Shiny, Breezy, Doggy, Zen
Nim and I spent about a half-hour sitting outside. It's very sunny out, but with a nice cool breeze so that I don't feel too hot. I sipped my extra-sweet coffee from my extra-silly mug and just sat on the cold patio stones, breathing in the air, listening to the planes and trucks and cars, watching the local wildlife, and occasionally hugging my miracle of a hairy daughter, my Nimue. (I hate using the word 'miracle', but if you think about all the shit she's been though, it's kind of apt.)
On days like this I can really feel what my Zen practise is supposed to mean. Instead of worrying about being bored outside without a book or something, I just... watched. Like a nature voyeur, I took in everything, experienced everything, and let my mind kind of go sideways with it. And so did Nim. She occasionally chased after some rodents and barked at some asshole who whistled at her though the fence, but for the most part she just lay in the cool grass and sniffed the air. I learn a lot about Zen from Nim.
It's the most peaceful I've felt in a long time, especially since last night I broke down and sobbed in Terry's arms over the apothecary in my dosette. Balance and all that, I suppose.
So, if you are able, please go outside and breathe in the air, and count the blessings you have around you. It's obvious why I don't need to go into detail about the importance of doing so.
(By the way, the silly mug was a birthday present from my mom. It's a bright pink large mug, and on one side it says 'Fabulous is an Attitude' and on the other, 'We can't all be a Princess; someone has to clap as I go by'. Mom had no idea that the mug had the latter saying on it - she just bought it for the former, which made us both laugh harder over it. Also, on the handle, it says 'You go girl'. It's like a 90s flashback!)
On days like this I can really feel what my Zen practise is supposed to mean. Instead of worrying about being bored outside without a book or something, I just... watched. Like a nature voyeur, I took in everything, experienced everything, and let my mind kind of go sideways with it. And so did Nim. She occasionally chased after some rodents and barked at some asshole who whistled at her though the fence, but for the most part she just lay in the cool grass and sniffed the air. I learn a lot about Zen from Nim.
It's the most peaceful I've felt in a long time, especially since last night I broke down and sobbed in Terry's arms over the apothecary in my dosette. Balance and all that, I suppose.
So, if you are able, please go outside and breathe in the air, and count the blessings you have around you. It's obvious why I don't need to go into detail about the importance of doing so.
(By the way, the silly mug was a birthday present from my mom. It's a bright pink large mug, and on one side it says 'Fabulous is an Attitude' and on the other, 'We can't all be a Princess; someone has to clap as I go by'. Mom had no idea that the mug had the latter saying on it - she just bought it for the former, which made us both laugh harder over it. Also, on the handle, it says 'You go girl'. It's like a 90s flashback!)