Light

Photo credit and thanks, here.

This morning's fog burned off early from South Pasadena skies.  By 7:30 or sooner it was sunny.  There is a slant to morning sun, when it appears, that illuminates in the most unflattering fashion such imperfections as old lady whiskers.   Yet I love it beyond cruel honesty.

While putting the theory into practice often exceeds my ability, I know I am not meant to hate, I am not meant to reject or dismiss or invest time and energy into thoughts that drain me.   More than five decades ago, an excruciating time which I barely survived found me being squinted at with what I interpreted as disapproval by a psychiatrist.  I felt diminished, even cursed, by his proclamation that I was, to quote, "Overly responsive to my environment."  As time passed I came to see that as code for empathy.

Battered by current events, I am scarcely able to absorb what we are given as facts.  If I try to speak of my interpretation with my son, my stomach hurts and things seem to spin.  I have awakened in the wee hours over the past several nights and, until sleep returned, looked to PBS for whatever they were serving.  Last night it was the 472,936th airing of the Dr. Wayne Dyer chronicles.  Which is not to disparage Dr. Dyer in any way, just the rather bludgeoning repetition of programs on our local channel.  However many times I've heard his words, the 472,936th hearing caused me to turn on a light, find my glasses, paper and pen and write things down.

"Bring happiness to all you do."  Which I translated to mean don't do stuff that makes you unhappy, like rail or complain.

"See everything as miracles."  No translation required.

"Practice radical humility."  Even if we know we're smarter than the next guy, don't go on and on about it.  And we could be wrong.

"See yourself in everyone you encounter."  And I'm thinking, ewww, even THAT guy?  Yes.

"Be strong by bending."  This one I have learned.  Being reminded strengthens the notion.

I can only, faintly at times, know my own truth and haven't a clue about yours.  I cannot engage, least of all on social media, about the mountainous occurrences that have become our daily news.  To maintain what passes for sanity, I need to become even more still and, plant-like, try to grow in the general direction of natural light.  The brilliance of plants in seeking - without actual brains - what keeps them alive is a model that serves me well.