December 14--Understanding

It's the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them.  --Paulo Coelho

    Hmmmm.... First of all, I'm going to give "wise women" a chance here, too. It does take wisdom to appreciate the simple, yet extraordinary, things in life. An excellent example of this is care for our planet. It is extraordinary in its richness, diversity and ability to support its inhabitants. The indigenous people of the Earth have for centuries known and lived the wisdom of caring for our mother. "Modern" society has exploited the resources and abused the planet out of greed and ignorance. There's no wisdom there, and certainly no understanding of the extraordinary home our planet is. 

    Let's consider oneness. Everything is interconnected. Everything is created out of the same divine energy. It is one simple thing that makes up the entire manifest Universe. You, me, everyone, interconnected, ultimately dependent on each other for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Even though I feel like I have a tiny bit of wisdom, oneness is a big one for me to understand. Wise ones like Jesus, Buddha, Mother Teresa, Rumi, the saints--they got it. I'm still learning. 

    Appreciating simplicity,

        Leta

December 13--No Place Like Home

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.  --Jane Austen

    Whoa, can we note some ginormous irony here?!??! In hindsight, I wish I had had this quote tattooed somewhere on my body last March. 

    Well, I agree with Austen, and I don't. When my parents' relationship continued to deteriorate during my teenage years, there wasn't much comfort in staying at home. There was either silent viciousness or nasty loud outbursts of fighting. My dad even built an "office" in one of our garage stalls where he could go to get out of the house. I could hardly wait for college to get away. 

    I've traveled extensively over my adult lifetime, and while I love seeing the world, I have always enjoyed returning to my home of 35 years in Wichita. I love my home, and it is a place of real comfort. I appreciate all of the life that has happened here. 

    Fast forward to 2020, when health and government officials ordered us to stay at home. Fairly quickly, "real comfort" got mixed up with feeling "trapped." I can stay home and feel mostly safe from the pandemic, but there may be some loony stir-craziness involved. Days run together, and the sameness becomes more annoying than comforting. That's when I have to get outside, get away, even briefly, in order to make staying at home comfortable again. This year has also offered us plenty of time for completing projects that have made our home a more enjoyable place to stay. 

    Home is as comforting as I choose it to be.

        Leta

Decked out for Christmas

December 12--Not Things

The best things in life aren't things.  --Art Buchwald

    Amen and amen! I don't feel the need to debate or embellish this one. So here is a poem that a dear friend sent me, author unknown...

  T'was a month before Christmas,
  And all through the town,
  People wore masks,
  That covered their frown.

  The frown had begun
  Way back in the Spring,
  When a global pandemic
  Changed everything.

  They called it corona,
  But unlike the beer,
  It didn’t bring good times,
  It didn’t bring cheer.

  Contagious and deadly,
  This virus spread fast,
  Like a wildfire that starts
  When fueled by gas.

  Airplanes were grounded,
  Travel was banned.
  Borders were closed
  Across air, sea and land.

  As the world entered lockdown
  To flatten the curve,
  The economy halted,
  And folks lost their verve.

  From March to July
  We rode the first wave,
  People stayed home,
  They tried to behave.

  When summer emerged
  The lockdown was lifted.
  But away from caution,
  Many folks drifted.

  Now it’s November
  And cases are spiking,
  Wave two has arrived,
  Much to our disliking.

  Frontline workers,
  Doctors and nurses,
  Try to save people,
  From riding in hearses.

  It’s true that this year
  Has had sadness a plenty,
  We’ll never forget
  The year 2020.

  And just ‘round the corner -
  The holiday season,
  But why be merry?
  Is there even one reason?

  To decorate the house
  And put up the tree,
  When no one will see it,
  No one but me.

  But outside my window
  The snow gently falls,
  And I think to myself,
  Let’s deck the halls!

  So, I gather the ribbon,
  The garland and bows,
  As I play those old carols,
  My happiness grows.

  Christmas is not cancelled
  And neither is hope.
  If we lean on each other,
  I know we can cope ♥️

Let's be of good cheer,

        Leta

December 11--Drink It In

Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.  --Edith Wharton

    In a period of stay-at-home boredom, my husband and I tackled the job of spiffing up our garage. It was a fun project of painting, discarding and organizing. Now enjoying our efforts with a beer before supper, we get to sit with the door open to the west and drink in our magnificent Kansas sunsets. It is our time to talk, enjoy each other's company, and reflect on the day. It is a simple pleasure we both look forward to. 

    As I open the "window" of my new day, I see a swim, a massage, good meals, wrapping gifts, a walk with Barney, and the aforementioned afternoon garage hanging. I "drink the day" with joy and gratitude. 

    May your day be a tasty drink,

        Leta

December 10--Already

We already have everything we need.  --Pema Chodron

    Can you say "yes" to today's quote? In general, we are already abundantly blessed, but it's human nature to desire to do, be and have more. I don't think that is a bad thing--we come here to expand in every way. 

    This quote brings up the focus issue. If we stay zoned in on always having what we need, we will continue to have everything we need. If we focus on what we don't have, we'll continue to notice lack all around us. 

    Gratitude is a key to staying focused on being fully supplied in every way. A friend this past week hooked me up with an article by Diana Butler Bass wherein she looks at the following Bible verse:

In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.

    This begins with a very big little word: "In." This means in all circumstances, at all times, give thanks. It does not say "For everything..." We often, at least mentally, misquote it this way, telling ourselves we should be grateful FOR everything. Well, that's bullshit. I'm not grateful for Covid, or having all trips cancelled this past year, or for losing loved ones, or political corruption, or racism, or any other crap that 2020 has piled on us. I have, however, throughout the year been grateful to be alive in all these circumstances, to witness the chaos that I believe is birthing a new way of being. 

    Let's not burden ourselves with the additional stress of trying to force ourselves to be grateful FOR everything. What a relief!

        Leta

December 9--Over My Head

Everything must be made a simple as possible. But not simpler.  --Albert Einstein

    Huh? I'm not even going to pretend that I can figure out what brilliant scientist Einstein meant by that one!

    Have a simply beautiful day!

        Leta

December 8--There ARE Other Options

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.  --Henry David Thoreau

    I could replace the word "detail" with "have to's" or "drama." 

    We have to do it, and we have to do it this way. We tend to get into a rut of doing the same things in the same way, without even considering that there may be a simpler way of accomplishing. Operating in people-pleasing mode, we have to keep the details going in order to keep everyone happy. I know this behavior well from working in a church office for six years. I've worked with people whose motto was "Why simplify when we can over-complicate this?" 

    Life can easily be frittered away by drama, too. It is not simple for the body, mind or emotions to be continually charged up by drama. A lot of the drama is about circumstances over which we have no control. It simplifies life considerably when we learn to leave those circumstances alone. There is also the very easy trap of getting sucked into other folks' drama, where we truly have no business. Simplify, simplify.

    One of my greatest simplification victories came many years ago relative to Christmas gifts for my many great-nieces and great-nephews. December meant contacting their parents, begging for ideas, buying the gifts, and wrapping and mailing them across country. It frittered away my December with details that became less and less enjoyable, especially as the children grew older. So I stopped it all and started an investment fund to which I contributed a small amount regularly for years. Now, when the young person graduates from high school, they receive a letter from me telling them about their share in the fund and their options for taking it. This has simplified my life tremendously, and the kids are loving it. It's way better than all the yearly gifts that are long forgotten. 

    Since we always have a choice, maybe there is a simpler way... just sayin'.

        Leta