Fighting to Death

To fight to the death over every little thing is no way to live.

Liking My Neighbor

Do I have to like my neighbor? No.
Do I have to love my neighbor? Yes.

How can that be?

To like your neighbor is to enjoy your time with her.

To love your neighbor is to recognize her as another part of the wholeness we all are -- regardless of whether you like her or can't stand her.

Defining Each Other

Hard and soft.
Slow and fast.
Easy and difficult.
Tall and short.
Wide and deep.
Long and brief.
Wet and dry.
Loud and quiet.
Light and dark.
Cold and hot.
Straight and bent.

Hard and harder.
Soft and softer.
Slow and slower.
Fast and faster.
Easy and easier.
Difficult and more difficult.
Tall and taller.
Short and shorter.
Wide and wider.
Deep and deeper.
Long and longer.
Brief and briefer.
Wet and wetter.
Dry and drier.
Loud and louder.
Quiet and quieter.
Light and lighter.
Dark and darker.
Cold and colder.
Hot and hotter.
Straight and straighter.
Bent and more bent.

We define each other as we define ourselves.

Collecting Moments

To be aware and mindful and present in the moment is difficult to carry off as the seconds of my life turn into minutes and then hours and then decades.

When I can collect a moment here or there and immerse myself in it as if sinking into a soothing bath after a long day, that is almost enough to make up for all of the moments I missed.

Almost enough.

Try Not to Mistake

Try not to mistake fear for laziness.
Try not to mistake shyness for arrogance.
Try not to mistake modesty for ignorance.
Try not to mistake humility for weakness.
Try not to mistake compassion for innocence.

What We Wear

We wear coats to protect our bodies.
We wear shoes to protect our feet.
We wear hats to protect our heads.
We wear gloves to protect our hands.
We wear blinders to protect our hearts.

Three Awarenesses

The first awareness is to clear out spaces for the divine.

The second awareness is to accept the unchangeable.

The third awareness is to discover we are all divine.

What I Hear

When I listen with my ears, I hear voices and music and birds and screams and shouts.

When I listen with my mind, I hear words and ideas and abstractions.

When I listen with my head, I hear the noise of trade and commerce.

When I listen with my fear, I hear every whisper and sift every nuance.

When I listen with my heart, I hear the pleas of those who cannot help themselves.

When I listen with my spirit, I hear every pain, every laugh, every scream, every joy.

The Future Is a Bird

The future is a bird you release every morning.
It flies away, and you wonder if you will see it again.

The past is a wilderness you have already crossed.
You look back at it from peak after peak after peak.

The present is the path rising up to meet your shoes.
And you, watching every step.

How Much Does It Cost?

How much does it cost to be courteous?
How much does it cost to be polite?
How much does it cost to try to listen?
How much does it cost to try to understand?
How much does it cost to be kind?
How much does it cost to be friendly?
How much does it cost to be nice?
How much does it cost not to do these things?

Following a Stray Dog

A man was following a stray dog down the street one morning when a friend saw him and called out.

"What are you doing?" the friend asked.

"I'm following this stray dog," the man answered.

"Why?" the friend called.

"It is my job today."

"To follow a stray dog?" the friend asked.

"No, to see where he is going."

Years and Years of Children

Year after year, schools fill up with children.

Year after year, they sprout like fields of new flowers.

Year after year, new faces appear at every desk, fresh and young and curious.

Year after year, they show up to carry forward our hope for a future we will not see.