Tag Archives: Grace

Three Truths and One Wish

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Truth: Thanksgiving isn’t just about the food. I am guilty of shoveling it in so fast I barely taste it, eating so much that I don’t feel anything but numb–but that’s not what it’s about. It is about being grateful for what you’ve been given, for what you have, saying thank you. Instead of being greedy or grasping or hoarding, honor your good luck and then let it go, share it, give it away. As for what you keep, love it and use it. Say thank you.

Try something like this before you eat your big meal on Thanksgiving Day, “Blessings on our food and all that made it possible: the rain, the sun, the people who grew it, brought it here and prepared it,” (from Women, Food, and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth).  Here’s another nice one, a modification of something from the Anglican Church of Canada, “For food in a world where many walk in hunger. For friends in a world where many walk alone. For faith in a world where many walk in fear. We give thanks.” Or, here’s one I’ve heard at Buddhist meditation retreats, “We receive this food in gratitude to all beings who have helped to bring it to our table, and vow to respond in turn to those in need with wisdom and compassion.” Say Grace. Or, if that doesn’t feel right for you, at least say “thank you.”

Truth: Christmas isn’t just about the presents. This is difficult to see right now, what with all the advertising about Black Friday. And yet, most of us don’t really need anymore stuff, as kindly and lovingly as it might be offered. As for the gifts we give, we need to question our motives, more insistently and often than we do. Is the gift a substitute for our time, our kindness, our presence, our open-heart? Am I trying to earn love and appreciation? And why now, exactly? Because I think I am supposed to?

Instead of Black Friday and shopping and the list of everything we think we are supposed to do, think about this: “Here’s to a refrigerator full of food. Here’s to the electricity that runs that refrigerator. Here’s to clean water being a flick of the faucet away. Here’s to going to bed tonight with a roof over my head (and without the fear of a bomb crashing through it). Here’s to the knowledge that when I dial 911 an ambulance will come get me, not a man with a wheelbarrow…And here’s to remembering those of us who aren’t so lucky. And to do our part to share our good fortune in whatever ways we can,” (from “The Thanksgiving Project – Giving Thanks for the Big Things” by Josh Martin).

You know what my favorite thing about Christmas was as a kid? It wasn’t the presents, even though it felt like they were really important. It was turning the tree lights on when it was dark outside and turning off all the other lights, and putting on Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” album, and cuddling with my mom on the couch. Not the presents. Not even close.

Truth: This is the season of rest, gratitude, generosity, love, and joy. It is supposed to be simple, although we have complicated it with all of our expectations and demands. This year, instead: Do less, love more. Buy less, give more. Bark less, wag more. Stop doing so much and just be. Read Courtney Putnam’s latest blog post, “Doing and Being.” It will help.

I wish for all beings a season of abundance and appreciation–not the kind you can buy at the store or order online, but rather real, honest, and open-hearted.

  • What are you wishing for this season?

Something Good

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It’s Monday again, and I don’t know about you, but I am ready to hear something good.  Here’s this week’s list.

After being sick all weekend, I appreciate being able to eat, do laundry, stand long enough to take a shower, do yoga (a headstand even!), walk the dogs, write, read.  I was even grateful to go to work today.

My Christmas Cactus, given to me by my dear friend Sandy, is blooming.

My favorite recent quote: “It doesn’t matter how long we may have been stuck in a sense of our limitations. If we go into a darkened room and turn on the light, it doesn’t matter if the room has been dark for a day, a week, or ten thousand years — we turn on the light and it is illuminated. Once we control our capacity for love and happiness, the light has been turned on.” ~Sharon Salzberg, (via a Kind Over Matter post).  This is such good news!  It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been stuck, how long I have been stuck, once we/I open up to the love and happiness and joy and gratitude and wisdom of this moment, once we open our hearts and take that first small step and turn on the light, it is/we are illuminated.

My friend and dog trainer extraordinaire Sarah Stremming shared a memory of my Obi on her blog, how he used to hug her every time he saw her. I loved being reminded of that.  I am also inspired by Sarah’s recent decision to quit her full time job to pursue her dog training business, her passion, The Cognitive Canine.

heART Exchange Art Swap, hosted by the new web project “your heART makes a difference,” started by Louise Gale.  The mission of the project is to “raise the consciousness of the world, one by one through practicing self-care, love, kindness, forgiveness & gratitude through creative expression.”  The heART Exchange matches two people (my match is living in Belgium), and “is a global art swap to create, share & receive LOVE in the form of a gorgeous piece of artwork. Each person who joins the swap is given a partner to send their creation to and the only rule, is that you create with your heart energy and include a positive note for the recipient inside.”  Here’s a sneak peak of my project, inspired by Tibetan prayer flags, which I’ll blog about when I finish.

“It’s You,” a new post at Tiny Buddha. “The one you’ve been waiting for to give you permission—it’s you. You’re the only one who can decide whether you’ll try or hold yourself back.” Go read the rest.  It’s good, and it’s true: it’s you.

I finally confirmed a date with Rachel W. Cole to come to Fort Collins, Colorado and give a “Well-Fed Woman mini-retreatshop.” Sunday, February 19th, 12:30-3:30 pm at Om Ananda Yoga Studio.  Rachel lives in California, and is a soulful, warm, and creative life coach who’s on a mission to guide women towards feeds their deeper hungers so they can live their most well-fed lives. Who this mini-retreatshop is for, (besides me)? “Women who sense they have more greatness to birth but know before they can soar they need to sit in stillness. Women who crave sinking deeper. Women who know the power of women sitting with other women. Women who desire to trust their own hungers more. Women who want to explore their relationship to themselves. And of course, women who experience a little endorphin rush when they hear there will be meaningfully-applied glitter.” Seriously, this is going to be amazing! She hasn’t opened registration yet, (space for 20 women), but I will let you know as soon as she does and post more details later.

That’s so much good, I feel a bit dizzy.  Remember when Monday’s used to be boring? Okay, just one more thing, and then it’s your turn to tell me something good.

How cute is that?!