ON A SUNDAY EVENING

Feeling fine again.  The day has been full, church and prayers for others and myself.  A brunch with salmon and avocado.  An afternoon nap.  And rain, blessed rain.

The earth has been hard and thirsty, only spots of moisture around the plants that I water, small dark circles of wet earth.  But finally, hours of steady rain and now the happy noises of rejuvenated evening sounds out the open window.  

Wiggles is--surprise!--ensconced on one of his pillows.  They are scattered throughout the house because he is aging and needs a soft place for his graying self.  We adopted him out of foster care 10 years ago.  I've been telling him how much I love him and what a good boy he is.  He follows me everywhere.  Not every dog does.  Our previous rescue dog, a golden doodle we called Lucy, wouldn't come indoors.  Bad memories I suppose.  So in winter we gave her hot food to warm her tummy and put a tarp over her dog house with wool blankets inside to snuggle her up.  She never strayed.  

In the middle of sleep last night my husband of many years woke and whispered sweetly in the dark.  How could life be better?  A dog, the rain, a loving mate, Sunday and the space it brings.  And no problem on the horizon that at this moment I am tasked to solve.  A special day indeed.

Ahhh . . . there's the train whistle, distant through the woods yet near and clear.  One more thing I can rely upon.  So many simple blessings.  Thank you God.  

SHOW YOURSELF SOME KINDNESS

"Show Yourself Some Kindness" is the name of an article in a magazine I like called The Simple Things.  As we enter the third year of the pandemic that's a good idea.  And on the anniversary of the insurrection in the capitol building in Washington, DC--the lowest point in recent US history. 

This date gives context to anything we might say; it can't be ignored.  Franklin Roosevelt called Dec. 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy.  He was referring to the bombing of Pearl Harbor which preceded the entrance of the United States into WWII.  We can say the same of Jan. 6, 2021.  

So with this backdrop . . . it seems that most of us have experienced some level of suffering lately. And not just something as extreme as the suffering and fear caused by the attack on our democracy a year ago.  We're all affected by the strictures of living in a pandemic. After all, bouncing from variant to variant does feel like Wack-a-Mole.  

And it's not like that's all that's happening in our lives either.  Some of us have SAD, seasonal affective disorder. Some are in the midst of divorce; some, fitting chemo into their lives; or struggling to feed their families.  The list is long. Nothing has slowed normal losses.  Life has never been easy. 

At the same time, the abundance of goodness and beauty also cannot be denied.  Leaves turn, snow falls, birds sing, day breaks, sunsets dazzle.  People help eachother.  Life goes on.  And although we've learned that nothing is perfect, nothing lasts and nothing is finished, life is about finding what's special in the day-to-day.  No matter how imperfect each day is, we almost always find something good in it.  Just the idea that imperfection is fine, including my own, makes me breathe easier. 

So what is OK?  Everything, really.  Our lives as they are.  Just a few good friends is OK.  Or even none.  It's OK to have a pet and be calm and rest in that unconditional love. It's OK to be content with whatever you have, even if what you have wakes you in the night.  Anxiety is OK;  Fear is OK; so very normal.  So is abundance.  

How to show ourselves kindness?  So many ways.  Think of saying "Thank you" to you.  For instance, we can thank our bodies for all they do.  We can thank our bodies with exercise, with yoga, with water and with healthy food.  And with rest.  When things are worrying, it's OK to curl up and mother ourselves.  

We can thank our minds too.  By gazing at the stars, watching the sunset, walking in the cold winter darkness, reading poetry (or writing it); anything we do that is creative.  Creativity rewards our minds for all their hard work processing everydayness.  Creativity puts our minds in a state of flow where, experts say, the ego falls away.   Whatever we do where time is immaterial is flow.  Turn on the music and dance?  Paddle (or swim), each stroke building on the one before?  Write in a journal?  Spend time with a child? 

And our spirits of course.  They are ready for nurture.  Reading, praying, meditating, consoling.  On this the one-year anniversary of the insurrection President Biden gave a stirring speech about the lies that led to that blasphemy. My heart is saying Thank You to him.  And to all who fight these lies. Truth frees the spirit.  

This is not such a touchy-feely post.  Today's date doesn't lend itself to that.  But it is about kindness. Let's direct it first toward ourselves, next toward others. In that way goodness and mercy may follow.

                                                            Nina Naomi