visible

God, or the gods, are invisible, quite understandable. But holiness is visible, entirely. 

                                     - Mary Oliver,  Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way

I intended to publish a Christmas post, but holiday preparations and activities altered my online intentions, and delightfully so. My days were filled with holiday crafting, visits from family and friends, new culinary experiences and an afternoon of antique shopping--not to mention, late nights, loads of dirty dishes and house cleaning. All of this and more culminated into a lovely Christmas holiday.

Amidst all the activity, I still found time, during the early morning hours, to read a bit of poetry. It was then, as I read Mary Oliver’s Leaves and Blossoms Along the Way, that I found inspiration for this year’s Epiphany card. Why Oliver’s words? Because I believe in visible holiness . . . maybe more so since my mother’s death. Even if much of what I experienced seemed far from holy, still I was left with this . . .

Holiness doesn’t appear to favor one form over another, and circumstances don’t seem to determine its presence. It can emerge on the most ordinary or extraordinary of days, and it isn’t bound by life or death. And although eyes such as mine may fail to perceive it, its visibility is ever present, even if joyfully disguised as an unfurling flower, tender wry smile, or gently fluttering wing.