“There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Shakespeare
Or, “Just tree.” Michael Singer relaying a Buddhist proverb
“Just Tree”
life
The Opposite of Regret
I don’t know what is the meaning of death, but I am not afraid to die. And I go on, non-stop, going forward, even though I, Bruce Lee, may die some day without fulfilling all of my ambitions, I will have no regrets. I did what I wanted to do and what I’ve done, I’ve done with sincerity and to the best of my ability. You can’t expect much more from life.
*From Brain Pickings by Maria Popova
Collections
After dad passed away, we packed the house up quickly. He collected a LOT of stuff and my mom had thrown these in the trash. My husband retrieved them because he thought they were cool.
New Year
“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” – Lao Tzu
Reflection
Because your father and the Korean War
treated you mercilessly
you swallowed the hate, anger and resentment
with tiny grains of rice and near-clear broth
You read books and taught yourself
math – the universal language
you patched holes in your shoes and clothes
sewed extra material to your pant legs
With marriage and children, hunger multiplied
your craving for recognition and love
were bottomless pits of self-doubt
and utter darkness
You lashed out and your fears
masqueraded as control and power
launched your family away
but your heart cried
come back
Solicitous Sojourn
Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
Basho
The Choice
I’m reading this right now. Dr. Eger, a Holocaust survivor, is proof that our happiness is our choice in life, regardless of what happens.
The Case for Neutrality (and Acceptance)
If you judge (a thing/event/person) to be “good,” then there must naturally be a “bad.” The path to inner peace is one of non-judgment.
So Emotional (art prompt)*
This prompt brought me to the source of our strongest emotions of late: grieving. My father was diagnosed with lung cancer on April 1st and passed away on July 11th. In that short span of time, I stayed with my parents a lot in Georgia, away from my desert home in Arizona. The colors of the lush foliage surrounded me as I took walks as breaks from caregiving. Friendly neighbors smiled and waved and I felt welcome and an unexpected sense of peace.
*creativebug.com (Sokol)
The Ultimate Solution
The answer to every “problem” is presence.
Kismet 