Good humor makes all things possible.
-Charles Schultz-

With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.
-Shakespeare-The Merchant of Venice-

Friday, December 23, 2011

In 2012









Can I be mindful and loving of whatever arises?






If I can't be loving in this moment, can I be kind?






If I can't be kind, can I be non-judgmental?






If I can't be non-judgmental, can I not cause harm?






And if I cannot not cause harm, can I cause the least amount of harm possible?









I will try if you will try

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Love, Jenny






~ thanks to dear J. for finding my thoughts and handing them back to me ~

Saturday, December 17, 2011

I'll be home for Christmas



Christmas is right around the corner.  


When my kids were really little,  they wanted to have Santa come before they left to spend Christmas break with their Dad's family, and I'd spend the 25th with my friends or take my Mom to see my siblings.  Some years were a little dreary and blue because I felt like I couldn't ever get ahead or feel secure.  After I bought the house  and started making better money at the blood bank, the holidays weren't so stressful, but this year I can only think about being unemployed and worrying about what the future holds.  What about my little house; my home?  Should I make another batch of fudge?


In my town are a pair of bald eagles, Patriot and Liberty.  Rather than being shy and reclusive, they chose a tree in a swamp right next to a busy freeway.  "Look, honey, prime riverfront property with great restaurants and a short commute!  Let's live right here!"  So they built a giant nest out of sticks. When CalTrans decided to widen the freeway, with noisy equipment and glaring lights night and day for a year or two,  they wired a giant plastic cone over the eagles' nest to convince them to move elsewhere because they were too sensitive to handle the commotion.  Mr and Mrs Bald Eagle, as any homeowners might, tried unsuccessfully to pry off the cone until their (human) fan club convinced CalTrans to remove it.  The birds promptly laid more eggs and ate salmon and waved at drivers on the freeway.  They are celebrities with their own website and a book; so after this year's annual vacation they decided that their messy old nest was outdated and built a fancy new one a few trees away.  I think Liberty told Patriot that she was looking on Facebook and saw intrusive videos taken with the webcam aimed right at their bedroom.  Over the years, the eagles have hatched a dozen adorable eaglets in their public nest, including two very rare sets of triplets.  They seem to be living happily ever after.



I suspect there is a parable here; I'm just not entirely sure what it is.