Fields of Gratitude

The other day I was in conversation with a woman in Canada, via Zoom of course! We ranged over many areas of life, one being honouring our parents, as well as ageing, physical decline. Noting, not for the first time in my life and we agree, that ageing and physical decline do not automatically go together.

We talked specifically about what to do with family memorabilia – binning just doesn’t seem right. Burning stuff is sometimes the way to go. Doing something creative perhaps? Igniting the creative impulse and making something to hang on a wall? Art? I have a couple of box files, one for me and one for Rev. Master Jiyu. I call them my memory boxes, happy memory boxes. Now and then I’ll look through them, recycle some items, give some away and keep what’s left. Yes, and adding to the boxes too. Not doing anything more creative than just that.

While those random items we inherit generally have little or no value they are a tangible link with our past and have a ‘value’ that can’t be measured. Here they are, these dusty items, past present and future folding together as we direct ourselves into active living, moment to moment. Linear time and transcending linear time fold together. At the same time!

I received the following in an email shortly after Canada and Northumberland logged out of the Zoom conversation mentioned earlier.

While we talked I felt these upwellings of sorrow – and loneliness – and afterwards these words came into my mind,  ‘the sorrow wants a witness’ – that’s all!

So, I am the witness (sometimes others witness too) and also the ‘experiencer’. Somehow this was helpful, like being able to console ‘myself’ though the sorrow doesn’t seem personal, nor is it   ‘mine’.

Brilliant! And thank you to you and your ‘hubby’ for help and guidance on how I can help myself through current physical difficulty. I’m taking it less personally, it’s not ‘mine’!

Dwelling in empty
fields
of gratitude.

Join me…..

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2 thoughts on “Fields of Gratitude”

  1. My nephew is in Canada and is struggling, with tinnitus among other life events. He is 43, and has no one close there except his teenage sons and his dog Cookie.
    Have been thinking of sending him a photo of his grandparents (both dead) my parents.
    After reading this heart rending post, I will now definitely send him his people. His name is Stephen.
    With gratitude,
    Camilla

  2. I thank you for the kind reflection on time and our aging. When I worked in Skilled Nursing as Activity Director I had the honor of talking and reflecting with family after the passing of someone.🙏 And I listened to how hard it was for family to figure out what to do with the many pictures and so many of people they had no idea of who they were in relationship to family! It also taught me then about “self” and how we dissolve and our name is not mentioned after awhile. Thanks for the quotes of poetry and I will meet you in the field with gratitude 🙋‍♀️🙏😃!.

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