behavior

by

Before It Is Too Late

At any time

in my adult life

which came of age

during the civil rights movement,

it is clearly imperative

that we acknowledge

how far we have not come

in being

welcoming and loving

                                                                                   to all.

If we,

our children,

our children’s children,

are going to live together,

we must talk not

just with adults

about how this election cycle

has exposed rampant

prejudice and anger.

It is inherent

in sharing the

FACTS of LIFE.

Perhaps

the voices of our children

have more wisdom

and simplicity

in how

we can begin

in this moment

to love ourselves

and love each other.

by

Bouquet

Each

friend

represents

a world

in us,

a world

possibly

not born

until

he or she

arrives.

I have a bouquet

of friends,

each one

different.

I find

myself

revealing-

sometimes

discovering-

different

aspects

of myself

with each

of them.

livinglinesreflections.com

by

Filling Up With Moments In-Between

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

by

Calm

We often

judge

others’ outsides

from our own inside.

or we judge

our own insides

by others’ outsides.

We look

at others

as calm,

in control,

on top of things.

For many people,

it takes a

lot of effort

to put

themselves together

and what you see

is the result

of that effort,

not the

challenge

of getting there.

I am startled

when someone

tells me

that I always

seem”so calm”

especially at moments

when I have

a lot of emotions

going on

inside.

As I grow older,

I am becoming

more willing

to reveal

some of those inner feelings,

that being vulnerable

is a painful experience.

Sometimes,

being open and honest

can be an opportunity

for closer

relationships.

livinglinesreflections.com

by

Holy Confusion

I

no longer

make

a plan

for

myself

but

respond to the

things and people

 in my life

that are

part of a

plan or a pattern

I cannot see.

These words

may sound

passive

but remind me

to

strive

for an active

awareness

realizing that

I am

in the midst

of a

“holy confusion”.

Discovering

these two words,

I chuckled

and

remembered

my mantra.

Ann Patchett,

wonderful writer,

reflects,

“Sometimes not having any idea

where we’re going

works out better

than we could

possibly have imagined.”

by

Be Prepared?

Heavy snow forecast,

stores not prepared

with enough

milk, bread, eggs

for each buyer

trying to

be prepared.

Few lingering items.

Schools closed tomorrow.

Warnings change

by the hours.

Course of storm

uncertain.

Shovel,boots, salt

prepared

as well as you can.

Same news hour

predicts

earthquake

in northern Pacific Coast

at least

a hundred years

overdue.

Tsunami would follow.

Buildings too low.

Higher floors

being built over school.

Drills for children and teachers

at first rumble

to climb as high

as stairs go.

No time

to rush out

for milk, bread, eggs.

Are you prepared?

For which possibility?

In life,

are we ever

really

prepared

for what

actually does happen?

by

DATA

Once upon a time

Not so very

long ago,

before the digital revolution,

my data

was on paper.

Bills came through the mail,

checks written,

receipt on bill

kept in a box,

mailed with a stamp.

Snail mail

it is called now.

There were

advantages

to that system.

Letters

were hand written.

Pleasure

as the receiver opened.

Handwritten

usually.

Personal.

Some people

claim

as do some offices

to be

paper-free.

My records,

e-mails

credit card bills,

etc, etc. etc.

are kept in a

hybrid system.

Not everything

gets printed

on paper.

But

anything I believe

to be important

gets

printed.

At this time of the year,

when records

are put in some

order

to prepare

for tax paying

in April,

I attempt

to go through

the files

on my computer

and my

paper files.

Increasingly

the IRS is

encouraging

people

to file their

tax returns

on-line.

I don’t wait

for spring cleaning

to attempt to

weed out my

computer

and paper

files.

Of course,

some paper records

are copies of

digital records.

File by file,

a few at a time,

I look to see

what needs to

be kept

and dispose

or delete

unnecessary

information.

There is just

too much

data.

How much

data is secure?

Credit cards

are hacked.

Today,

a large hospital system

announced that

their electronic records

had been hacked

and they would

notify the patients

effected.

And

on and on.

The amount of time

to manage all of this

has expanded

along with

the advantages

of this digital

revolution.

One health insurer

chose the same

company

the federal government

chose to set up

the Affordable Care Act.

When the new system

failed,

employees

had to learn

to process

applications,

by hand

on paper.

We can’t go back

to the ways things

were.

Is there a

solution

to the

reality

of so much

data

and not having

a choice

about whether

to put your

whole life

on electronic systems?

by

The Cloud of Unknowing*

I

no longer

make a plan

for myself

but respond

to the people

and things

in my life

which are part

of a plan

or

pattern

I

cannot

see.

*The Cloud of Unknowing is an anonymous work of Christian mysticism in the 14th century.

by

Shadow Work

Trying to restore

our emotional health

can be exhausting,

particularly if

we have neglected it.

No wonder

people

sometimes choose

to numb

their pain.

It takes courage and energy

to dig deep

and let emotional

wounds heal.

We can heal

only if we know

what the wounds are.

Our bodies hold onto

emotional hurts,

sometimes for years.

There are many ways

to help

the healing process-

prayer,

meditation,

silence,

yoga,

reiki,

and therapy-

that

strengthens the body

along with the soul.

Some call this SHADOW WORK.

LivingLinesReflections

by

The Most of the Day

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.