All roads lead to Rome

What a trip to Rome taught me about our innate wellbeing

Photo courtesy of moi; capturing the moment the man began to play.

On a recent family trip to Italy, two separate incidents reminded me of how easily we can return to our natural state of wellbeing and love.

The first incident occurred on a train from Florence to Rome. Following a brisk walk and then frantic sprint to the train station with luggage in tow, we struggled to negotiate through the narrow passageways of the train in an effort to find our seats. Needless to say, we were more than a little vexed as we finally pulled the door open and entered our train compartment. The strain etched upon our faces was immediately replaced with smiles, however, as soon as we noticed the perfectly unperturbed pup chillaxing at its owners feet directly in front of our assigned seats.

Settling in, I began to notice the reactions of the other passengers as they, in turn, took notice of the dog. Virtually every person exhibited the same response; surprise and joy. 

It seemed as if the mere presence of the dog returned each passenger their own presence within that moment. And with that presence emerged their own natural state of love.

The second incident occurred at the Rome airport as we waited for our return flight. Upon entering our gate area, I noticed a piano in the open space connecting the waiting areas. I wondered if any soul would be brave enough or bold enough to entertain its captive audience with music. To my delight, it didn’t take long for a rather unassuming man to quietly approach the piano. As soon as his fingers hit the keys...magic happened. Those who were present that day were treated to a master at play.

Everywhere around me people were smiling and tapping their toes. Soon a small crowd of young and old formed as the man effortlessly segued from one song to another.

And just like with the dog, I began to notice the innate and natural state of love reemerge within myself and within the people around me. One by one we became present to the moment.

And in that moment, we came home to ourselves.