DAYS AND WAVES

"I spin on the circle of wave upon wave." 

~ Pablo Neruda ~

Time and waves coming up the beach have something in common. They heal things. Gracefully, persistently, and almost imperceptibly, they just keep on and keep on and keep on until what's closed is opened and what's wounded is no longer sore.

I trust in the healing power of soothing cycles that repeat.

OUR RATIONALIZATIONS AREN'T ALWAYS RIGHT

"Logic, like whiskey, loses its beneficial effect when taken in too large quantities."

 ~ Edward John Moreton ~

If I try to make sense of why people do the things they do the likelihood is that I will misunderstand their motivations. Such a variety of things can move us towards the light or away from it. And nine times out of ten I probably over-complicate reality in my reasoning as well.
     We make other people's actions about us, take things personally when there's nothing personal about them, and feel stung when stinging is simply a byproduct of error instead of its root cause.

Whatever I may try to convince myself of, the truth is that I don't know what I don't know.

RIGHT ACTION

"All know the way; few actually walk it." 

~Bodhidharma ~

We can forgive others even if they don't forgive us. We can extend love where love is not extended. We can be patient with impatience, tolerant of intolerance, and ever-trusting in the greater good. We have choices to make daily.
     We can be stewards of the earth, defenders of the defenseless, and purveyors of trust and peace and graciousness and hope.

Whatever I'm facing, I choose to do the next right thing.

NEW HEAT

"Hot weather... keeps me in a continual state of inelegance." 

~ Jane Austen ~

The first heat of the season always comes as a shock to the system. All of our dials are tuned in to different settings- cooler ones- so adjustment is required, and patience, while new appropriate levels are established, and we spend the requisite time feeling uncomfortably hot.

My body needs time and understanding as it adapts to the first hot weather of the year. 

PROCESSING LIFE THROUGH CONVERSATION

"A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad," 

~ Arnold H. Glasgow ~

Talking is a good way to process life events. We interpret and settle uncertain situations as we share the facts with friends. We find the humor, even in hardship, and learn to laugh about what's happened which allows the healing to begin. The stories of our lives explain us and define us, and they teach us whatever it is that we need to know.

I talk about what I'm going through to ease the burden of carrying it all alone.

BODY MIND CONNECTION

"Every thought we have is a form of energy that continues..." 

~ Pim van Lommel ~

I'm not sure if the body informs the mind or the mind informs the body, but there is an unquestionable connection and exchange between the two. The mind thinks about what the body feels and gives it meaning and context. Likewise, the body interprets our thoughts and expresses them as tension, relaxation, comfort, fear, and the like.
     Maybe it's a checks and balances system more than anything else, and gives us multiple options to address upset when that happens- either mentally or physically- and to experience joy the same way.

The mind and body work together, and together they make me whole.

NATURE MEDICINE

"I... recognize in Nature the anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, the guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul of all my moral being."
~William Wordsworth ~

Nature is restorative. Trees and birds, moving sunlight and shadows; ants, bees, and pine needles on the dry earth soothe my soul. I go to nature as a resource. It inspires and refreshes me; teaches me lessons about the way things are- the way time is, and the way divine order reigns in spite of whatever inner chaos I might feel.
   

Fresh air is my lifeblood, and Nature nurtures my soul.