Sleepy Buddha

// June 18th, 2010 // creative parent, curiosity, illustration

I love to peek in at our boys when they’re asleep. Our 4 year old is having a difficult time at the moment, learning to socialise with his little brother and his friends from next door. It’s hard.

He’s navigating all this stuff and learning, but right now things are a little fraught.

So when Finn falls asleep, the day’s tension drains away from his face, and he looks so peaceful and relaxed. Like a little sleeping Buddha all twisted up in his sheets.

I love seeing him like that. It’s a reminder that even though things are a little tough for him right now, that’s all just surface movement and deep down he’s really  o.k.

*****

I was waiting for a bus the other day, and running a little late, worried that I might not get home on time.

I could feel the tension rising and there was a whole lot of mental chatter happening about the bus, about being late.

This expanded to commentary on the people crossing the road while dodging traffic (chatter), the McCain-Palin bumper sticker on a car going past (chatter-chatter), cigarette smoke hitting my face from someone else waiting for the bus (chatter-chatter-chatter).

Then I looked up at a tree across the road from the bus stop.

One branch bent slightly over the road and a handful of leaves rustled in the breeze, they looked for a moment like small green fingers beckoning me. The flash of bright green and the soft movement reached me, and brought me back to myself.

The chatter in my head calmed down. And I was just there for a moment standing quietly, at the bus stop, in my body, waiting for a bus to arrive and take me home.

Everything was soft, and alert at the same time. As if the small gesture from the tree had briefly awakened the sleepy Buddha in me, and he’d lifted his head off the pillow and looked around.

Then the bus pulled up and I got on. And I couldn’t find my ticket, and the exhaust was smelly, and my shoulders ached from carrying my laptop around, and …

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6 Responses to “Sleepy Buddha”

  1. Kat says:
    June 19, 2010 at 1:21 pm

    I love the twisted blanket contrasted with the peaceful sleeping face! I sometimes wonder how my son can sleep in some of the positions we see him in. You captured it beautifully.

  2. Dave Rowley says:
    June 21, 2010 at 9:04 am

    Thank you Kat. Our boys are the same–kids can twist themselves into the most amazing positions in their sleep.

  3. Fabeku Fatunmise says:
    June 24, 2010 at 7:39 am

    I can relate to so much of this Dave.

    Especially the chatter. And how, in a flash, some natural something can snap me out it and straight into to a few seconds Buddhahood.

    I loved the words you used to describe the leaves. I could see them in my head and feel them in my gut.

    Beautiful picture. And good thoughts for Finn.

  4. Stephanie-Deliberately Creative says:
    June 24, 2010 at 5:31 pm

    Oh this is a great post! I love the image you shared of the sleeping buddha. The chatter chatter at the bus stop and then you finding that moment of peace–it was there! Even if it only lasted a moment you know that you can find that peace again. :) Hey and the Sun is shining in the Pacific Northwest finally!!

    Cheers, Stephanie (CED)

  5. Jean Sarauer says:
    June 25, 2010 at 8:33 am

    What beautiful writing, Dave. And how I can relate to the ‘chatter-chatter,’ becoming present, and then slipping away again. Ah, such is the human experience.

  6. Dave Rowley says:
    June 30, 2010 at 7:51 am

    Hi Fabeku,

    Thanks for visiting. Isn’t it great how nature’s always there to sweep the chatter from our minds, whenever we remember to check-in. Thanks for the good Finn thoughts, too!

    Hi Jean,
    Thank you Jean, glad you enjoyed the post. Yep, dipping into presence and dipping out is very much part of the the human experience–messy but good :)

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