Sunday Musings – March 25, 2018
Sometimes when I stop to think about a week which is just ending, I list all the words, which come to mind. This list can include people, events, thoughts, feelings, or whatever caught my attention. My goal is to just look and absorb the painting, which was my life, touched by many people, places or events. Yesterday when I did this I had a running list, which took up nearly a half page of a legal sheet of papers. In most respects it was a routine week of the sounds, sights, touches, and smells of an ordinary life. There was the talk by the author of The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls, a symposium on the role of West Virginia’s involvement in the Civil war which included the fascinating history of how it became a state and the story of the battle to attempt to take charge of a law library for the newly constituted West Virginia Supreme Court. There were various news stories including further attempts to ban Transgender Troops, the March for our Lives, the new spending bill for the United States which seems to please no one or at least very few people, the seemingly endless ways which we humans hurt each other and the new season of Ear Hustle from San Quentin prison.
Yet, what stands out for me and, I suspect, most of us, are the stories, which touch our hearts. This week a couple of people I have known and loved and who have been living with active addiction are close to giving themselves the gift of the reclaiming of their lives. A couple of other people I know continue to be excited about their journey of recovery.
Another man I know just shared via social media that his 5 year old son said to him, “Daddy you can have this Snoopy for your birthday. I have two.” That brought a smile and tears. It also made me think of what I have to share. Perhaps I have two of something which someone could really use. Perhaps I have a moment to listen, to send a thinking of you note, a word of comfort, or a word of praise. I know I cannot fix another, do their journey for them, make all the pain disappear but I can share the gifts I have been given such as grace.
Ms. Walls talked about the process of acceptance of her alcoholic family of origin, which finally allowed her to accept the gifts she also received from them.
It is tempting for this human to focus on what I do not have, what I did not get, what was left undone and to forget to share the extra Snoopy I have or accept the Snoopys which have been offered.
On this Sunday when Christians celebrate the entry of Jesus to the city of Jerusalem with the symbol of the palm branches we can, perhaps, all share that extra Snoopy and accept the Snoopys which have been given to us.
Written March 25, 2018
Sometimes when I stop to think about a week which is just ending, I list all the words, which come to mind. This list can include people, events, thoughts, feelings, or whatever caught my attention. My goal is to just look and absorb the painting, which was my life, touched by many people, places or events. Yesterday when I did this I had a running list, which took up nearly a half page of a legal sheet of papers. In most respects it was a routine week of the sounds, sights, touches, and smells of an ordinary life. There was the talk by the author of The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls, a symposium on the role of West Virginia’s involvement in the Civil war which included the fascinating history of how it became a state and the story of the battle to attempt to take charge of a law library for the newly constituted West Virginia Supreme Court. There were various news stories including further attempts to ban Transgender Troops, the March for our Lives, the new spending bill for the United States which seems to please no one or at least very few people, the seemingly endless ways which we humans hurt each other and the new season of Ear Hustle from San Quentin prison.
Yet, what stands out for me and, I suspect, most of us, are the stories, which touch our hearts. This week a couple of people I have known and loved and who have been living with active addiction are close to giving themselves the gift of the reclaiming of their lives. A couple of other people I know continue to be excited about their journey of recovery.
Another man I know just shared via social media that his 5 year old son said to him, “Daddy you can have this Snoopy for your birthday. I have two.” That brought a smile and tears. It also made me think of what I have to share. Perhaps I have two of something which someone could really use. Perhaps I have a moment to listen, to send a thinking of you note, a word of comfort, or a word of praise. I know I cannot fix another, do their journey for them, make all the pain disappear but I can share the gifts I have been given such as grace.
Ms. Walls talked about the process of acceptance of her alcoholic family of origin, which finally allowed her to accept the gifts she also received from them.
It is tempting for this human to focus on what I do not have, what I did not get, what was left undone and to forget to share the extra Snoopy I have or accept the Snoopys which have been offered.
On this Sunday when Christians celebrate the entry of Jesus to the city of Jerusalem with the symbol of the palm branches we can, perhaps, all share that extra Snoopy and accept the Snoopys which have been given to us.
Written March 25, 2018
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