5/1/10

patience

patience. my sons and husband told me today that I am not patient. perhaps this is the next spiritual frontier for me. not only do i need to practice waiting (see last newsletter), i also need to practice patience. particularly with my family. in spite of a world that seems to spiral out of control around me, most of life will happen in its own time, regardless of my impatience.

in this effort to develop more patience, i am recommitting to a sitting meditation practice. daily, even if it is only for 5 minutes, i will sit. sitting still is yoga for my mind. i will slow down, i can slow down, if only for those precious moments.

i can also practice patience when i am eating. i can slow down and consume my food slowly enough to savor each bite. then each meal becomes a meditation. i can eat a single strawberry and find nirvana in its flavor and aroma. i can take the time to cook a meal and enjoy the process of cooking as much as eating.

i can practice patience in my garden. noticing each new blossom as it arises. savoring the abundance without worrying over weeds or pruning. i can feast my eyes on the growth of spring.

i can practice patience as i wait for the unknown future. so many things i anticipate occurring in my life. sometimes i am so anxious for them to occur, that i miss the opportunity to savor what is happening. this too is a meditation, enjoying the process of preparing, of waiting, of being in the time before.

to quote john lennon: life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. our challenge is to enjoy life as it happens. we still need to make our plans, to work toward the future, and while we are on that journey, we stop to smell a flower, eat a strawberry and laugh with a friend. nirvana happens when we stop the grasping and drop into savoring the moment.