Just Show Up

From the Fairytale Tarot, the Nine of Cups:

The youngest son of a miller receives as his inheritance a cat, Puss in Boots. Puss directs the young man to find him a pair of boots and a bag, which he does. As the story proceeds, the cat impresses the king, but also directs the miller's son to do certain things and to show up in specified places. The story ends with the young man living in a castle and married to the king's daughter. I'm sure he never dreamed the gift of a cat would bring him so much happiness. The pebble in my shoe with this tale is that the cat was the one who did all the hard work, while the son just showed up to enjoy it.

From the Tree Affirmations Cards comes the "Horse Chestnut:"

I find the magic in ordinary things and in the present moment.

Because of the unique beauty of this tree no matter what the season, Lewis assigns it the keyword "magic." In tying this card to the Nine of Cups above, I have to admit that there have been "perfect days" when I felt happy and content - and all I did was show up for them. Sure, the magic isn't going to last forever, but that's not the point. The lesson is to be present and fully enjoy the day without worrying about how long the feeling will last (because that's a sure way to end it before it even begins).