See what is.
The tape playing
in the back of our minds
often distracts us from
what is right in front of us.
Taken together,
“see what is”
are three challenging words.
Pausing
several times a day
to check
whether
the tape in my mind
is
related
to
what is right
in front of me
can bring me
into
the present moment.
livinglinesreflections.com
Artists know that
negative space
defines
a composition.
Musicians know that
the silence
between
the notes
is as much
a part of the
experience
of the music
as the notes.
Think of
space
and
silence
when you
breathe,
knowing
that
the pause
between
the
in-breath
and the
out-breath
fills you.
Paying attention
to one’s breath
is a
reminder of
how full of life
we are.
Imagine
soothing
oxygen,
filling
your body,
reaching
every cell.
It is a way
to stay
in the moment.
livinglinesreflections.com
We all need
to learn to
set limits.
Do you live in an
unnaturally
high setting
for normal?
Are you
expecting
too much of
yourself and others?
When is life or
our response to it,
just too much
or just enough?
Can you build in some
flexibility?
What if our lives are
right on
the edge,
and we don’t see
the precipice?
livinglinesreflections.com gift a book
Cold
No snow yet.
The bird feeder
put out
yesterday.
Now a ballet
of swirling birds
discovering
with delight.
A rogue squirrel
discovering
dropped seed.
More birds
than before
a lovely neighbor
offered an array
of feeders and suet.
She moved
before last winter.
Her son said
she had feeders
outside the window
and new birds
feasted.
Before she went
to sleep one evening,
she e-mailed him:
“I made the
best of my day.”
Those were her
last words.
I smile,
remembering her.
Our days
are made of
moments,
each
a little seed
of our twenty-four hours.
Some moments
are sad,
others
happy,
even joyful.
Being in
each moment,
living
the best we can.
Making the
best
of our
day.
Remembering
being
in New York City
on 9/11
where for more than 24 hours,
the bridges and tunnels
shut traffic going
in and out
of Manhattan Island.
Remembering
during
the week
of the
Boston Marathon
being
“locked down”
at home
for 14 hours,
Hearing France’s borders
being closed
after the
horrific attacks
in Paris,
emotions
cascade.
Fear,
horror,
and
kindness.
Think
of
those who
didn’t run away
but went toward
the wounded
to help.
Flowers, candles
become altars
to express
sorrow
and
community.
We
know
even more clearly now,
we are all
in this together.
Locking down our feelings
doesn’t work
for us.
We are connected
in our humanity.
Near and far
reach out.
Social media
has its place.
We need physical
connection.
Reaching out
in the darkness
helps
to heal
wounds that
don’t go away.
Whatever side of a bridge
each of us stands,
no one
can be
untouched by the events of this week
June, 2015.
Sharp divisions
on civil rights
about race and same-sex marriage
have permeated
hundreds of years of our history.
Shock shook us.
A young white man
entered the historic
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church
in Charleston
sat with nine black people
for an hour
of Bible study
and then shot them.
At his court hearing
the families of those slain
forgave him.
Within days, the governor
called for the removal of the Confederate flag,
still held high while
the American flag
honored the dead
at half mast.
On Friday morning,
the Supreme Court
announced its decision
on same-sex marriage.
In Justice Anthony Kennedy’s eloquent words,
“No union is more profound than marriage,
for it embodies the
highest ideals of
love,
fidelity,
devotion,
sacrifice,
and family.
It would misunderstand these
men and women
to say
they disrespect
the idea of marriage.
Their plea is that they do respect it,
respect it so deeply,
that they seek to
find its fulfillment for themselves.
Their hope is
not to be condemned to live
in loneliness,
excluded from one of
civilization’s
oldest institutions.
They ask for
equal dignity
in the eyes of the law.
The Constitution
grants them that right.”
In the afternoon
on the same day,
President Obama
gave an eloquent eulogy
at the funeral of the slain
Pastor Clementa C. Pinckney.
Pausing for a moment,
President Obama began to sing
Amazing Grace,
how sweet the sound.
When he sang
“I once was lost,
but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see”
6000 people and a 1000 outside
joined him in the
hymn.
Perhaps others like me
joined in.
“Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieve’d;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.”
GRACE
GRACIOUS
DIGNITY
For ALL.
PEACE
“Sunlight fell
upon the wall;
the wall received a borrowed
splendor.
Why set your heart
on a piece of earth,
O simple one?
Seek out the source
which shines forever.”
Rumi, Sufi mystic poet
“The universe unfolds in God,
who fills us
completely.
Hence,
there is a mystical
meaning to be found
in a leaf,
in a mountain trail,
in a dewdrop,
in a poor person’s face.”
Pope Francis in Laudato Si his encyclical on the environment
Praise Be to You
“The initiate
will capture
what is being said
when the wind blows,
the trees sway,
water flows,
flies buzz,
doors creak,
birds sing,
or in the
sound of strings or flutes,
the sighs of the sick,
the groans
of the afflicted.”
Ali-al-Khawas, a 9th century mystical Sufi Muslim poet
Innovation!
The buzz word
showing up on the covers of many magazines
and college and universities news
informs us that
we are living in a time
where
innovation
will take us
and keep us
ahead
in new products,
ways of thinking,
empowering us
to live
life fully and keep us
ahead
of the rest of the world.
Winners
we must be.
Topics
include, energy, robotics, medicine, health care,
education,how to teach and what to teach.
New products
usually include
electronics
and electronic ways
of communicating
monitoring,
running machines,
managing our lives
from our smart phones.
Spending many hours
at the
Genius Bar
at my local Apple Store,
my helper’s back pocket revealed
another brand,
simpler
cell phone.
With plenty of
time to talk
while he troubleshooted
my computer for a
repeat problem,
he told me that
he had started as
a car mechanic.
When cars and their motors and functions
became increasingly electronic,
his experience was outdated.
Furthermore,
he said
all machines are made
too complicated
with more options
than we can ever need.
In his home
he only bought
appliances
small and large
from the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Easy for him to use,
didn’t often break,
and repaired
much more easily
than
the dishwashers,
washing machines,
ovens,
and food processors
with a myriad of options.
Most he found
on EBAY
and parts too!
Innovation
could be more effective,
our land fills less full
if innovation includes
simplification
for the main uses of
whatever function
the innovation is
intended to contribute.
Pruning. . .
not only speaks of
cutting back
but also of the
ultimate blossoming
that takes place
when it is done properly.
-Henri Nouwen
In horticultural, pruning encourages growth. But knowing where to cut to maximize growth requires expertise. The image of pruning has become increasingly important to me. One place I’ve tried to prune is my natural impulse to solve someone else’s problems rather than support that person’s own decisions.
Living Lines Moment by Moment 