The preacher and his wife, had been married fifteen years. Time had become their enemy until finally they were blessed with their first and only child. They were so grateful they named their cherubic daughter, Grace. She was a kind and docile child who sang like a bird. As young as four, she would sit in the garden in their backyard chanting. Sunflowers and daisies had become her audience along with stray cats, squirrels, birds and even insects.
I waited for both children to be in school before making some life changes. I started to volunteer making friendship visits to isolated or terminally ill residents in my community; there was one eighty-eight year old widow, Mrs.Darby who used to teach at my children’s school. She was frail suffering from Emphysema and lonely. One day she called me to get her a loaf of bread. When I arrived at her home with the bread, her next door neighbour was just leaving her home having also dropped off a litre of milk. I chuckled at how cunning she was to insure a visit.
She was a delightful lady. We would spend hours talking about how she used to personally sew her Grade 2 students’ outfits for concerts; one evening we spent hours looking over her Christmas baking recipes. Hearing her talk about her years teaching gave me the idea to invite her to my children’s Christmas recital. There was a snowstorm that day, but we still managed to get to the school. I watched her face glow when she saw the children performing on stage. After the assembly, it was such a treat to see so parents and even some grandparents walk up to greet their former Grade 2 teacher. It was priceless to see the joy on Mrs. Darby’s face…
happenstance
together on the same path
for a season,
a last farewell gift
before finding the light
Our host has presented an interesting prompt as we discuss episode 7: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying Insight 6 balance isn’t always necessary and his introduction on this subject speaks to me as well as his haiku.
Working on a youth line, listening to youths in crisis every evening, I have to find some balance in my life so I do not live with stories of abuse and sadness. Reading was my way to escape for many years until I rediscovered writing. I am able to defuse pent up emotions and other times rediscover the beauty around me and write about it in a haibun, haiku, troiku or tanka. In other words, waka has added the beauty of nature dripping in my whole being with sights, sounds and scents.
I take away so much strength from the power of the firmament…the blues, the greys, the curves of clouds as well as sunsets I often view on my break on the rooftop at work.
Our host has written a haiku about early dawn which is a time I rarely see at the start of my day recently due to my shift change in the past few years but I do remember that spiritual feeling The haiku includes a sunflower which is my nom de plume in French, Tournesol, so his haiku truly speaks to me. …here is my response to his haiku I have composed in a Troiku which is a haiku form created by our host, Chèvrefeuille.
in the light of dawn sunflowers reach to the blue sky praising their Creator
Rinpoche sees life as a bardo (a kind of transition station) and that’s not a such bad idea in my opinion. It shows us that our consciousness has senses, lives in a world, observes, starts relationships, living life. Rinpoche says: “Life is to discover the goodness of life, an exercise to realize that life is good and that also means … accepting dead as part of our life.”
Look at yourself with compassion from the depth of your consciousness, your soul. It’s a peaceful thought to know that our daily personality has a deeper Inner Self to whom we can listen always. Our Inner Self is our tower of strength. A lovely Inner Voice, that whispers: “Yes you are out of balance, but don’t worry you will regain your balance. You need this difficult time to grow and become stronger and more balanced. So don’t worry, don’t be afraid, I am there, I am with you. I travel with you”. Isn’t that a reassured idea? Isn’t that the reason to live your life to the fullest?
My response
This is so true. Whenever I find myself out of balance, my body breaks down and I need to take time off and rest. Often these were times I discovered the value of true friends who were there to take walks in nature, share a home cooked meal or just listen and be present with me. I also love long moments alone…
Every day I walk about 3 km to get to work. It allows me to get to a place of calm and open heart. Being a thinker and worrier, I need to shut the chatter off by allowing it to dissipate with each step, each breath…
Getting on to the bus, she shuffled with her cane and asked the young man behind the bus driver for his seat. It is a seat designated for visually impaired or those with limited movement. She would have taken a seat further but her backpack was heavy and there is a shelf to place bags next to that seat. The young man had his ear buds on, on and looked at her and barked, “there are plenty of other seats!” with a smug look on his face. She noticed a seat further down so she took her bag off her shoulders and placed it next to the man and shuffled off to another seat. An older woman looked at her with a look of fear in her eyes. Now that really irked her for she felt that some older and more frail men and women felt intimidated by this behaviour.
society rendering vulnerable – exposed
She sat down and took out her beaded bracelet and decided to chant her mantra silently. All the while trying to “let it go”. It was not easy at first for responses like “What would your mother think about your behaviour? Would you treat your grandmother like that?” But then she was thinking he came from a bad place emotionally and was perhaps hurting…maybe angry at the world. After completing her mantra she could gradually feel a sense of relief, she then chanted in her mind a mantra wishing happiness to the world, thinking of this angry, rude young man.
Om, Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti
When she stepped off the bus the young man was behind her and had to pause so she could hold on to the side of the bus to avoid stumbling (like she did last year and fell flat on her face). She noticed he had very fashionable and expensive clothes on and shook her head in dismay at his lack of education and consideration for others.
Getting on the Métro, she was saddened looking at the inside of the train…
“May all beings everywhere be happy and free and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.” Shanti: Peace
rendezvous merriment echoes purity of their love savouring stolen moments ‘til they meet again
Every Wednesday, they met behind the gate like clandestine lovers. She would bring a picnic basket and he, a bottle of Merlot. She would often giggle like a young teen despite her sixty years in age. It was the only time she felt alive and filled with a sense of hope until her return home to care for her senile brother.
wind blows in her hair blossoms fall softly on her cheek from the plum tree
Tournesol dans un Jardin 