"I pray to the birds because they remind me of what I love
rather than what I fear.
And at the end of my prayers, they teach me how to listen."
—Terry Tempest Williams
—Terry Tempest Williams
I am having a really hard time letting go and as I shared with M. yesterday, I'm feeling kind of sad about this. Holding on to the past only keeps me from living fully in this present moment. When I don't honor myself by being here, now, then I grow resentful and angry (usually because I'm not tending to the little details that this moment calls for). This never has anything to do with anyone else but myself. So, in other words, there is no one to point a finger at - there is only ever me, to sit with and look at.
So, on the day before Thanks-taking (as my sweet sister M. refers to it) I'm bowing down before all of my teachers. "Thank you," I say. "Thank you for showing me the way." I know that this isn't personal - it's not about you, or me, or some perceived "US" that I wish I could hold onto. Rather, it's about what we teach each other and the Medicine that we each, whether consciously or not, give in every moment and interaction.
Sometimes, the Medicine that is called for is a swift bite, like a lightning strike from the Heavens or a kick in the butt from an attentive parent. I don't blame my Snake for defending itself back in March, as it was I who unconsciously stepped right beside it as it lay sleeping in a summer sun. And, I would never kill any creature in a fearful response! Please, let the senseless brutality stop - in Gaza and here in our homes and our hearts, now. (This is what I pray for.)
So, I'm doing my best to honor us by remembering what dances between us. As always, it's the birds and the bees - the pollinators who communicate loudly, co-exist in harmony and flourish in community. Can we simply bee the flowers who don't "do" anything but bloom, grow and attract to us that which we need in order to thrive and propagate? (YES!)
Recently, a brother was speaking to me about Opossums and he openly wondered what they are good for. Well, last night, I remembered (thanks to Jamie Sams & David Carson's Medicine Cards: the Discovery of Power through the Ways of Animals) - Opossum Medicine reminds us of the brilliant strategy of playing dead. "Opossum has the ability to fight with its claws and teeth, but it rarely uses this form of protection. Instead, the supreme strategy of diversion is constantly employed when things get a little too hard to handle...Rely upon your instincts for the best way out of a tight corner. It you have to pretend to be apathetic or unafraid, then do it! ...Expect the unexpected and be clever in achieving your victory...Use your brain, your sense of drama, and surprise to leap over some barrier to your progress." YES!
