Place to be
Posted On March 14, 2011
I have much to do today, but I decided that I wanted to take some time to write and reflect. I feel a heaviness on my heart, with all that’s going on in the world. This is serious stuff. It’s not just what’s going on in Japan with all this nuclear meltdown craziness… it’s this culture of insanity. It’s human rights, it’s toxics everywhere, it’s so much. Today I just feel humbled.
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My mom and I had a good conversation the other day about finding humility. You know, that we really aren’t often the vision we have of ourselves. I am much more kind and generous and patient in the character I’ve created of myself. In real life, I’m often disheveled and resentful, and I feel sorry for myself more than I’d like to admit. Self-pity and entitlement is a ravenous beast, you know? My thoughts are often surrounding whether or not I’ve gotten what I want- whether it be time, space, thanks, help, a job done, or anything… This is the truth. This is not to say that I don’t think I’m good, too. It’s just, we do well to not play into the illusion we have of our characters. I am not for feeling guilty, either. I just want to see myself in an honest light. I want to be a better partner and mother and friend and steward of the earth. I want to be the best that I can to those around me. I want to see and listen and DO. Those desires, those are genuine. But we so often are swept up in our thoughts and emotions, and then we tell ourselves untrue things- and before we know it we’re all wrapped up in ourselves in a little fearful bundle. Usually those self-pitying thoughts really originate from basic needs and desires that can be fulfilled. The trick is in recognizing it and simply asking for what we need. And how strange is it when you find that what you really need is to give more and better.
"Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy." (Kahlil Gibran)
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Me and my girl, just goofing around yesterday at family dinner.
Tuula was so funny. She put this cup in her mouth and said "Look! I’m a maple tree!" I love that these kids will grow up knowing where maple syrup comes from, that they can pretend they are a tree that’s been tapped… I don’t know, I just thought it was awesome.
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I’ve been reading more and more disturbing news about what’s going on in Japan, and I looked around this morning and I just see nothing but simple blessings.
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13 Comments
This is a little random, but I love your sink!
Haha, that’s great. It’s a little leaky, but I like it too. It reminds me of the 1940’s when the house was built. 🙂
Loving this post.
<3
I’m really feeling this post.
It’s so nice to see you on here. You’ve been away. I hope you’re doing well. 🙂
Love this post, too, and with a giggle at the maple tree part…
Nice to meet you! I friended you back. 🙂
the maple tree part really is neat! it is awesome that she understands that so naturally, although i have to say that it makes me smile to imagine her doing that around a bunch of city kids… they’d have no clue what she was talking about!
Ha! Yeah, I kind of like it- especially because they ARE city kids. 🙂
Nice to see you! It looked like your journal was deleted for a while. I was a bit sad- you were one of the more regular writers! Anyway, I know how life gets. I hope you find more time to write soon. 🙂
We all tried beef tongue at a local Mexican restaurant we visited in Albuquerque. My mom ordered it, she’d eaten tongue before (probably at my great-grandmother’s house). It was surprisingly good, although we all had a moment of ‘Ok, I’m going to eat tongue now’ sort of thought.
To be honest, your first picture still kind of gets to me. But the final product, after you’ve taken off the outer skin? Looks like any other boiled roast would look. If you didn’t tell me explicitly it was tongue, I probably wouldn’t have guessed it.
I think the only parts of an animal I would have trouble eating are liver (all those enzymes and where all the breakdown of everything happens!) and brain (yeah, don’t think I could do that). 🙂
I loove your picture posts! The maple tree is so adorable! I’ll probably never forget that picture. ♥