10.07.2011

{word} open

words, words, words.

in my book, words are powerful beings. if you have been a guest for any length of time here at the inn, you have probably noticed that i love words.

words often get stuck in my head the same way songs do. sometimes a word shows up in my mind, goes on a repetitive loop, and visits me in mysterious ways throughout the day or week. it frequently feels as if the word is tapping me on the shoulder and asking me to pay attention to it. most of the time it refuses to leave until i understand what it is trying to teach me.

this week's word is...


{photo by i saw the sign}

it started with a tweet from the wonderful daniel of mettadrum...


per daniel's invitation, i meditated on this word for a couple of minutes. it felt expansive - visions of wings stretching, petals unfurling, insides shifting. it felt spacious - there was room for everything. it felt invitational - like rolling out a giant welcome mat for all that is...


{photo by james bo insogna}

so the word open has been journeying around with me all week. when a word does this, it usually shows me examples of what it means. open had a message for me last night.

my best friend and i called for a cab after an evening out on the town. when the car arrived, we were approaching it when suddenly two women ran up and jumped in. my immediate reaction was defensive - hadn't they seen us? is this going to cause an issue? how long will we wait if this cab doesn't work out?

while my mind was spinning in these questions, my friend went over and talked with everyone in the car. after a couple of minutes, he turned around and gestured for me to get into the front seat. he told me that even though they lived in the opposite direction from where we were going, they wanted to ride together with us instead of trying to find another cab.

i was tired, confused, and resistant. this is when the word of the week floated back into my brain...


{photo by joel dill}

the word said: open yourself to this experience. open yourself to this moment. open your heart. open your mind. open.

and then an incredible thing happened.

i got into the car and had the most memorable cab ride of my life.

one of the two women immediately started telling stories which caused the entire car, including the driver, to laugh hysterically for the whole ride home. she was riotously funny, as skilled as a professional comedian. she inspired knee-slapping, side-splitting, gulping-for-air guffaws and tears rolling down our faces. i haven't laughed like that in years.

in addition to her fast and furious funny tales, she also sprinkled her stories with bits of brilliant life wisdom. she communicated a message which spoke directly to my heart. i was genuinely sad to say goodbye when we arrived home, waving goodbye with a feeling of fullness after wiping my eyes from the outpouring caused by her hilarious show.

dear daniel, thank you for prompting me to spend some time with the word open this week. your tweet helped me make room for this delightfully spontaneous shimmering moment. your word is still floating around in this innkeeper's brain, making space and reminding me to roll out the welcome mat.

9 comments:

Daniel Collinsworth said...

Diane... wow... this is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this.

Daniel Collinsworth said...

PS. I really love the visuals you put in this post, the atmosphere you've created - very inspiring!

Amanda said...

This is such great story, I was there with you in the cab... how beautiful!! I remember when Daniel posed that question. The feeling was immense, I love how you felt. Hi Diane, so wonderful to connect via my friend lovely Daniel! <3

ALFIE said...

hmmm....love this. words are such powerful tools.

one word can say a thousand things.

diane said...

daniel...thank you for the word inspiration + the blog love. it is an honor to have you as a guest here at the inn. xo

amanda...i'm so happy you could join me in the cab for that laughter and love! it is indeed wonderful to connect with you (thanks again daniel!). i adore your work + must de-lurk at 'kind over matter' so i can tell you that more often!

alfie...the way you use words is one of my favorite things to read every day. you are a magical wordsmith. <3

Mary said...

These moments are so refreshing, aren't they?

Beautiful.

Anonymous said...

wow, what a great experience. to remain open - that's truly something to keep in mind!

A Bird Out of Water said...

Diane,
You are such a talented and gifted writer, I felt like I was right there with you in that cab! I completely agree that lots things tap us on the shoulder until we listen! Love this, thanks for sharing!
~ab

Anonymous said...

I love when you think something is going to be a pain and it turns out to be wonderful. Great story.

PS- if you ever have children, use that word. I used it when going through my very short labor with my son and I swear my body listened ;)