A Droplet of Peace
by Catherine Bastedo
author of Bird Vibes Cards
Early this morning as the sun rises to a new day, it shines upon thousands of 
sparkling droplets decorating the blades of wild timothy grass on the high rocky point by the lake. After intermittent rain all day yesterday, I welcome the sun and these marvellous droplets, each one clear and beautiful, a sparkling diamond that slowly lengthens and spreads as the sun warms each blade.
Droplets also sit upon the leaves of the old roses in the little rock garden; the larger ones, round globules in the centre of the leaf; the smaller ones, tiny beads that cling to the serrated edges. I keep my eye on one, hoping to catch the moment when this large drop will be warmed enough to lose its shape, spread upon the leaf and evaporate. Why does it seem that I have never done this before, never taken the time to really see the perfection before me?
A woodpecker drums on the far shore and time stands still for a brief moment, encouraging me to find my true centre of peace, the drop of perfection that sustains and nourishes me. A beaver swims quietly in front of me, the v-shaped ripples on the mirror-calm surface moving farther and farther away. 
And my raindrop, the one I have singled out, is holding its own, while others have disappeared like magic.
I decide to continue my watch…but am distracted by a shrill bird call and leave to determine the source of this odd sound. The cry draws me to the water and then into the woods, but I cannot locate the caller. When I come back, my drop—I feel some connection with this drop of water now—is still there, one of the few.
As the day warms up, the dragonflies come out to feast, dozens of them above me, their flight patterns crisscrossing and their wings shimmering. Then I hear the unusual bird again and I wander off as before. How easily I am distracted from my moment of concentration. I hear large wings landing on the water and decide that the bird must have been a wood duck.
Back to my scrutiny—I sit still on the ground, my knees raised. My drop of water lies perfectly on the rose leaf and I wish it would stay there always.
A song sparrow trills, unseen; the phoebe who has made her nest in our veranda alights on a branch of a white pine near by, preening her feathers, unaware that I am spying on her morning ablutions. She reminds me to return to my own inner cleansing, and the loon’s lonely call adds weight to this thought. So I try harder to focus my being, and I seek this little globe of perfection inside me that nourishes me. I can almost feel it now, a sense of peace and calm in my heart that I would like to last forever.
The shimmering drop appears to change shape ever so slightly, and as I watch, the little chipmunk that lives nearby runs beneath my raised knees, stops briefly under my legs where I cannot see him, and then hurries on his way. I am honoured that this little creature has come so close. Perhaps I have truly reached a still point.
And the drop remains—one of the very few intact. It seems to be sending me a message that the centre of peace I found this morning will not disappear as quickly as I had thought. I can hold onto it persistently when I must leave and be surrounded by other people, activities, jarring sounds, and city air. But the rustle of the pines, the scent of the moss heating on the rocks, the trilling notes of the Song Sparrow, and especially this perfect centre of peace, will stay with me.
The droplet of peace says to me, “I will be there as long as you are, as long as you seek me.”
2009 © Catherine Bastedo, Vision Reiki
Catherine Bastedo is the author of Bird Vibes, a meditation deck to provide insight into current life situations by connecting with nature and the universal energy in us and around us.
Catherine Bastedo now teaches a Chakra Basics Class
Chakra Basics Class
taught by Mentor: Catherine Bastedo
This class provides you with a basic knowledge of 7 chakras, from Crown to Root; facilitates your connection to your chakras and understanding of your chakras’ health; provides suggestions for ways of chakra clearing.
This class will help you learn the location of your seven major chakras and their attributes, as well as the state of health of your own chakras and how they affect your emotional and physical health. You will learn how to sense your chakras, connect with them and techniques for clearing them, through quick exercises and assignments. Since this is a “Basics” class, it emphasizes the attributes of the chakras, and ideas for clearing them and aligning them, without going into specialized therapies such as crystals or aromatherapy.
Price: $49.95
Sign up for this Class
About the Mentor: Catherine Bastedo teaches Usui-Holographic Reiki at all levels, facilitates healing through energy sessions, and holds spiritual nature workshops and retreats. She is the author of Bird Vibes, a meditation deck based on the chakras and our spiritual connections to birds. This deck helps to understand daily life situations and deepen our connection with the universal energy in us and around us. Catherine is a Reiki Master and Holographic Energy Master, and has a M.A. in Canadian Studies (Carleton University).
Catherine held leadership roles as an executive in the Canadian Public Service and then as the Executive Director of the International Council for Canadian Studies for a number of years. Catherine Bastedo uses archetypes, myth and nature totems to help people reduce stress, release and transmute old patterns, restore balance on the physical, mental, and emotional levels and develop new ways of looking at life and the patterns in their lives. Her clients appreciate the wisdom, experience and love of nature she brings to her work.
