Being In The Present Moment

     Mauri Wade was a dear friend of mine. In the 1930s a Japanese monk invited her to go to Japan and attend his monastery. He was so surprised when Mauri showed up at his door. He accepted her as  the first non-Japanese female to enter his monastery. 
     Mauri was a cigarette smoker. Whenever she was supposed to be meditating and she chose to also smoke, she would immediately snuff out her cigarette when the head monk would come by her room. One day, she was so caught up in the act of smoking that she did not put out her cigarette.
     "Good," the monk said, "You are learning to be present. If you are going to smoke, smoke."
     Being in the present moment is so important. Try being in the present moment when someone is talking to you. If you are going to listen, then really listen. It is not easy in our fast and future oriented society. If you can listen, you will be surprised by not only what you hear, but by what you sense as well.
     When we can be in the moment, our awareness expands. When our senses  adsorb information, our present awareness allows us to enjoy what we are receiving.

What If We Actually Chose?

Today, someone said,
"I didn't choose this life,
With all its trouble
And all its strife."
But what if we did?
What if we actually chose?
Wow! Could it be

That the reason I am here
Is because of me?
What if, in the time before we were born,
The Creator  handed us a horn
And said, "Go ahead and blow.
Blow with all your might.
Blow the life that is right
Just for you.
Blow from the depths of your soul
And I will create the bowl
That will hold what you choose
To be and do

In this lifetime."
A glistening smile I beam

Hoping my wishes won't seam

That I feel unworthy.
I breathe in deep.
I blow out a song so sweet

That the Creator smiles.
"I want to be born there,"
I say pointing to a location
And then I point to a vocation

And then another.
I point to people I will love
And to spirits from above

And ask for them to guide me.
To the Creator I hand the horn
And bow my head and listen.
"As you wish," the Creator says.
"But wait," I say.
"A couple more things,
If you please.
Provide people and clues 

to remind me 

that this life I choose
Is for my own good.
Have them help me
Remember that I am
A divine being
Having an earthly experience."
The Creator nods

And says,"I shall
and I won't forget to call you
And say I love you
Over and over and over 

in so many beautiful ways."

ON EVERY OCTOBER DAY

On every October day,

October slithers up

Behind my back.
She whispers at first,
Barely audible,
“Jeremy’s dead.”

I stop.
I turn.
I die.
I cry.
My shoulders drop.
My breath comes

To a sudden stop.
I clamp my eyes 

tight,

Wishing 

with all my might,

That I could just fight

The urge to scream

And kick

At anything,

Anything,

Anything that could stop

The bite,

The fright,

The blinding light,

That illuminates the fact

That our son is dead.

Dead.

Dead.

On this October day,

As on every October day

I cry,

I hurt,

I die,

On every October day.

Life Is So Silly

Life Is So Silly

Would you want to be

In a world with me

Where you couldn’t be

Silly?

“Not I,” says me.

“Not I , not you , not me.”
Life is so very silly.

I can't imagine my life
That’s surrounded with strife
And not have the antidote,

Being silly.
Can you imagine living life

With all its pain,
with nothing to gain,
as you push and strain

To find meaning?
Look at the child,
His eyes wide and wild

And the answer is there

As you sit and stare

At his laughter

As he dances and twirls

Amid imaginary swirls

Of his own creation.

Life is so silly.

Stop your worry and see.

And you’ll have to agree

With silly little me

That the meaning of life

Is found when you are being

Silly.

 

Playing Is Sacred

Playing Is Sacred

Playing is a sacred activity

That gifts us with a special liberty

That fills our eyes with stars

And our bellies with giggles.
Playing is sacred
because it is a present
that puts us into the present

Moment.
When we are in the present,

In that moment,

We are in union
with our Creator.
And the Creator and I

Can giggle
And laugh

And giggle

Some more.