GOOD FRIDAY

Posted on April 3, 2015 by hafong

Today is Good Friday. It is a good day, though it is overcast and cool. It is the kind of weather that unsettles and saps my energy. But Sheba has had a couple of good days and nights now. She is herself again. I am very grateful to see my happy puppy again. She is still my baby at 8 1/2.

This morning she wanted to play. It’s been awhile. When I asked her, she gleefully ran into the sunroom for her toys. She loves to play tug of war. She growls, teasing me to take her stick. Come and get it! She is a playful girl.

You have to take the difficult times along with all the days in between. The good days are all the sweeter after the trying times. All the days make up what we call life. It is what it is.

Acceptance is hard. This I know. But still…I am grateful for this moment to be here – as it is.

POSSIBILITIES

Posted on February 7, 2015 by hafong

I love the word possibilities. It’s the hope that opens my heart’s door to let in laughter, love and forgiveness. It holds a promise that a leaf is forthcoming and a bud will bloom. Possibilities push back discouragement, frustration and a downtrodden spirit. They teach me patience – to hang in there. Rome was not built in a day. The road to Anywhere is not an easy one.

Presto! happens only in magic, an optical illusion like time-lapsed photography. We cannot make results happen like that. The presto and voila come much slower. Life doesn’t happen just pushing ENTER or DELETE. Dang, hey? Anything worthwhile takes effort and time. It’s the daily grind. It always take longer than you figure and like. But what is the hurry? Is your life full of emergencies you have to tend to?

Be patient, my dear. Stay calm and enjoy the moments as they come. Everything has its time. The leaves will emerge, the bud will burst into magnificent blooms. You will be awed by the richness and beauty of what life can offer. Take time to live each day to the fullest and believe in possibilities. Be grateful to the Universe.

SIT AND STAY

Posted on February 5, 2015 by hafong

I’m into the second week of an eight week formal meditation practice in Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book, Full Catastrophe Living. So far so good but it is not easy. It should be no surprise to me. It is easy to tell Sheba to sit but she doesn’t stay. I haven’t really insisted upon it either. I give up too easily, so as soon as my back is turned, she is up and away. Like mistress, like dog.

Being the mistress, I’m having more success with staying – at least my body is. My mind darts here, there and everywhere. My body wants to bolt, too. I stay. My pulse races. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I breathe and let go, remembering to accept what is at the moment. I see the poster in front of me. “Live Each Day to the Fullest”. The words soothe me and I breathe again. I feel my heart calming, the beats slower. I read the line “Live Each Day to the Fullest” again. That is what I want.

I had not known that it is so difficult to stay in the body. My mind wants to be somewhere else all the time. I give thanks to whatever that has led me to this process of discovery. The power lies within my body and spirit. It is not out there in Somewhere Else.

PIE IN THE SKY

Posted on August 8, 2014 by hafong

It’s Friday and time for Friday Fictioneers to spin their tales of 100 words. I look eagerly for the photo prompt each week. Will it inspire a masterpiece from me or will it stump me? It’s always a challenge. Our host is Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

PHOTO PROMPT – Copyright-Björn Rudberg

Maryanne climbed up the ladder. It was her castle, her pie in the sky. She couldn’t believe her luck finding it. She piled her goodies in the corner, treasures she found in back alleys.

She sat down with a heavy sigh, letting her breath out with a big whoosh.

“I have a place for the winter!”

She pinched herself. It was still hard to believe. She rose in a daze. From the pile, she got faded blue curtains to put over the windows. The quilt was old, heavy and warm.

She sank to her knees. “Thank you God!” She whispered.

A REASON AND A SEASON

Posted on July 19, 2014 by hafong

I love weeding after a good rain. Everything looks so green and luscious. I feel I’m working in the garden of our Lord. The soil is soft. You can easily pull the weeds out. There is so much satisfaction in seeing your work coming into its own. How can I not stand back and admire it all? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, do you? I am not gloating. I am just happy with my work.

To feel the earth beneath your feet, the rich soil between your fingers – is ecstasy. It is what they call grounding, I suppose. To me, it is simple bliss. When we feel it, we should pay attention and celebrate. Who knows when such a moment will come again. The memories can carry us forward when times are not so fortunate. We know that this, too, shall pass.

Let us celebrate our lives with the fruits of our garden and our spirits. Let us drink a toast to our friends, family and neighbours, for their love, friendship and the lessons they give us. There is a reason and a season for everything under heaven.

HOW WELL DOES MY GARDEN GROW

Posted on April 14, 2014 by hafong

Today is full of sunshine and promise of things to come. It looks like spring could spring into action any day now! It is time to think about my garden. How well it grows depends very much on how I tend it.

Will I have the patience and the consistency of maintaining it regularly – the watering, fertilizing and weeding throughout the season? Will I succumb to the setback of cooler than usual temperatures, bugs, and weeds? It’s a challenge all right.

Last year’s garden started out on a bright and green foot as you can tell by the picture. In the end, it was not so great. We got little for our harvest in the fall. But still – we had some fresh vegetables for the table.

It does no good to be discouraged. One has to have heart in life. I will tend to my thoughts as I will for the garden. I will be conscious of those nettles in the brain as well as those in the vegetable patch. They can take over if you don’t pay attention. Learn from the past mistakes and move on. Harvest and be thankful for whatever you can reap.

NEW BEGINNINGS

Posted on April 6, 2014 by hafong

It’s Sunday morning, a new day, a new dawn, a new week. The sun is shining bright, its warmth melting the remaining snow. It is finally spring at last! My geraniums are germinating, their little heads pushing their way through the soil. For me, it is always a miracle to see this birthing. And I have a part in this process.

Let me rejoice and greet this day and new beginning with gladness and gratitude in my heart. Let me be generous and forgiving in my soul. And lest I forget, be ever so humble. There but for the Grace of God, I could be in others’ shoes.

TIME IN THE DESERT

Posted on February 11, 2014 by hafong

Time in the desert moves slowly but surely. Silence is all around me. I can hear the echo of my heartbeat. Peace is all around me. I gaze down at my own private Grand Canyon. How lucky am I in this place at this time.

The sun warms my face in the daytime. It lights up the world and I can see for miles around. At night, the moon is bright overhead. The stars twinkle merrily in the velvety dark. I can see the belt of the Orion. How expansive and rich is the universe!

I inhale and exhale. I am grateful in the desert.

SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS

Posted on December 20, 2013 by hafong

Sometimes life sings to me. This morning I am hearing John Lennon’s So This is Christmas. I hope it is a good one. I hope the war is over and there will be no fear.

I am choosing to have a good Christmas – full of good cheer. Sometimes it is a matter of intention, no matter where in life we are. What better time of year than now to reset my intention button, polish up my halo and shine this little light of mine.

At the top of my Intention List I have put Generosity. I am talking about generosity of gifting through the heart. I am doing generosity aerobics to exercise and stretch my heart muscles. They protest at times and I have had to quiet their noises. It takes practice and practice but it’s well worth the effort.

So this is Christmas. I am full of gratitude. Another year is almost over and a new one about to begin. I wish you all a very peaceful Christmas and may we all have a good year.

A THOUSAND NAMES FOR JOY

Posted on November 14, 2013 by hafong

I am reading Byron Katie’s A Thousand Names for Joy. I am always in perpetual pursuit of happiness. Perhaps it is the ultimate book for me because it is about living in harmony with the way things are.

I love the word joy. The very letters seem to jump up from the page, dancing with life. No doubt the way I see things has a lot to do with my Chinese background. Some of the Chinese characters are pictures of the objects they denote.

Sheba is one of the thousand names for joy. She is joy whether she is leaping off the page, or laying contently with her stuffed toys. She needs no reason. She is just joyful with what is. She is my teacher in life. Be with what is. It is not easy but I am learning to sit with that, too. I am sitting and staying, Sheba. Thanks for being in my life.

onethousandandtwo

Looking at Infinity

Tag Archives: gratitude