I was once again inspired by an entry on my page-a-day calendar from Buddha Doodles entitled “There is magic everywhere.” The challenge for all of us, especially in these strange and sad days, is to be open to a little magic. On by bike rides I get to see the magic of spring each day. Arizona springs are brand new to me. There are so many blooming bushes and cactus. I have been surprised by their beauty. I have also seen the magic of rebirth that comes with spring. So far I have seen a mother quail with her twelve little chicks attempting to fly, multiple mother ducks swimming with their ducklings and mother chipmunks attempting to corral their offsprings into their burrows. Sometimes it’s hard to keep my eyes on the path with all of the activity that surrounds me. I remind myself each ride to be open to the magic around me.

I recently had a magic moment at our complex’s pool. I noticed a woman who was completely absorbed in her book. She wore a large brimmed sunhat and was lying on her stomach. She seemed oblivious to what was going on around her, as she was engrossed in her book. As I looked at her, a beautiful black and gold butterfly flying around her. It hovered over her for several minutes, and only seemed to be interested in her. A few minutes later we were asked to vacate the pool for routine cleaning. I found myself standing beside this woman as we waited to be let back in. I shared with her what I had seen…That this butterfly seemed to have singled her out for a visit. She looked amazed and told me that her son had died just one month ago. We both teared up. I described the butterfly to her and said it was truly one of the most beautiful ones I had ever seen and the only reason I mentioned it to her was that it only seemed interested in her. She shared with me the book she had been so engrossed in. ‘Shattered: Surviving the Loss of a Child.’ It was truly a magical moment. I felt honored that even though she had missed the magical moment herself, I could be a conduit to it. We now smile warmly each time we see each other. A magical moment that we now share.

Can we continue to look for signs, and the magic in the moment despite these times we are experiencing? Police officers kneeling with demonstrators gives me hope. A thousand phones lit up for 8 minutes and 46 seconds gives me hope. Change must truly happen. We cannot forget this moment. We must keep looking for the magic despite the darkness and find our way to peace, change, understanding and healing.