“The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things” wrote Lewis Carroll.
For some, the time for talk has come. Talking helps with the processing.
For others, it’s time to breathe and not engage in social media discussions
so that *response* and not *reaction* can emerge and space in our soul for a tiny, oh so tiny, glimmer of hope can, too.
The time has come.
Photo & Text © June Maffin
www.soulistry.com/blog
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The Remembrance Day poppy I have been wearing
on my outer clothing close to my heart
was a reminder of the men and women
who stood on guard
so that freedom might be ours.
In the morning, a common safety pin will take its place.
It will be worn as a sign to all who think that they are alone
because of hatred, racism, sexism, religious bigotry or … that they are not alone.
It will be worn as a sign to all who are feeling threatened, fearful, unsafe, that others are “with them.”
The safety pin is on guard so that freedom for all might reign
and let those who are reeling from it all, know that those who wear the safety pin are there to listen. stand up for you, do what we can to let you know you are loved.
The safety pin is on guard and you can rely on us.
We have your back.
© June Maffin
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Photo & Text © june maffin
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He took the first step, and the next, and the next, believing in taking the first step “even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” One of those first steps, cost the author of those words, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his life.
Not everyone is called to such sacrifice but each is called to take a “first step” … a first step towards forgiveness of self, of another … a first step towards healing of body, mind, spirit … a first step towards freedom exercising the right and privilege of voting.
People have stood in lines for hours on end in rain, in snow, in blazing sun and heat to vote. People have died – literally – so that others could vote. People have left their desperate personal situations and busy schedules to vote.
But, some don’t believe their vote will make a difference and they don’t vote.
Some don’t like the thought of a woman for their leader or someone who is gay and living with a partner or someone who is physically challenged or …
Some can’t “see the whole staircase” and they don’t vote. Perhaps they need encouragement to register to vote. Perhaps they need someone to transport them to the voting station. Perhaps they need courage to stand apart from family and friends who are voting for someone who could lead their country and world to destruction.
Let courage flow so people can vote with wisdom.
Let kindness flow so people can be transported to a voting station.
Let encouragement flow so people recognize the importance of their vote.
May all “take the first step, even when they can’t see the whole staircase.”
Photos and Text © june maffin https://soulistry.com/blog
Bittersweet. There’s a word for you. An oxymoron if you will … a figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect. How can something be ‘sweet’ and at the same time, be ‘bitter’?
How about the time when your child went off to kindergarten for the first time, or graduated high school, or left home for college, or got married? Sweet – because you’re happy they’re growing up. Bitter – because you realize that your child is moving away from you. b i t t e r s w e e t
What about when your beloved spouse/partner/parent/child/family pet died? Sweet – because there is no more suffering for them. Bitter – because you wanted many more years together. b i t t e r s w e e t
The month of October in this hemisphere is the hiatus between the sweet summer and bitter winter. b i t t e r s w e e t
Life is full of bittersweet moments. How do we deal with them? How do we let them into our lives, but not take over our lives? It may be easier to push those moments down or away, but there is no resolution or healing in ignoring our emotional response.
It may be difficult to focus on the ‘bitter,’ because it is not easy to acknowledge the reality of the moment. But when we do, we are free to discover the ‘sweetness’ … of pride we felt as our child faced the milestones of their growing-up years, of joy we experienced as our spouse / partner / parent / child / dear friend / pet shared a love that transcended words.
It’s up to us to determine how the bittersweet moments ultimately resolve themselves in our soul. Will each be stored as a mixture of bitter and sweet? Or will we be able to release the bitterness and allow the sweetness to fill the empty spaces in our hearts and lives?
When the reality that my son is an adult, married to a wonderful woman and no longer “needs” me the way he did when he was a child/youth, surfaces, I try to focus on the blessing when I hear my son’s voice, see him, share special times alone with him. Bittersweet.
When the suffering of my beloved late husband enters my thoughts, I try to focus on the hope that he is at peace, is no longer suffering and welcome good memories of our times together. Bittersweet.
Bittersweet moments happen in life. How to embrace them is the question for each of us. May we be given the grace to give ourselves time and space to allow healing to happen so there are fewer bitter and more sweet moments.
© June Maffin
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<Photo of my beloved’s photo on the wall the week after he died with flowers from our son and daughter-in-love.>
It’s been said that bad things come in three’s. I’m not superstitious and would rather look at the blessings of three’s.
The three storms of the weekend have come and gone. While their fury raged, damage was done, power went out, and for most people, it was more threatening than damaging.
BLESSING RECEIVED: acknowledgement that fear is real, but doesn’t have to absorb all of our focus and energy.
The nasty bug that began on Friday began to abate a few days later. The sore throat is gone, fever only in the afternoon and evening and even though the coughing continues, I anticipate it’ll leave sooner than later.
BLESSING RECEIVED: A lovely memory of Mom and her delicious chicken soup brought me into the kitchen to whip up a tasty (and healing) chicken soup that helped use leftover rice, cauliflower, peas, lentils and roasted chicken.
The injured back that prevented me from participating in a workshop
and begin a calligraphy class series began to respond to three days
of rest, relaxation, ice packs, heating pad – and play!
BLESSING RECEIVED: Play helps refocus attention away from the back spasms and pain. I had a new paper design to play with in my recliner chair over the weekend and as a result, eighteen paper wreaths will find
their way into Christmas envelopes as little gifts.
How easy it would have been to focus on the three difficult (bad) things that weekend (storms, “bug”, injured back), but that would not change any of the situations. Instead, for each situation, I decided to look for, consider and focus on the BLESSING RECEIVED.
© june maffin www.soulistry.com/blog www.soulistry.com
