Hello, are you still there? Bless you for checking in on me.
It has been a very long absence.
Truth be told, there have been moments these past two months when I felt more like a penguin out of water....wandering steep shale slopes
a turtle chasing his own tail, meandering in meaningless circles..
eyes closed in stupor and slothfulness ...
or a can of peas rolling helter skelter every which way....irretrievably lost
even rusty old nails without purpose have popped up in my thinking.....
But
it is TIME to stick my neck out and venture forth..
to get back on the proverbial bike and pedal down the unknown path....
Through the weeks of personal, family stress and illness, there came a time when it was too much....photography, paint, friends, communication all loss significance in my days of fretting and fog.
At the right moment my daughter gave me some very welcome advice: (I always learn from my adult kids)
FIVE MINUTES AT A TIME !
I thought back to the hundreds upon hundreds of monks I have seen through out my extraordinary travels....they live in the moment, they have faith that they will be cared for, they give careful consideration to all things, they learn to handle stress, harsh environments, upheavals around them.
Five Minutes.
Think no further than Five Minutes at a time. Do not wander ahead into un-borrowed time.
Worry List
Again the monks with their "begging bowls" became a metaphor for my pointless self-talk.
I now softly place my doubts and worries for family members, my husband and their trials into a "begging bowl." And there they will rest until I am ready to pull them out, one by one, for examination.
We are still in the middle of the "messitude"...but I am striving to live "Five Minutes" at a time and pesky worries are tucked in my "Begging Bowl."
I have missed your friendship and sharing.
Simply put
I LOVE YOU!
Thank you for being here for me!
I will share some postings, thoughts, photography and art with more regularity. But these too are Five Minutes away or nestled in a bowl.
smiles: sharon
smiles: sharon
Sharon, it's good to see you and I'm sorry for all you've been dealing with - you give such wonderful advice about the "five minutes". Those are words I needed to hear myself this week and are a great reminder, so thank you. I'm sending you good thoughts!
ReplyDeleteSharon, it was so good to see your name pop up in my email this morning. I've missed you, but I understand. I'm sorry you've been having such a difficult time. You have a wise daughter (I'm always learning from mine, too) and "five minutes at a time" is very good advice. Sending you thoughts of peace and joy.
ReplyDeleteSharon - you have been missed. I completely understand how tough it can be to come to this space when personal issues and worries dominate one's thinking. You and your family are in my thoughts.
ReplyDelete