Last night, I perused the internet searching for agents who might be interested in my manuscript. Many agents were closed to submissions and I switched off the computer feeling despondent.

During the night a large storm moved in with heavy rain and howling wind. This morning, I woke up remembering today’s new moon. When moon’s obit places her between the sun and Earth, we on Earth view moon’s shadowed side. Without light bouncing off the moon, we can’t see her, yet she is there. I think of the new moon as a time of new beginnings, for after today she will gradually grow into fullness.

When I left the building for my daily woods walk, the rain temporarily abated and as the powerful wind whipped around me I wished it would blow my despondency away.  I entered the woods and a hawk rose from the ground then soared through trees, out of sight. The hawk reminded me to keep things in perspective, focus on the long view not merely what’s in front of my nose. Broken twigs and branches littered the trails, and as I walked through the woods tossing them out of the way, a new moon intention came to mind. Each time I bent to pick up a twig, I silently said, May the path clear. As I held each broken branch in my hand, I silently intoned, May my manuscript find its way to an agent who will love it. Twig by twig, and branch by branch, I cleared the way and as I approached the end of my walk another large bird soared through the woods. I couldn’t tell if it was an eagle, a hawk or a crow, yet as I watched the bird I thought, My book will help people grow into fullness.