a new Deborah Butterfield horse at The Contemporary Museum
Haoli Makahiki Ho! A Happy NEW Year, God and indeed, a happy new DECADE. My brother felt that it was high time we left the Aughts. Until his email I hadn’t even realized we were starting a new decade. I like the idea, though.
I remember the FEAR and attempts at preparation for the new millenium. Numbers do affect us. Time is a scary thing for us. And thank goodness You do give us this sense that we are going to last forever right here on Earth. Mind You, some folks have far too much of that and seem not to value this Great Gift of Life. Then, others, are too afraid of dying to truly live.
And now I am off to jog around Kapiolani Park and then swim.
I’m back. A GLORIOUS MORNING! This morning a friend mentioned that she knew a man so desirous of becoming MINDFUL that he wore a bell on his belt to help him be “aware” each time he stood up. Now this just tickled me. Mindfulness . . . such an interesting concept. And — just now — in thinking about mindfulness I looked up and became aware that my maidenhair fern wanted water. To me mindfulness is about noticing and appreciating –as I did this morning seeing Your light pouring through leaves.
It only takes a moment to SEE. But, of course, mindfulness is more complex than just noticing what is around us and what we are doing. What I REALLY NEED, God, is to be mindful and aware of what is going on inside the various layers of ME.
For example, I realized that I had not given myself PERMISSION to say No to my daughters. Somehow, I thought LOVE meant not saying NO. Needless to say, that meant that at times I over did and in addition to LOVE — I felt RESENTMENT. Now, to feel resentment is to broadcast it. And that is not experienced as love by those around us.
But, as Suz said, when we understand the situation more fully the solution often arises organically. So, this year, I am committing myself to being aware of my “authority” — indeed, my responsibility — to set boundaries and limits as part of caring for myself. Loving myself!
Yes, YOU DID say LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF. But, somehow, I got some dysfunctional definitions of love. You say that it takes time and work and MINDFULNESS to develop helpful definitions of love? Hmmm. Your command to SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE does sum this all up. Right! IF we remember that it is our perception of truth that we are speaking and to do it humbly. Shoot, God! Why aren’t we teaching this? Why is it taking ME so long to put it together?
Because it takes courage? Ah yes. Courage.
Story teller,
A Moment with God 
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