From wonder into wonder existence opens.
Lao Tzu
Wisdom begins in wonder
Socrates
Photo: Mont Blanc, early morning, Jan 14th
Tag: Joy
Celebrate life: Jump in rain puddles – Christina Taylor Green
The little girl Christina Taylor Green who was killed in the Arizona Shootings last weekend was born on September 11th, 2001. Along with other babies born on that day, she was featured in a book called “Faces of Hope.” In it we see a photo of her, with, on either side, simple wishes for a child’s life. She expresses the wish, “I hope you jump in rain puddles.”It is a lovely thought, made all the more poignant by the tragic nature of her passing.
This probably would not be my normal response when coming across a puddle on the path. “Jump in, splash around“? My sensible mind would protest: “It would ruin my shoes. People will be watching. I would look daft”. We have a sense of wonder and adventure in us as children before we cover it over as we “mature” and divide ourselves into what is seen and what we keep to ourselves. Somewhere along the way to adulthood we learn to hide ourselves, to appear reasonable, not spontaneous, to prefer order and routine to surprise. We become preoccupied the day-to-day problems of our lives and set out in the morning with a set of implicit or explicit goals. When the unexpected happens, like snow or rain puddles, it is seen as an inconvenience or a detour. We get so goal-orientated, as if everything has to be won, that we do not see the fun that can be had in simply playing the game. Things can become difficulties or obstacles and not opportunities for play and spontaneity. We even can treat our recreation or sport as something to be “done”, serving some other aim. It is as if being surprised or spontaneous is dangerous or makes us weak. We mask our sense of play out of fear of being judged as immature or too emotional.
Keeping the heart open with the eyes of a child is the key: Enlarging our vision of all the things that happen in the day- for surprise and for wonder – even the things we see a thousand times. And then giving voice to that sense of astonishment. To jump into the things that life brings, without holding back. To be open to all, even that which we would prefer to avoid. The gospel tells us that the kingdom of heaven – the fulness of life – belongs to those who welcome it like children. The shortness of little Christina’s life reminds me not to let life pass me by, to let go of those things which block my heart, to see things and people as if for the first time, to stop dwelling in the hurts of the past or the schemes of the future and to see wonder now.
We inhabit ourselves without valuing ourselves, unable to see that here, now, this very moment is sacred; but once it’s gone – its value is incontestable.
Joyce Carol Oates
Happiness is found wherever we are
What we have to do is really feel the motivation that arises, not from trying to change ourselves but from trying to be ourselves as fully as we can.
Barry Magid, Ending the Pursuit of Happiness
We do not always need to see everything
The art of living is to enjoy what we can see and not complain about what remains in the dark. When we are able to take the next step with the trust that we will have enough light for the step that follows, we can walk through life with joy and be surprised at how far we go. Let’s rejoice in the little light we carry and not ask for the great beam that would take all shadows away.
Henry Nouwen, Bread for the Journey
Keeping the heart soft
It is not easy to keep ones heart open in every circumstance. Each day we can have experiences with people who cause us to become anxious or afraid; at other times we protect ourselves by becoming angry, or blaming others. We throw up walls and barriers because of our deep fear of being hurt. And if we want to, we can allow these walls remain for weeks, months or even years, as something inside us closes down and we withdraw. It is natural to contract from frightening events, and at times we cannot see all the reasons why something or someone bothers us. The first response therefore can be sometimes instinctive and unconscious, or based on schemas which are below our awareness.
However, as the previous post reminds us, underneath the fears there is something deep and warm in all living things. We all dream about love and belonging, and, in reality, they are never far away. It is our fears which make us doubt. Living a full life means trying to act in accord with our deep capacity for loving and tenderness even at those moments when our instinct is to shut down and we can get stuck. Sure, we may wonder about this, when we struggle or search for some meaning to this life. However, beneath the surface of our fears, goodness and tenderness is always slowly coming into being. We all need to remind ourselves every day to trust in this deeper reality.
We have a choice. Often our first thought is to withdraw. But if we can recognize that movement, acknowledge it and not necessarily identify with it, our heart can soften. Often getting unstuck means that we can stay with the anxiety which arises, fuelled by energies and memories beneath our conscious awareness. If we can do this, what we see is that there is a link between being kind and our ongoing happiness. Our practice helps us keep the heart open and stop the process of fear from becoming too fixed. Sometimes this is easier said than done. But even when my first reaction is fear, and I forget the soft place within the heart, what I find is that I recover quicker and remember sooner, and am better able to leave the sadness of such occasions simply be sadness. I do not need to blame or withdraw more. I can trust in the deep goodness in myself and others. Sadness might remain, but without giving in to judgment or recriminations, the mind is free to allow space for new possibilities to come to birth.
We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder and more open to what scares us. We always have this choice.
Pema Chodron
Sunday Quote: Thirst
Another morning and I wake with thirst
for the goodness I do not have.
Mary Oliver
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