“Oh, where is the sea?”, the fishes cried, as they swam its crystal-clearness through.
Who knows how long a day can be??
I’d stay in the moment, responding to each gift appropriately, with love. Maybe I’d visit all the wonderful dogs i know named Gracie !
I find solace in memories of communication with the natural world.
The smell and springiness of a deep bed of pine needles under mature white pines.
Cool, squishy mud between my toes.
Diving into a still cold lake at dawn.
Encountering a bear in the woods…….
The blinding whiteness of a fresh snowfall on a very cold February day.
The smell of earth in early spring…..
Meadowlarks singing on a fence
Loon parents teaching their you...
I find solace in memories of communication with the natural world.
The smell and springiness of a deep bed of pine needles under mature white pines.
Cool, squishy mud between my toes.
Diving into a still cold lake at dawn.
Encountering a bear in the woods…….
The blinding whiteness of a fresh snowfall on a very cold February day.
The smell of earth in early spring…..
Meadowlarks singing on a fence
Loon parents teaching their young to fly…
People are complicated for me. I have trouble seeing their nature.
It’s obvious from all the love letters below that we are a well-rooted group. Thank you all for allowing me to feel even more connected and safe within this fellowship.
Recently gleaned from a particularly thorny emotional plant:
‘There are no victims, only volunteers’
We have the responsibility to choose the energy in which to live. Choose love over fear. Choose surrender over conflict.
Choose action over despair.
Lead with the heart, not the mind.
I may have a year left….
I’ve been doing most things mentioned below, plus planting flowering trees and shrubs…….Brugmansia (Angel Trumpet) in all colors, Jacaranda, Flame of the Forest, and oaks for their longevity and to thank the forest for keeping me warm. Taking in as much color as possible.
I must echo Michael: all sentient beings. I’ve come to believe each meeting or encounter or situation or person in the universe, whether i’ve met them or not, helps me cocreate the tapestry of my life.
And today, special thanks to Margaret and Jeseph of Gratefulness.org who helped me solve my password problem.
I love this image, Kevin. We’d all troop in, joyous to finally link posts with the faces behind them. Hugs and laughter. Such a reunion would lift the spirits of even the most depressed staffer. Are you listening, kids?
Thank you, K, for today’s armchair adventure !
this might be the Rumi you refer to:
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
this might be the Rumi you refer to:
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
— Jellaludin Rumi,
translation by Coleman Barks
Aine, thank you fir your positive words on the benefits of pain. If i can keepmit down to a dull roar, i agree, it is my most powerful teacher.
I, too, have chronic physical pain. As i read the question, i became grateful for the breeze on my back, sunlight streaming through the open door and the taste of the cookie I was eating. My back straightened, i relieved the pressure on my hip and found an immediate reduction in pain.
Thank you, Javier. It IS Latin. The concept is connected with Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius (in Greek), and Neitzsche.
I like to interpret it as delight in my own fate. I strive to accept each sentient being and situation given to my experience as sacred and useful to my growth. I wish to cease fighting everyone and everything.
When you “go out of your way” to help someone, is it freely given? If I feel that way, I’ve already set myself up to hunt for a return
Thanks Antoinette ….
my paranoia was grumbling that I’d been singled out for punishment.!
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