Tag: living fully

The Gift That Continuously Settles In.

“Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.” ~ Edith Wharton

I was having difficulties yesterday – my body tightened from the rigors of this disease, sending my mind into a space of ‘overwhelmed’.

I thought about hiding away; tucked safely ‘neath the covers riding out the pain.

Oh, but how I would have missed the day.

Instead, I forced myself and took the trails. I met a cow named ‘Sal’ and a farmer called Bill.

I had sweet peaches from a paper bag, dipped my toes into an icy cold stream.

I watched a heron dip his wings, and scale fearlessly upward higher than even the clouds might wish to be.

Oh, and there were two baby deer – fawns, isn’t that what they’re called? I couldn’t help but wonder if they were as equally curious as me?

I saw lotus blooms peeking from quiet waters; and a farmhouse adorned with a field of wildflowers.

And, all this could have been so easily missed – if I had listened to inner voice instead of following my bliss.

Life is to be lived, my darlings – unconditionally and without regret; with opportunities to ‘dive right in’ presented inside of every precious moment.

And, it’s always a choice you see – to boldly venture with full heart forward, or to simply ‘stay in bed’.

I’d like to think given those choices, my loves – that we’d never ever once hesitate again.

Because, this precious human life is indeed a gift.

This Most Precious Today.

“My actions are the ground on which I stand,” shares American Zen Buddhist, Joan Halifax.

As abbot and guiding teacher of Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, she has become a pioneer in the field of end-of-life care.

“In being with dying,” she writes. “we arrive at a natural crucible of what it means to love and be loved. And we can ask ourselves this: Knowing that death is inevitable, what is most precious today?”

And, so I ask of you, my darlings – what is most precious for you today?

For me, it is that I am sitting right here enjoying the company of dear friends. While in my hands, there’s a ceramic mug gifted from someone dear.

That I’ve a roof over my head, and food to eat. And, that perhaps because of something I’ve done – another’s heart may have been lifted.

That, in this moment and in spite of my illness, I am still able to smile…to breathe…to laugh… to share.

To offer this gracious energy of hope tucked humbly within these few words.

And, knowing that:

“Now more than ever you can be
generous toward each day
that comes, young, to disappear
forever, and yet remain
unaging in the mind.
Every day you have less reason
not to give yourself away.” ~ Wendell Berry

Don’t let it all disappear, my loves – live now, live fully, live for this most precious today.

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Just Who Are You Beneath Your Mask?

“Seven times have I despised my soul: The sixth time when she despised the ugliness of a face, and knew not that it was one of her own masks.”  ― Kahlil Gibran

I was thinking a bit this morning about the ‘masks’ we often wear.

As children, we don them proudly and to fit a certain image. Whether simply a ‘good’ boy or girl, or more directly – ‘My goodness, what a clever child you are.’

From a young age we are conditioned – our parents and teachers urging our obedience in a world that begs our curiosity. School reports measure our intellect; trophies demonstrate our talents. But, nothing every really comes close to showing the true capacity of our loving heart.

Day by day, our world turns into a labyrinth of acceptance. The masks we wear becoming more and more like those we believe others most wish to see.

As a result, we end up pulling a little further away from our authentic self.

“No man,” writes author Nathaniel Hawthorne. “can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.”

Through the years, the essence of who we are becomes buried under our facade. So much so, that we often lose sight of that which we most want and need:

A connection to our most authentic self.

Have you ever experienced a moment, my darlings – in which you wondered; How did it ever slip away? The confident, adventurous, risk seeking self; the one which made my heart smile in return?

In that moment you might feel convinced that it has all but disappeared. But, I’m here to share with you, my darlings – your authentic self, that treasure chest of heart and soul, has been right here with you all along.

Simply waiting for you to find the courage to ask, “Just who am I beneath my mask?”

 

The Practice of Patience.

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.”― Paulo Coelho

And, oh my goodness – isn’t this always the case? That we might pine and wish and long and hope only to be ‘disappointed’ with what may come our way.

It doesn’t fit…it’s not to our expectation…but, that doesn’t diminish the value of the blessing within. When we have patience enough to stay the course, my darlings, the beauty of this path will be revealed.

When I was a little girl, my mother would say, “Have patience – let things happen in the way they were intended.” Of course, to the five-year-old mind, ‘having patience’ was the most grueling of growing-up experiences. Nonetheless, it is perhaps one of the most critical of life lessons.

To have patience enough…

And, patience isn’t something we’re born with; rather, it is practiced – practiced in every instance we’re late for a meeting, stuck in traffic, or the children have made yet another mess of things.

In Buddhism, patience is motivated inwardly by our desire for peace, and outwardly in our faith and ability to accept things just as they are.

This morning was a bit of a test for me. With a looming ice storm and a website rendered obsolete, I could have easily succumbed to the desperate draw of emotion. But, in doing so – I would have most certainly lost my ‘way.’

To have courage enough…

And, my goodness – isn’t every moment a test? An opportunity to reaffirm our willingness to connect deeply with the fullness of life at this moment.

Knowing, in time, the true blessing will soon be revealed.