I’m under the weather; it’s raining, and I’m sick. My friends have gone on a ‘women’s day out’ without me. I’m tempted to feel blue, so I’m dedicating this whole day to loving kindness.
First, I shower my sick and disappointed self with compassion, in the form of hot tea and reflection. If I give my emotions some genuine attention, they often release quickly. Second, I sit in meditation, dedicating my prayer to all the friends I love, my family, my church community, girls and women who are not yet free, the sick, wounded, elderly, those caught in poverty. Soon I’m sending love to my dog, everyone’s pets, my plants, all creation and humanity, the earth, the universe. Then I sink into God, rest in Divine Love. After Centering Prayer, I rise slowly, embrace the day.
I’m eager, no longer focusing on what I’m missing, but what joy lies before me: sealing my painted, cement sand-cast leaves, blogging, rewriting Kairos curriculum, cleaning my dining room, yoga, reading, and mindfully tasting a new chocolate bar with ginkgo called “Unforgettables”.
I can use all the help I can get in memory improvement. Chemo-brain is gone, thanks to diligence in eating enough protein for recovery, and God’s grace. Mindfulness practice is helping me overcome a lifelong tendency toward absent-mindededness. But, I confess, the joy of finding a delicious dark chocolate bar with only 140 calories that ‘supports memory, concentration, and recall’ is a bit of heaven on earth!
Go forth and enjoy your day! Join me in being present for a moment, mindful for a moment, remembering to love yourself so you know how to love others and receive Grace.
Joyfully,
Sharon
Quotes:
"I'm hopelessly in love with God!" ~ SL, RP, and others Iknow. :)
"What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it all the rest are not only useless but disastrous."
~ Thomas Merton
