the night when he proposed is prominent in my mind. We were on top of the Space Needle, it was nighttime, and there was already a sense of celebration in the air, even before he got down on one knee.
But a moment that stands out just as much is getting into our hotel room in New York on our honeymoon and unwrapping the burgers that we found at a random restaurant, just wanting something to eat after a long delayed flight. We were laughing, we were tired, and it felt really good to be there with him, knowing we had adventures ahead of us.
Another one from New York: finally being in McSorley's bar after years of dreaming about it. I've always felt a kinship with the writer Joseph Mitchell, and to be there in his favorite place, seeing his photo on the wall, drinking ale and eating a meal very similar to the ones he drank and ate felt a little bit like finally coming home. McSorley's didn't disappoint, and it's a must for me any time I visit the city.
So many moments with Ranni, as well. Meeting her for the first time, seeing her look up at me from Danny's arms with those big brown puppy eyes. Any moment with her is sublime, really. She has brought so much happiness to my life.
There are so many moments in nature where I've felt a connection with the universe on some kind of spiritual level. I've written before about my experience with a young deer running alongside me, and while I know it sounds cheesy or worthy of eye-rolling, it was calming for me in a way I needed at the time. A book I'm reading by Richard Louv discusses how interactions with animals can be beneficial for all species, and I would like to think that experience was in some way beneficial to the deer, although I know it was probably nothing or they were scared out of their wits.
Still, nature provides moments of sublimity to us, and research has shown that even simply being outside or being in awe of a tree is beneficial to our mental and physical health. I feel connected to nature on a deep level, as I think all humans are if we tap into that part of ourselves. As much as I love cities, I love nature even more. Anytime I can be in water in particular is sublime to me, whether I'm kayaking in a river, swimming in a lake, or soaking in a natural hot spring.
But feeling a connection with another human can be just as sublime. Seeing one of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings up close at the MoMA was one of those moments for me. Visiting art museums in general and seeing what humans create. Having a random conversation with a stranger and finding out you have something in common. Hanging out with people at concerts. It can be really easy to lose faith in humanity right now, but I'm trying to hold on to those instances of connection and meaning when they happen.
I don't know, maybe this post is just full of cheese and that's it, but it felt nice to write it.