The last few days have been spent in a retreat here in my mountain home with a house full delicious, inquiring, open spirits and minds. We had a cook, Ali Ghiorsi, who made the experience an earthy paradise. The dream time delivered spot on images and key messages to work with. Soulful exchanges and dialogue flowed, increased and built exquisite castles of insight. We even had a classical trumpet player, pianist and song writer, Chris Moors, who ferried us into other realms through music. All the while the power of mountain held, shook and shaped us, and hearts bonded.

Inside of all this the element of time as it is generally and consensually perceived was lost. We might have been together for aeons. Dream and soul live outside of time, and so did we.

The schedule called for an ending at lunchtime on Sunday, but Mother Nature had other ideas. She shifted and stirred the recipe and made it clear that to safely descend the mountain before a huge storm hit, departures needed to happen after dinner Saturday night. Time condensed and expanded all at once on that late afternoon. Decisions were made, packing was accomplished, and left us free to relax into hor doeuvres, an extraordinary meal, candle light, laughter, deep conversation and a grace-filled closing. Our little calendars and clocks are so humbled by the force of Mother Nature.

As it turns out, she was just getting started on me. Today travel plans for Christmas have shifted backwards and forwards taking me on quite a ride. At this point I don’t know whether I will have a break in weather to leave, when or if that will happen. In one day I have had to adjust to the idea of maybe sneaking out if a break in weather arrives days sooner than I had planned to leave, and also to the thought that nature could dictate my having to miss Christmas with my family this year.

In last night’s news I saw footage of the cruise ship that Nature threw into a turmoil off the coast of Morocco, with all of the neat and elegant little balconies, swimming pools and plans everyone had expected to enjoy shattered and sunken into the water. I thought of it as a metaphor for my life and the whole world too. There was talk of people suing. Who? The ocean? The wind?

Our illusions of control need adjusting in a big way. I’m thinking to ride this wave and see what She wants. And I hope to do it in good humor.