Your Story

Once upon a time, began the story of you.

Many perilous, wonderful, harrowing, brilliant, delightful, profound things happened.

And yet—the most exciting twists and best turns are yet to come. And it absolutely does not matter how old or young you are.

Like a bright carpet of wonders, enjoy the unrolling of your story.

Patriotism

Patriotism is a thing difficult to put into words. It is neither precisely an emotion nor an opinion, nor a mandate, but a state of mind—a reflection of our own personal sense of worth, and respect for our roots. Love of country plays a part, but it’s not merely love. Neither is it pride, although pride too is one of the ingredients.

Patriotism is a commitment to what is best inside us all. And it’s a recognition of that wondrous common essence in our greater surroundings—our school, team, city, state, our immediate society—often ultimately delineated by our ethnic roots and borders . . . but not always.

Indeed, these border lines are so fluid . . . And we do not pay allegiance as much as we resonate with a shared spirit.

We all feel an undeniable bond with the land where we were born. And yet, if we leave it for another, we grow to feel a similar bond, often of a more complex nature. Both are forms of patriotism—the first, involuntary, by birth, the second by choice.

Neither is less worthy than the other.

But one is earned.

Iced Tea: Meditation Puzzle

Imagine a delicious glass of summer iced tea.

Take a long cool sip. Listen to the ice crackle and clink.

Is the glass part full or part empty?

Take another sip.

And now?

Sun, Moon, and Starry Sky

Early summer evenings, when the first stars come out, the warm glow of sunset still stains the rim of the western sky.

Sometimes, the moon is also visible, a pale white slice, while the sun tarries.

Just think—all the celestial lights are present at the same time!

These are moments of wonder—see them and remember.

June Gloom

What a strange thing it is to wake up to a milk-white overcast June morning! The sun is hidden by a thick cotton blanket of clouds, and the air is vapor-filled and hazy with a concentration of blooming scent.

The world is somnolent and cool, in a temporary reprieve from the normal heat and radiance.

But the sensation of illusion is strong. Because the sun can break through the clouds at any moment . . .

What a soft thoughtful time.

In this illusory gloom, like a night-blooming flower, let your imagination bloom in a riot of color.

May Day!

In the old days, May 1st was considered the coming of spring, and celebrated as a new beginning.

At one point, it even became an official distress call, spoken three times to request help.

In more modern times, it evolved to become the international day of the working people.

Whether the first day of May is Beltane, Samhain, Walpurgis Night, Labor Day, International Workers Day, Lei Day, Loyalty Day, Roodmas, or a bank holiday; whether it involves a carnival, marching in parades, the crowning of the Queen of May and circle dancing round the Maypole, be sure to remember that this day is extraordinary!

What is your May Day like?

The Fern and the Cactus

The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland.

The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.

The florist will sigh and add a wall divider and proper soil to both sides.

The grandparent will move the flowerbox halfway out of the sun.

The child will turn it around properly so that the fern is in the shade, and not the cactus.

The moral of the story?

Kids are smart.