Notes from Janey . . .
If it is meant to be, it will be
At the beginning of the summer, we were invited by our Native American shaman friend to accompany her and another friend to England to stand inside the great ring of Stonehenge at dawn.
We were asked to sing a song as the brilliant sun warmed the stones to a deep pink.
Now I ask you, who would say no to this once-in-a-lifetime experience?
But there were obstacles to overcome. Our bank account was one. Soaring fuel prices meant soaring flight fares as well — the highest in history. Also, we were scheduled to perform on that night at a retreat outside of Denver. The two experiences had an ocean and seven time zones between them. To date, we have never canceled a gig, and we had promised we would be there in Colorado. To say we were conflicted would be an understatement.
But if it is meant to be, it will be.
The universe began to work overtime on our behalf, allowing serendipities and circumstances to shift into place. We had to shift into that place of allowing as well. No amount of excuses or sabotaging could stop what is meant to be. With the generous heart of a friend with lots of frequent flyer miles, we were thrilled to find ourselves standing on English soil four days before the event.
When the day arrived for Stonehenge, we got there at 6, long before the night gave way to the day. The stars shone pure and perfect in the night sky. The air was cool and crisp as if freshly born. The deep fog settled low into the surrounding valley, making it look like we were on the shores of the Isle of Avalon in King Arthur’s realm. Magical would be the word.
At 6:30, we were escorted by the night guard to the giant stones, standing black against the brightening sky. He left, leaving the four of us, along with two rabbits eating peacefully on the lush grass, to absorb the magnificence.
All these months of planning, dreaming, preparing and traveling funneled down to this moment. This solitary, exquisite, magical moment. I was preparing myself to be amazed.
But then I had to go to the bathroom. I was appalled when the physical tromped in on my spiritual turf, demanding attention, but my morning cup of tea was done with me. There was no fighting it. I ran with heels on fire back to the main compound. But time slowed. I got back in plenty of time because it was meant to be that I would be there.
At 7:10, the sun peeked above the horizon, a cool red with the promise of heat that hadn’t reached us yet. We brought out our instruments and sang the song that Tupelo had written especially for this moment. Our voices blended in harmony, singing to “the quiet that waits forever.” The stones absorbed the vibrations, turning a deep rose, basking in the quiet. The rabbits lingered close by so they must have liked it too.
No words can describe the clear emotions and the quiet peace of being inside the stones on that morning. Four friends came together, reuniting with their past and changing their present.
But the cosmos didn’t crack open as many friends joked would happen. We didn’t get zapped by a stroke of light from the universe. We didn’t get beamed up. The change was subtle. The shift within, soft and pure. The experience, gentle – like rabbits snuggling into the grass.
We were meant to be there on that clear morning, at that moment. Money, circumstances, or conflicting scheduling couldn’t keep us from being there. I didn’t question it. I didn’t doubt it, but I am eternally grateful for all the invisible work behind the scenes done on my behalf.
As if that experience wasn’t perfect enough, we did make our gig outside of Denver that night with ten minutes to spare. I should have been exhausted from the long road back from Stonehenge, but it felt like I had placed my hand in a light socket. I was energized and electrified.
It all worked out with perfect timing and delicate rhyme.
I’m still amazed by is all, and I was reminded once again: If it is meant to be, it will be.
(Article and photos by Janey Wing Kenyon)
