Sometimes I feel like a blog is similar to one of those annoying Christmas cards in which people talk about what they've been doing all year, but never really tell the truth. I.e. "little Ricky just graduated from junior high school with honors and a new girlfriend..." (and they're both on crack.)
I gave myself the holidays to take a breather from looking for work and from worrying about life and I haven't written much because I didn't feel that I had anything to say. I was basically living in a suspended state of fear, treading water. Then today I read Paul Krugman's column about the economy and if you ever want to make everything feel even worse, then read Paul.
I meditated this morning and tried to feel positive about life. Then I made it to my gym, which is one place that physically helps me lift my spirits. (Once I get going.) And then I read this from Pema Chodron:
"Rejoice in ordinary life"
"We can learn to rejoice in even the smallest blessings our life holds. It is easy to miss our own good fortune; often happiness comes in ways we don't even notice. It's like a cartoon I saw of an astonished-looking man saying, 'What was that?' The caption below read, 'Bob experiences a moment of well-being.' The ordinariness of our good fortune can make it hard to catch.
The key is to be here, fully connected with the moment, paying attention to the details of ordinary life. By taking care of ordinary things - our pots and pans, our clothing, our teeth - we rejoice in them. When we scrub a vegetable or brush our hair, we are expressing appreciation: friendships toward ourselves and toward the living quality that is found in everything. This combination of mindfulness and appreciation connects us fully with reality and brings us joy."
So many people I know have serious problems, health problems, family problems, financial crises and yet there is a sense that we are not alone. I guess that my wish for this new year is that we find comfort in that awareness and that keep moving forward with optimistic and appreciation for all that we do have.
As I write this, Steve is playing his guitar and Lucy, our older dog, is demanding my attention. So I guess I truly am not alone.
I think we all need to say a prayer for Obama.
2 comments:
Oh, yes. I said this very thing to Charley today - we need to be so grateful for the jobs and the little bit we have. So many are losing so much. And I agree, our new president has a fuckwad of a job to tackle.
I love you Robin. I'm grateful for your friendship and insight.
And I love you too, Annie. And Charley and Joe-Henry. I think that the best thing about the blogs is that we can stay in touch.
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