Sunday Musings – March 26, 2017
Spring officially arrived last Monday. The weather was running a bit behind – at least here in the Ohio Valley – but all the vegetative wonders of nature are now proudly strutting the magic of their design and color. I am reminded the simplest of these breath taking treats is seemingly very happy to be who they are for as long as they are. Yesterday, when attempting to take in the majesty of the thousands of blooms at the Phipps Conservatory which are showcased in their spring flower show, I was acutely aware that some blossoms were just about to make their grand entrance and some were approaching the midnight when their grand gowns will be no more. Yet I heard not one sound of protest or even one bit of whining. Not once did I hear, despite my very intentional listening, “Oh, this is not fair. I was supposed to live another week. I hate my neighbor who is larger than me or that one down the road which has those frilly edges. Why can’t I have something interesting like that?” Apparently, as also seems true with animals other than humans, all the vegetation at Phipps is perfectly content being who they are for as long (or short) a time as they are.
I was thinking of the richness of these spiritual teachings this morning when I “found myself’ tempted to rush through my exercises at the gym rather than just being present. I had gotten up a little later than usual and some juvenile part of my brain kept reminding me that I was behind schedule. Yet, it is Sunday and while I have my list, there is nothing urgent I need to accomplish today. Although it would be nice to fold and put away the laundry, iron a few pieces, write, possibly do some work in the yard, attend a fund raiser, and even take a bicycle ride, it would be even more enriching to be present for whatever few tasks I accomplish I seem to have to remind myself of this truth very often.
I was this morning listening again to a 2013 On Being conversation between Krista Tippett and Joy Ladin “Transgender Amid Orthodoxy. I Am Who I Will Be. “ Ms. Tippett states: “…Joy Ladin transitioned from male to female identity. She became the first openly transgender professor at an Orthodox Jewish institution.” Ms. Ladin reminds the listening audience that our daily experience of existence needs to be integrated with our body. When a person cannot yet claim their gender identity; when it seems as if one’s body is not one’s own; one cannot integrate one’s daily experience. Dr. Besel van der Kolk the psychiatrist in a recent conversation with Ms. Tippet talked about the fact that PTSD occurs when one cannot integrate a traumatic experience into one’s memory – into one’s body. Various techniques can help the person integrate that traumatic experience. When one lives with fear of being exposed as a fraud which Ms. Ladine did for the 40 plus years she lived as a male or one lives with a generalized anxiety disorder making the world a very fearful place, one cannot integrate experience and body/dance. When one cannot integrate one cannot move up Maslow’s hierarchy of becoming. As Ms. Ladin said before her transition, “my version of Descartes dictum (I think therefore I am) would have been ‘I kvetch, therefore I am.’ I was a walking complaint about existence….I can’t be who I am, so I’m really suffering existence rather than being given a gift and an opportunity and a challenge and a responsibility and all those actually mature attitudes. I would say the two most important things about being a Jew are living in gratitude and living in joy and I wasn’t able to do either.”
As I am reflecting on this past week, I am aware that although I have sometimes felt grateful and experienced joy often, as I noticed at the gym this morning, I often did not. At those times I am not allowing myself to live the dance of joy and gratitude. I am not Jewish, but this belief is consistent with my understanding of what it means to live a full and meaningful spiritual life.
As I begin a new week I resolve to continue to be more aware when I am labeling some activity as routine or something on the list as a task to get through. Whether I am dusting, writing, exercising, sitting with a friend, doing laundry or present with the spring blossoms, I will allow my dance to be with that experience. Although I might have written that this week was another very routine one personally, politically and culturally it was a week of moments of gratitude and joy. I again realize that I have the power to connect these moments which will allow my dance to reflect and share joy and gratitude.
Written March 26, 2017
Spring officially arrived last Monday. The weather was running a bit behind – at least here in the Ohio Valley – but all the vegetative wonders of nature are now proudly strutting the magic of their design and color. I am reminded the simplest of these breath taking treats is seemingly very happy to be who they are for as long as they are. Yesterday, when attempting to take in the majesty of the thousands of blooms at the Phipps Conservatory which are showcased in their spring flower show, I was acutely aware that some blossoms were just about to make their grand entrance and some were approaching the midnight when their grand gowns will be no more. Yet I heard not one sound of protest or even one bit of whining. Not once did I hear, despite my very intentional listening, “Oh, this is not fair. I was supposed to live another week. I hate my neighbor who is larger than me or that one down the road which has those frilly edges. Why can’t I have something interesting like that?” Apparently, as also seems true with animals other than humans, all the vegetation at Phipps is perfectly content being who they are for as long (or short) a time as they are.
I was thinking of the richness of these spiritual teachings this morning when I “found myself’ tempted to rush through my exercises at the gym rather than just being present. I had gotten up a little later than usual and some juvenile part of my brain kept reminding me that I was behind schedule. Yet, it is Sunday and while I have my list, there is nothing urgent I need to accomplish today. Although it would be nice to fold and put away the laundry, iron a few pieces, write, possibly do some work in the yard, attend a fund raiser, and even take a bicycle ride, it would be even more enriching to be present for whatever few tasks I accomplish I seem to have to remind myself of this truth very often.
I was this morning listening again to a 2013 On Being conversation between Krista Tippett and Joy Ladin “Transgender Amid Orthodoxy. I Am Who I Will Be. “ Ms. Tippett states: “…Joy Ladin transitioned from male to female identity. She became the first openly transgender professor at an Orthodox Jewish institution.” Ms. Ladin reminds the listening audience that our daily experience of existence needs to be integrated with our body. When a person cannot yet claim their gender identity; when it seems as if one’s body is not one’s own; one cannot integrate one’s daily experience. Dr. Besel van der Kolk the psychiatrist in a recent conversation with Ms. Tippet talked about the fact that PTSD occurs when one cannot integrate a traumatic experience into one’s memory – into one’s body. Various techniques can help the person integrate that traumatic experience. When one lives with fear of being exposed as a fraud which Ms. Ladine did for the 40 plus years she lived as a male or one lives with a generalized anxiety disorder making the world a very fearful place, one cannot integrate experience and body/dance. When one cannot integrate one cannot move up Maslow’s hierarchy of becoming. As Ms. Ladin said before her transition, “my version of Descartes dictum (I think therefore I am) would have been ‘I kvetch, therefore I am.’ I was a walking complaint about existence….I can’t be who I am, so I’m really suffering existence rather than being given a gift and an opportunity and a challenge and a responsibility and all those actually mature attitudes. I would say the two most important things about being a Jew are living in gratitude and living in joy and I wasn’t able to do either.”
As I am reflecting on this past week, I am aware that although I have sometimes felt grateful and experienced joy often, as I noticed at the gym this morning, I often did not. At those times I am not allowing myself to live the dance of joy and gratitude. I am not Jewish, but this belief is consistent with my understanding of what it means to live a full and meaningful spiritual life.
As I begin a new week I resolve to continue to be more aware when I am labeling some activity as routine or something on the list as a task to get through. Whether I am dusting, writing, exercising, sitting with a friend, doing laundry or present with the spring blossoms, I will allow my dance to be with that experience. Although I might have written that this week was another very routine one personally, politically and culturally it was a week of moments of gratitude and joy. I again realize that I have the power to connect these moments which will allow my dance to reflect and share joy and gratitude.
Written March 26, 2017
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