Earth's crammed with heaven

"Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God;" This could have been written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning about my son Zachary Robert Dearing who is celebrating his 23rd birthday today.  Since his arrival he has grabbed for this earth as if it were indeed crammed with all things divine.  At age 2 in the grocery store checkout, he would stretch away from me to watch the cashier, mesmerized.  (He received a toy cash register for his next Christmas).  At age 5,  he pursued T-ball, basketball and any other sport with such focus and determination that he was typically the coach's example to the other five year olds.  At early as 3 years old when he was giving his new birthday roller blades a trial, he fell.  Then promptly picked himself up with "Good fall, Zac" and went back after it again.Zachary has treated this world as if it truly is sacred, as if it were indeed created by God, (whether in 7 days or via the big bang and evolution), matters not so much to him as loving planet earth well. Loving it though, not with a mother's or father's love, but as lover.  He devours this world and is the most present person to each of his experiences I have ever known.   He expects to fall in love with all aspects of earthly life and so he does and has; now for 23 years.  You know with all the focus on saving this planet I wonder if we are really present to  it?  Do we truly experience it?  Do we love it and more importantly our own precious lives as if they will never come again?  Because each moment will never come again.  Somehow Zachary, from the moment he arrived (he slept only 10 hours a day as an infant... until he was 14 years old) has intuitively known how to love this world and his life here as if he had only this one shot at it.I know something about loving one's life.  I was raised by a man who truly loved his life.  Zachary's grandfather, Robert Wonders loved all the days of his life.  But more quietly than Zachary.  Zachary's enthusiasm for the world can take one aback, especially in his younger days.  He takes up space.  He has big ideas and pursues them and most importantly he does not focus on outcome.  He focuses on the hunt.  He celebrates each achievement, mourns his losses but never for more than 24 hours, then on to the next pursuit.  It is clear that victory is not the point.  The point is life.  The point is being "all in" his life.  The point is being truly alive.What does this have to do with you and with me?Ask yourself,"Where am I concerned with outcome?"  or"Whether something makes sense enough to give it a shot?" or"How will I look doing it?" or"What so and so might think of me?"or some other form of doubt that is distracting you from channeling your inner Zachary Robert Dearing and simply loving this "earth crammed with Heaven?"  Happy Birthday, Tiger boy!