DROPS OF WISDOM: Holding Vigil
Warm greetings from ToDo.
Here we are, at the start of another month, toward the end of another year,?at the cusp of Election Day.?So much going on in all directions.?But yesterday, while I was out and about in the world, people seemed to be unusually kind and thoughtful to each other, going out of their way to be considerate.?Maybe it was my imagination, or?just a fluke, or maybe the turbulence in the world right now?is translating into a tenderness in some of?our hearts. I prefer to think of it that way.
Sending love and appreciation, as we find our way through turbulent times.??
Linda
HOLDING VIGIL
by Alison Luterman
My cousin asks if I can describe this moment,
the heaviness of it, like sitting outside
the operating room while someone you love
is in surgery and you’re on those awful plastic chairs
eating flaming Doritos from the vending machine
which is the only thing that seems appealing to you, dinner-wise,
waiting for the moment when the doctor will come out
in her scrubs and face-mask, which she’ll pull down
to tell you whether your beloved will live or not. That’s how it feels
as the hours tick by, and everyone I care about
is texting me with the same cold lump of dread in their throat
asking if I’m okay, telling me how scared they are.
I suppose in that way this is a moment of unity,
the fact that we are all waiting in the same
hospital corridor, for the same patient, who is on life support,
and we’re asking each other, Will he wake up?
Will she be herself? And we’re taking turns holding vigil,
as families do, and bringing each other coffee
from the cafeteria, and some of us think she’s gonna make it
while others are already planning what they’ll wear to the funeral,
which is also what happens at times like?these,
and I tell my cousin I don’t think I can describe this moment,
heavier than plutonium, but on the other hand,
in the grand scheme of things, I mean the whole sweep
of human history, a soap bubble, because empires
are always rising and falling, and whole civilizations die,
they do, they get wiped out, this happens all the time,
it’s just a shock when it happens to your civilization,
your country, when it’s someone from your family on the respirator,
领英推荐
and I don’t ask her how she’s sleeping, or what she thinks about
when she wakes at three in the morning,
cause she’s got two daughters, and that’s the thing,
it’s not just us older people, forget about us, we had our day
and we burned right through it, gasoline, fast food,
cheap clothing, but right now I’m talking about the babies,
and not just the human ones, but also the turtles and owls
and white tigers, the Redwoods, the ozone layer,
the icebergs for the love of God—every single
blessed being on the face of this earth
is holding its breath in this moment,
and if you’re asking, can I describe that, Cousin,
then I’ve gotta say no, no one could describe it
we all just have to live through it,
holding each other’s hands.
PRACTICE EXERCISE
Remember to Move
To avoid feeling lost in the confusion and?noise of this week, remember to move your body.? Make a point of disconnecting from the drama to?exert yourself physically.? Vigorous exercise can restore our balance and keep us grounded.???Shake off the static and make yourself a little stronger.??Make a plan to move and make it happen.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
I cannot think myself into a new way of living,
I have to live myself into a new way of thinking.
-- Claude Anshin Thomas
GRATITUDE, GRACE & A MONTH OF SELF-REFLECTION
with Gregg Krech
Nov. 15 - Dec. 14, 2024
Do you want to deepen your relationships and feel grateful for the life you are living each day? You don't need to have "a perfect life" in order to be filled with gratefulness. You don't need to solve all of your "problems" first.??
You do need to be conscious of what you notice, what you overlook, and how those habits inform your stories and determine your experience in life.
The transformative practice of Naikan offers an exquisite tool for illuminating your life in a new and?powerful way -- strengthening your relationships and instilling an authentic sense of gratitude for your life, just as it is right now.
During this 30-day program you will work privately with a self-reflection exercise each day, meet with Gregg Krech and other participants by zoom?each week, and engage in thought-provoking discussion through our global forum.??
Gregg Krech has been teaching Japanese Psychology for over 30 years. Gregg is the author of five books, including Naikan: Gratitude, Grace & the Japanese Art of Self-Reflection.? Please join us for this special annual event.