Poetry ~ Waka
Wake up world…wise words!!
This is very inspirational…I must read and reread this and share among my friends. I was taken at the beginning at , “Strength is compassion for all beings be they conscious or not. Life is an ocean, under the surface the waters are very calm but on the surface there are many violent waves. Mankind is that ocean, some who are in oneness become calm as the waters underneath and some are divided and uncontrolled as the waves above. Strength is to be gentle with all beings as I am being with these flowers.”
Yesterday I was deep in one of the ARUPAJHANA meditations(Formless meditations) and I had this vision. It was so powerful I am sharing it with you all. This not to change anyone’s mind or beliefs it is only to share. Enjoy.
I ended up in a field and in the distance there was a luminous woman picking brilliantly colored flowers. I approached her in my formlessness and she began to speak as though she knew me. She asked me “What is strength?” I said “Is not strength undying compassion for every conscious being?” She paused her flower picking and said “Strength is compassion for all beings be they conscious or not. Life is an ocean, under the surface the waters are very calm but on the surface there are many violent waves. Mankind is that ocean, some who are in oneness become calm as the waters underneath and some are…
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(Haiku – Huitain)
(Haiku)
A lovely post spoke
to me; started to self-reflect
such a humbling feat.
I read a poem this morning and it made me think. I love when that happens. You know, when you read something and it speaks to you? A Thousand Mirrors did that to me. Maybe it’s because I work in counselling but I think it triggered something more personal. Last night I was attending my 8th workshop on Borderline Personal Disorder. It’s for family and friends of someone who has this condition. It is not to just know more about what a person with BPD is going through; it is to understand what a caregiver or loved one can do to help and also take care of themselves.
So I was no longer in the counsellor’s seat learning how to better assist someone with BPD but rather I was in the “mirror” looking straight inside of ME. I am forced to see how I react to certain behaviours and how I may, sometimes, unintentionally perhaps, have added fuel to the fire. It has been too many years that our relationship has almost severed but I still love this person very much…I just don’t like how this person treats me. But, by looking inside that mirror, I was seeing things I don’t like too much about me too. Oh boy that’s a humbling experience!
The dynamics with a significant other with BPD can get explosive but it can also implode. I am learning so much that my brain hurts and my heart aches. So much is simmering inside of me but how long it will simmer? I don’t know.
Since working in my field, I have come to have more understanding and compassion for my relative. I’ve told family members to be more understanding and tolerant. But me? I have withdrawn…run a way in many cases when I felt attacked giving over so much power to this person that I love because I’m a chicken in the face of conflict.
Last night I learned that I give all this power to control and “hurt” is not really what a person with ANY condition wants. And not be chicken, I may, in time find the courage to try to communicate with my relative. I know it won’t change overnight. I know my relative has no clue that I have love and compassion…there are so many misperceptions, so many judgements. {sigh}
And when I think of times I have suffered tough times…depression, loss and insecurities, I was also often misunderstood. People assumed I was just fine because I usually am the giver, the person taking care of others. I look assertive and self-assured, they know not how broken and shaken I can be inside. And this lovely poem I read this morning made me think of all of this. So I have attempted to write a new form (huitain) in poetry I’ve just learned to summarize my thoughts on this.
(Huitain)
How easy it is to assume
not try to ask, investigate
we judge, expect, predict, presume
not bothering at any rate;
empathy, heart would educate
we’d show a little compassion,
we know not what can irritate.
Listen! they may share a portion.
© Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, December 10, 2013
Inspired by: A Thousand Mirrors
Makes me wince at the pain so many encounter on their life’s path…
National Bullying Week passed 3 weeks ago but the issues are still alive unfortunately. Every day is a time to create more awareness of what goes on month after month, year after year especially with children, youths and young adults in school, high school, college and university. We know it goes on at work as well. If it is not addressed in schools, why wouldn’t it continue at work? Right?
Sexting, cyberbullying, bullying and making a youth`s life a living hell is NOT what being a youth is all about. Students, parents, school staff, bus drivers, cafeteria employees, janitors, daycare workers, school principal, school counsellors, school nurses…we are ALL in this together. It is systemic and each person is part of that fabulous puzzle.
I know I wrote about this on my blog Stop the Stigma, but it merits to be repeated; sorry to those who read, heard it and are doing something about this…just click on to another fabulous post on WordPress {smiles}.
– Please, do not forward any email or social network posts, that can hurt another person, even if you think it’s funny at the time. Just ask yourself, “How would I feel if this was shared?” BEFORE clicking share.
– Always pause and think before you post and click “enter”.
– Adjust your settings so you have to actually point your mouse on “reply” rather than just “enter”. That can save YOU and another person lots of grief. This is good advice to adults too by the way. How many times have you accidentally hit the enter button by accident? I have clicked it by mistake and half my message went through before I was actually finished. So lesson learned, right?
– Always report cyberbullying to network administrators.
– If you see any sexting (photos of a sexual nature etc.) forward to http://www.cybertips.ca to prevent the spread of child pornography. Did you know that even if the person is a teenager, spreading any photos of a sexual nature is STILL considered Child Pornography. Do you want your teen to be involved with this? I didn’t think so {smiles}
– If you are a Bystander / Witness to cyber-bullying, take a stand.
– If you click “like” or “share” you are actually part of the problem and only perpetuating the bullying. So think TWICE before clicking.
– Even adults can report. I reported a few times to Facebook for “hate comments” , “racist” and pages that use the “R” word on public pages as a joke. If you see something that is offensive, try not just ignore it…report it.
– Parents, kindly sit down with your children/teens and show them how to remain safe from predators but also how to be respectful and learn on-line courtesy. Granted your teens will probably NOT want to have this little causerie (discourse). Check the links below and have them check it out. Better still ask them to come up with at least 2 or 3 sites that offer advice on internet safety. What Teens Need to Know by PrevNet (the Guru of bullying training, they trained counsellors at Kids Help Phone, work with the Red Cross and Scouts Canada)…have a great page on this.
Here is my humble attempt of saying this in rhymes.
Don’t click share
If you care,
Think before you click
on ANY of those pics
Clicking LIKE is very serious
Clicking SHARE spreads like a virus.
Sometimes silence,
translates compliance
If it’s cruel don’t add to the pain
by clicking SHARE again and again.
© Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, December 8, 2013
© Cheryl-Lynn, November 15, 2013
Important links:
A photo that went viral by Cheryl-Lynn
Hey! Why d’you take that pic last night?
Man, you sure didn’t have a right
to use your phone and take that shot!
Man, you’d better hide your face
behind your screen, to not get caught.
You made her look like a disgrace
why d’ya take that shot last night?
it looks like D… was high as a kite
we all know she’s a good girl alright
she never did drugs and no alcohol
so why make her look like a doped up doll?
Oh man, this’ll ruin her reputation
everyone clicking Like and Share
how can she survive this humiliation?!
DON’T YOU GUYS EVEN CARE?
the news is out and spreading like wild fire
it’s feeling worse than a house on fire
Oh man, this’ll ruin her reputation
everyone clicking Like and Share
how can she survive this humiliation?!
DON’T YOU GUYS…
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Boys will be boys
always use that excuse
boys will be boys
and the girls always lose.
So what do you think
should be done to those boys?
How will they learn
from right and from wrong?
Saying that girls are bad
and they deserve what they had
is just as bad as YOU taking that pic
spreading it around just makes me sick.
Boys will be boys
is not an excuse
boys will be boys
and the girls always lose.
Spreading it around is called
child pornography
did you know that at all
when ya’ll took that photography?
Boys will be boys
stop using that excuse
boys will be boys
and the girls always lose.
We have to teach all our kids
how to be decent, respectful people!
all that sexting you just can’t get rid
of it … spreading like a constant ripple.
Boys will be boys
don’t use that excuse
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Fun at Work (Tanka)
such festive staging
greets me; I smiled and entered
joy fills my spirit.
work will be fun today
youths will truly hear my smile.
© Cheryl-Lynn Roberts, December 8, 2013
I had been away four days from work. Sundays are not always easy to come to work when family and friends are off, but today was such a beautiful sunny day, it made the drive so much easier. The bow wrapped on this gorgeous day was walking through the door at the counselling centre to see Christmas decorations already set up. This sure helps to digest Sunday working for sure. Merci mes collègues…I do think Julie P. may have had a hand at this…hmmm:)
Photo credits: Cheryl-Lynn Roberts
Great idea for the holidays, healthier and just as delicious!
