Hear today

I stumbled across a blog post a few days ago, titled: "Everything doesn't happen for a reason."

It's a sentiment I'd have disagreed with in the past: Just because we can't see a reason doesn't mean one doesn't exist, right? A bit like this lovely Carl Sagan quote: Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Some things happen for a reason, of course. Exams go well when you study hard, races are easier when you've trained for them, well-laid plans usually lead to events that run smoothly. But not everything adds up quite as simply, or perhaps there's some celestial math I haven't learnt yet.

Patterns are soothing. Like hope and lessons from the past, they're the promise of a better return, a brighter future, a more definite outcome. It's why we seek them out, I guess. And yet, every spiritual guide reminds us to stop expectation and past emotion to live in the moment. Perhaps abandoning dreams and memory are about making room to be present -- not letting go of tomorrow, but a choice, instead, to hear today.