A Day in Grace

The word "Grace" has many meanings. It can be the prayer you say before a meal. It can be the word you would use to describe a state of holiness. It is a derivative of the word graceful. It can also be a female name. The reference for this article is that it also happens to be the name of my car.

When I first drove my car, a silver Porsche Boxster, I knew it was going to have a name. I never felt compelled to name a car before, but for some reason, this vehicle was needing a name. By the end of the hour long drive home from the car dealership, I knew Grace was the perfect name for her. You see, she seemed to instinctively know how to take the turns in the road. She moved along with complete Grace, regardless of the speed. When I thought about how this sports car could be a metaphor for my life, I loved it even more. It gave me great pleasure to think of being able to take the turns in the road of life with the same confidence and grace that the silver 4 wheeled version of Grace did.

I have come to love curvy roads with swooping S turns. It has become instinctive to hug the curve just right and then to accelerate out of the turn feeling the power of the car confidently move ahead. It feels effortless as well as graceful as I travel up and down the mountains that surround my community. There are countless roads for me to experience the rush of moving along feeling that sweet spot of the apex.

What I am learning is that when I stay present to the road and not try to plan or think about what's up ahead, I naturally and intuitively take the turns with grace. This is true in my life too. If I am looking ahead, I miss what is present right now. Of course, I often plan my journey, but am open to changing the route if some new inspiration for an alternative direction comes to mind along the way.

Today was a full day in Grace. Since I live in the northern tier of Pennsylvania, the Finger Lakes of New York are relatively in my backyard. My husband and I spent the day with the top down and the sun shining on us, taking turn after delightful turn in Grace.

I didn't mention the wonderful sound of Grace's engine....I wonder what kind of metaphor for life I can make of that.