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Jan. 5th, 2012
Blue Star alert
Jan. 5th, 2012 10:19 am![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
oakleaves recently had a heart attack and it appears that he will be in the Cardiac Care Unit at St Joseph's in Toronto for a few days. He is well enough to post about it on Facebook---extremely encouraging news. showingup, I especially wanted you to know, since you may be a bit out of the loop on the other side of the pond.(no subject)
Jan. 5th, 2012 03:13 pmThe thing I am noticing today is that even when things are sad, hard or scary, the world is still a beautiful place. We are much more resilient and able to take care of ourselves than we might ever suspect. And even when it is hard, it is a privilege to be alive.
Traditional Buddhists have this idea that experiencing a human birth is a precious gift, one shot in a thousand, and that to be here without engaging with the world thoughtfully, and with grace, is a terrible waste of this gift.
This is hard to think about when things aren't going well. In the grips of pain, it's hard to focus on the inherent value of being alive. But even then, just quieting down the mind for a bit can allow for unexpected moments of beauty to emerge. And when they do, the contrast is sweet.
A few weeks ago, an unexpected source of strength said, "No matter how bad this moment is, it's just a moment. There will be others." At the time I barely heard him, but since I rarely forget anything spoken in reflectivity, I am thinking about it now.
It's true.
There will be other moments. And when you take a deep, deep breath in, and let it out, and make a little space in your mind, those moments have the space to emerge.
******
This year, I think I will move a little slower. I want to linger over moments that are sweet. I want to drink in everything good, and really enjoy it, no matter how fleeting it is.
I'd like to be quieter, to listen more than I talk, and stay home more than I travel. There is much to rebuild, rebalance, and restore. The lessons of the last year must be integrated cautiously, and with respect. They were big ones, and deserve my focused attention. I think there's more to be mined from my last twelve months than there is in most two-year periods. And I think I will be wiser, stronger and more powerful when I've integrated them.
Traditional Buddhists have this idea that experiencing a human birth is a precious gift, one shot in a thousand, and that to be here without engaging with the world thoughtfully, and with grace, is a terrible waste of this gift.
This is hard to think about when things aren't going well. In the grips of pain, it's hard to focus on the inherent value of being alive. But even then, just quieting down the mind for a bit can allow for unexpected moments of beauty to emerge. And when they do, the contrast is sweet.
A few weeks ago, an unexpected source of strength said, "No matter how bad this moment is, it's just a moment. There will be others." At the time I barely heard him, but since I rarely forget anything spoken in reflectivity, I am thinking about it now.
It's true.
There will be other moments. And when you take a deep, deep breath in, and let it out, and make a little space in your mind, those moments have the space to emerge.
******
This year, I think I will move a little slower. I want to linger over moments that are sweet. I want to drink in everything good, and really enjoy it, no matter how fleeting it is.
I'd like to be quieter, to listen more than I talk, and stay home more than I travel. There is much to rebuild, rebalance, and restore. The lessons of the last year must be integrated cautiously, and with respect. They were big ones, and deserve my focused attention. I think there's more to be mined from my last twelve months than there is in most two-year periods. And I think I will be wiser, stronger and more powerful when I've integrated them.