By Debra Basham, on April 26, 2025 No matter how difficult life
becomes, we must keep practicing
continuously. This is the only
way. Eventually we begin to see
and be part of a simpler reality
that we are not separate from,
but is actually nature itself.
~ The Daily Tejaniya
These words touch a space deep within as they are seen on the heels of a deep sharing with a friend who has enjoyed a wildly successful business career that had been cut to the quick by the current conditions. She had taken a couple of days off to inner listen for guidance to co-create going forward. Three key words were already present in awareness: simplify, co-creation, building community.
At one point we spoke about intention toward that which already is but is not yet known to be possible. Was electricity invented or was it recognized? Was fire created or observed and harnessed? Part of us understands fully that in every moment ALL already IS even as what is manifest is malleable.
I looked up the meaning of the word manifest. “To manifest something means to make it appear, become visible, or real, often through the process of focused thinking, belief, and intention. It can also refer to the process of showing something clearly, like a feeling or a belief, through actions or signs. Manifestation, in a more spiritual or self-help context, refers to the act of attracting desired outcomes into one’s life by focusing on them intensely, often through practices like visualization and affirmation.”
Last evening we attended an evening of gospel and hymn singing in a nearby church. One of our Glenaire Jam friends was singing in the choir. I noticed how differently I experienced the masculine pronouns for God; the theology of all being sinful; of everyone needing to be saved by the blood of Jesus to avoid an eternity of suffering. I have grown through this view and I am able to see it as fruitful even as these are not what I resonate with at this place on my path. Likely the exposure contributed to why curiosity about the “man” of manifest caught my attention this morning and led me to the Google search.
Reading lots about manifesting moved me to also do a search for the words co-create and Divine Feminine. “The Divine Feminine manifests through a variety of ways, including nurturing actions, intuitive guidance, and a deep connection to the natural world. It can also be experienced as a shift in perspective, where individuals recognize their own intuitive and compassionate nature, leading them to embrace their power and advocate for what they believe in. The Divine Feminine is often associated with nurturing, compassion, and a desire to protect and care for others. This can manifest in various ways, such as actively supporting family members, friends, or those in need, or advocating for causes that align with these values.”
Wow…. This is exactly what my friend was articulating! The phrase aspire higher popped onto the page of my journal
Thich Nhat Hanh encourages us, “The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.” Are you able to notice how these words make it clear that we are not manifesting happiness but allowing happiness to be manifest in and through our lives?
The day’s theme continued to cast clarity on yesterday’s sharing as I read the Daily Quote from Deep Spring:
You’re familiar with transactional consciousness. It can be a very benign transaction. It can be a harsh transaction. Either way, it’s still a transaction which is centered in a ground of self. All transactions that come from you are grounded in a space of self. “I will do this. I will give that. I am dreaming of world peace, and this is what I’m willing to do to help co-create world peace.” But there’s still a self and an other to it. Transaction. Many of you have sat together in a meditation hall, coming to a space of connectedness where it seems like the meditators around you are just an extension of yourself, that there is truly no separation between you. You’ve done walking meditation where the earth under your feet and the growing things seem like a part of you. You don’t say to the garden, as you walk, “Won’t you please bloom so I can see your beauty?” You just say, “Ohh!” because it’s so beautiful. You are part of the garden. The flowers are blooming. The butterflies are blooming. You are blooming. There’s a sense of non-separation and unconditional love. I am not negating transactional creation. That’s the way your world works, for now. If you go into the gas station and say, “I am going to co-create gas,” and you open your gas tank, the gas station salesperson is going to come out and say, “First you have to put money in the slot.” But we’re changing it. We can change it so that the sense of separation dissolves and all beings may live in peace, health, and happiness. ~ Aaron
Blossoming is our true nature and right now everything is beyond beautiful. Ohh…..
By Debra Basham, on April 19, 2025
From The Daily Tejaniya on Saturday, April 19, 2025:
Trying to keep awareness continuous by trying to keep objects* continuous is a common mistake. Fixating on objects in this way is unskillful because we form craving for objects we like, and aversion towards objects we dislike. The skillful move is to keep awareness, not objects, continuous.
* Objects are thoughts, emotions, sensations, perceptions, etc.
Earlier this week I shared a tender conversation about the wisdom of not using social media for political discussions. I had just read a rather lengthy article about this subject. Very near the end of Stormy Weather: Enjoying the Ride, Joan Tollifson wrote words my heart agrees with deeply, “I do think there’s a place for genuine open dialog about the political issues of the day, but I believe that such dialog is best done in person, not in online comments or on social media. To be truly valuable and constructive, I think dialog about political issues should happen in a spirit of open listening and vulnerability, giving attention both to what others are saying and also to our own triggered reactions and emotions as they arise. Even after years of meditation, I’m still a beginner at that, often failing entirely.”
Nowhere does this truth reveal itself with more voracity than in our every day interactions about virtually every subject. For example, last evening we went for dinner and cards with Linda and Larry (our first opportunity since John and I began our trek north on March 28 and they followed north the next week). Rain was forecast so I drove down while John walked over via a stop at the mailbox.
As I walked in the house I was greeted by the delightful sight and fragrance of spring flowers. “Oh,” I called out, “daffodils!”
“These are jonquils,” Linda responded. I said nothing but admit to a curiosity about whether they are the same or not and later when John asked about picking some for our house for Easter Larry even said daffodils and jonquils are the same.
So, curiosity followed me home and this morning I put fingers to the keyboard with the question, “Are daffodils and jonquils the same?” I read a lot of information. Not all of information was of the same opinion (some generated by AI), but all of the information was presented as fact. The website I considered to offer some of the clearest understanding was a blog post on Wayside Gardens.
Often used interchangeably, daffodils and jonquils do have unique characteristics. All daffodils fall under the botanical name Narcissus, but a jonquil indicates just one type of Narcissus, Narcissus jonquilla and its hybrids.
I went on to read, “While regionally jonquils may be called daffodils, this is botanically inaccurate…. Daffodil flowers are typically lightly scented while golden yellow jonquils are highly perfumed…. Daffodils colors range from bi-colored to white, pink, yellow, and orange.”
My favorite message on the website was that no matter how you refer to them or what variety of Narcissus you grow and enjoy, they are one of nature’s greatest plants. I have some challenge remembering the answer to this-or-that questions so I have decided daffodils don’t smell or have a dull scent – D for daffodils, dull, and don’t. Your nose knows the difference. (Difference is yet another “D” word.)
All of this over spring flowers? Not really. It is more about how humans are having a challenge navigating the information age where we are often ushered into a lane of mistaking an opinion for fact without even being aware of the significance of that nuance.
This led me to look up Gulliver’s Travels, the 1726 novel by Jonathan Swift in which Lilliput and Blefuscu are two fictional island nations. After his son cut himself breaking a boiled egg at the larger end, the Emperor decreed that all eggs be broken on the smaller end. This quarrel ended up giving rise to “six rebellions … wherein one Emperor lost his life, and another his crown”.
Geesh!
Perhaps we should add opinions-thought-to-be-facts to the list of objects that can be fixated on in unskillful ways.
Note* Grandson Brad has a process he uses to ferret out facts. He is considering putting out a YouTube video that shows how easy it is to know what is true.
By Debra Basham, on April 13, 2025 The spiritual meaning of the Pink Full Moon in April 2025, specifically when it occurs in Libra, is about renewal, healing, and balanced relationships. It encourages emotional clarity and inner peace, urging us to consider our connections and patterns. This moon also symbolizes fresh starts, growth, and the return of life after a period of dormancy, much like the blooming of flowers in spring.
Here’s a more detailed look (all generated by AI):
Renewal and Rebirth:
The Pink Moon, named for the phlox flowers that bloom in spring, signifies a time of new beginnings and the resurgence of nature after winter. It’s a time to embrace fresh starts, both in personal and professional life.
Emotional Healing and Clarity:
This full moon encourages emotional illumination and allows us to release unresolved emotions, fostering a greater connection to our inner truth.
Balance and Relationships:
Occurring in Libra, the sign of balance, harmony, and relationships, the Pink Moon calls us to evaluate our interactions with others and ensure our connections are reciprocal and supportive. It’s a time to assess how we move in partnership with others and create more harmony in our relationships.
Introspection and Release:
The Pink Moon in Libra, opposite Aries, can bring up old wounds and insecurities, prompting us to release what no longer serves us and to re-evaluate our relationship patterns.
Venus and Romance:
With Venus, the planet of love and beauty, in its exalted position in Pisces and then going direct on the same day as the full moon, the Pink Moon in Libra is considered the most romantic of all full moons, bringing a sense of love and connection.
Practical Applications:
The Pink Moon is an ideal time to journal, meditate, create vision boards, or start new undertakings. It’s also a good time to purify your surroundings with incense or sage and connect with your soul’s mission.
This morning my prayer/meditation time included listening to some gospel piano. A friend, Tom Kuhlman, sent me the name of two artists: a man named Julian Brock and a woman named Denise. As I listened I began to write in my journal:
Jen and I had much lovely sharing about living with anxiety and a desire to control and freedom in Jesus. I boldly ask for a heart of love and trust and release of this history of fear. I hear, “THIS IS YOUR HEART. It is the mind/mammalian body that reacts with fear.”
I open The Daily Tejaniya and read, “Usually when meditators practice meditation, they are not that interested in learning the truth of body and mind. They are trying to control the body and mind.”
The primary scripture about renewing the mind is Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Also in my email inbox this morning, a message about spring by Reid Tracy from Hay House:
Just like the earth begins to wake up and renew itself, we can do the same. Louise believed deeply in the power of affirmations to help us shift our thinking and reshape our lives.
Two affirmations that feel perfect for this time of year are: “I welcome new beginnings into my life” and “My life is continuously blossoming with opportunities.”
May all beings blossom with these pink full moon possibilities….
By Debra Basham, on April 10, 2025 From “Beyond Love Stories” by Rumi
“I have no more words.
Let the soul speak
with the silent articulation
of a face.”
My face today was tear-stained.
Having been gone for five months and just now getting home to print documents which have been collecting all this time, reading the fine print yielded much overwhelm. I had given it everything I had but I was digging a whole deeper by the moment. Trying to file a Federal tax return on TurboTax, I could not hold back the tears.
As I stretched out on the yoga mat, I could hear my mother saying she had wasted her life. Old feelings came quickly to the surface. How could she feel that as she looked at me and thought of her granddaughter, my daughter, and her great grandchildren?
I let some breath seep into my chest knowing these feeling were not MINE alone.
I waded in deeper emotional waters for an hour or so more before reaching out to Stacey ( she works for a tax planner!) because I had not wanted to burden her. Today is April 10.
Just hearing her voice brought forth new waves of emotion. She sent me a secure portal to submit all of the documentation and then let me know they would file an extension for me. Next month they will file the return. There are a lot of details being omitted here, but none that are vital to your recognizing that humans are navigating a lot of strong emotions right now.
The past couple of days I have been thinking about the opening chapter I read in a book a friend mentioned at the 6:30 am Tuesday meditation. It is written by a Forest Ranger Chaplain. Only the dog returned. The child was still missing as night fell heavy and dark around her parents, the chaplain, and those searching.
From Chapter 1, Here if You Need Me, by Kate Braestrup:
His wife is holding onto my hand, tightly, and her hand is cold. She turns her eyes to me as her husband continues: “I know that the longer the search goes on, the greater the chances are that my little girl is dead.”
…. “But wouldn’t she hear us calling to her and answer?” Ralph asks.
…. “She’s asleep,” I say.
…. “Little kids who get lost in the woods do something really smart,” I tell Marion. “When they realize they’re lost, they find a snug place – like under a bush – curl up, and go to sleep. Adults tend to keep moving; they keep trying to find their way out. They think they have to solve the problem themselves. Little kids conch out and wait for the grown-ups to solve it. If Allison is under a bush asleep, she probably can’t hear us hollering.”
Kate’s husband, a state trooper, was killed on the highway leaving her all alone with their four young children. She became a minister because it had been his dream.
The April full moon is two days away but feels fully felt.
Another friend at the meditation shared a song she listens to as an aid for crying when she needs to give space to the emotions that demand to be felt;“Sand and Water” is written and sung by Beth Nielsen Chapman:
All alone, I heal this heart of sorrow
All alone, I raise this child
Flesh and bone, he’s just
Bursting towards tomorrow
And his laughter fills my world, and wears your smile
All alone, I came into the world
All alone, I will someday die
Solid stone is just sand and water, baby
Sand and water, and a million years gone by
This evening as I shared with a precious friend who is navigating overwhelming health challenges and is justified in having had her own melt down today, I heard myself speaking the truth of these emotions, “They are not personal. We are truly all just walking each other home….”
Perhaps none of us is really ever all alone.
Barbara Brodsky reminds us often when the conditions are present emotions will arise. Amen. And a tired grin on this tear-stained face.
By Debra Basham, on March 30, 2025 John and I left Blue House in Punta Gorda at 8:00 am without a plan. Well, that is not quite true. Our plan was to be present with what was happening and make choices along the way. We got onto Interstate 75 heading north for the drive to Smyrna, Tennessee, where Stacey and all of her family live. Traffic was heavier than I expected at that time and REALLY heavy as we got near Sarasota.
It is not just heavy traffic that is nerve-wracking, it is the aggressive driving in heavy traffic. Vehicles that swerve in and out, going from the third lane to the exit ramp cutting off others. We all have had experiences where someone makes a risky passing to get ahead of us and then we are right behind that person at the next stop. Is it really worth the risk of property damage and/or injury or death?
For this trip, my maps of Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee were current and I said to John, “At any time you want or need to, just get off the interstate and I will figure out how to get us on from there.” So, at the area slightly north of Sarasota, he did just that. We were soon able to find ourselves on somewhat familiar roads – having driven to make music with our dear friend Ed Bennett up in Zephyrhills!
As we meandered to State Road 98, then onto State Road 19 John’s relief was palpable…. Much of the time we were the only vehicle on the road. Even when traffic was heavy or we were being caught by stoplights, from time to time the voice on Google Maps would say, “This route is avoiding delays on 1-75. You are currently on the fastest route.”
The oddest thing is that Google Maps usually shows traffic conditions as green, yellow, orange or red for normal, slow or stopped conditions. None of that was showing up on either of our phones! I have no idea why that was, but I began to use the paper map to identify what I thought the next goal town should be. I would program that town into Google Maps and preview route to keep us heading in the desired direction.
This reminds me so much of the way our emotions work (or do not work). Leaving clean sheets on the bed at Blue House I was transported emotionally back to Still Waters. Readers of Yellow Brick Road have likely heard about my friends, Delcy and Tom Kuhlman, who owned and operated a spiritual retreat center for decades. Delcy had a lovely way of asking guests to say a prayer for the next person coming on retreat as you put fresh linens on the bed. I found myself doing that!
Our not returning to Blue House next season is a long story. Our beloved home owners let us know they had concluded the responsibility for two homes was too much. John and I had found a place in North Fort Myers where we have jams several times a week. Linda and Larry were still looking when the owners determined the market is not conducive to selling Blue House right now. So, grateful it will be staying in the family! A life-long friend (Doris was in our youth group back in the 70’s) is planning to join Linda and Larry and she may very well be the next person to sleep in that bed. It was exhilarating to imagine I was praying for her.
A phrase popped into awareness: “All emotion arises from past similars.” The concept is totally familiar even if the phrase was new. This is stimulus response conditioning, a core element in neurolinguistic programming (NLP).
When an experience or event generates a strong emotion – an accident or injury results from any type of trauma – all of the elements become generalized. I totally know this from going through strong storms as a child. My mother’s fear was also an amplifier for my emotions. Other people might enjoy the sound of rain on the roof, but my central nervous system knew rain could be part of a larger weather event that could become life threatening. Having been in a serious auto accident resulting in my having an out-of-body (near death experience) my body goes into an air-brake motion habitually at the slightest hint of risk on the road!
All of this is so well articulated in NLP. The current event (such as the aggressive drivers in the heavy traffic) is triggering a pre-existing emotional pattern. You are never just responding to what is happening in this moment. You are reacting to something that you have previously experienced. The emotion that driver’s aggression or stormy weather produces is yours, buried in your subconscious mind and now being revealed by the trigger. Emotions activated by triggers can be pleasant as well as unpleasant.
John has LOTS of triggers with North Fort Myers. For many years during season he spent two days a week with his brother, Jerry. The “front porch” of our rental for next season looks right onto Swan Lake. Love for and fond memories of Jerry and Jeanne remain. He is thrilled that Jeanne’s brother and sister-in-law and a number of friends are still there. We stopped and visited one friend this past week.
Well aware our leaving 75 was adding miles and hours to our overall trip, the quality of each of those miles and hours far exceeded the cost. Sometimes life is just that type of balancing act. You can be grateful to know what you are gaining even when you are aware of losing something else. We are going to miss Blue House, and I am going to miss the biking in that area. We are going to enjoy being mere minutes from the Rec Center jams. We are thrilled that Michigan neighbors and music friends John and Lora Smith will also be in Lazy Days this next season. We look forward to visits to Blue House.
Meanwhile, our friends and family will find us livin’ on Lazy Lane….
Things change. Likely State Road 19 had been the primary north/south route before Interstate 75 was built. The roads we traveled were wonderful. I am sorry I did not get photos of the huge pecan orchards. Many lawns were ablaze with flowering shrubs in a spectacular spectrum of reds and oranges and pinks. We saw whole towns made up of the 500 or 600 square foot 1940’s built homes. It was like we were literally traveling through history.
The trip was truly a beautiful blessing. We are now enjoying a wonderFULL week here in Tennessee before continuing on home to Michigan next week.
Grateful for where we have been, where we are, and where we will be….
By Debra Basham, on March 23, 2025 “Shout! The Mod Musical” featured five powerful women singers, a live orchestra and soulful pop anthems and ballads by household names like Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, Lulu, The Seekers, and others. Some of the songs included: “Wishin’ and Hopin'”; “To Sir With Love”; “Son of a Preacher Man”; “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me”; “Georgie Girl”; “These Boots Are Made for Walking”; “Downtown”; “I Know a Place”; “All I See is You”; “Those Were the Days”; “A World Without Love”; and “Shout!”
The show is set in London capturing the swinging sixties and the dawning liberation of women. The story follows five women:
The Red Girl: The youngest and most hopeful character, initially feeling unsure of herself.
The Green Girl: A “racy” character, known for her flirtatious nature.
The Blue Girl: A wealthy and seemingly perfect woman who grapples with questions about her sexuality.
The Yellow Girl: An American character who travels to Britain to see Paul McCartney.
The Orange Girl: A married woman in her forties who suspects her husband is cheating.
The women all send letters to Gwendolyn Holmes, an advice columnist for the magazine “Shout!”, seeking guidance on their problems.
I lived through that decade and the sexist rules — for example, a girl could not wear pants/slacks to school. And The Sexual Offenses Act…. In 1967 that act made sex between two men who were 21 years or over legal. The legal age of consent for different-sex couples was 16, and a male could marry at age 16 but a female could not marry until age 18. Unless she was pregnant.
Technically I was still a 15 year-old girl on New Years Eve, 1965, when WE got pregnant, and a 16 year-old girl when WE got married on March 19, 1966. WE had to get our marriage license through Probate court, and WE just celebrated our 59th anniversary this past Wednesday.
I avoid saying “I” got pregnant or married. It took both of us for those things to happen, however, in 1966 “I” was the only one of us who was not allowed to attend high school. John graduated in 1967. I graduated in 1993. I was class president and valedictorian.
“Shout! The Mod Musical” was rich with eye-popping fashions, psychedelic dances, and new arrangements of familiar hits that made me want to sing along! The tears during the second act came as a surprise….
By Debra Basham, on March 20, 2025 Yesterday I listened to a talk with some surprising futuristic predictions of grave conditions in the United States. And this morning I saw a significant photo on the Facebook page of a friend. The photo is of a Robin sitting on the ground in some snow. That friend (and perhaps the Robin) have just returned to Michigan after some time in the south this winter. The caption reads: WTH!!!! I thought this was the first day of spring! This robin is not happy and neither am I.
According to Parker Palmer, “There is a hard truth to be told: before spring becomes beautiful, it is plug ugly, nothing but mud and muck… But in that muddy mess, the conditions for rebirth are being created.”
Most people can think of sayings that point to this reality of life. It is always darkest just before dawn. The only way out is through. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Many beautiful ways of thinking about every ending as a new beginning have also been articulated:
“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” — Dolly Parton
“Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.” — Desmond Tutu
“Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller
Having served as a doula helping women through childbirth, perhaps experience is best realized in Parker Palmer’s last line: “…the conditions for rebirth are always being created.”
By Debra Basham, on March 19, 2025 Last night at the North Ft. Myers Bluegrass Jam John dedicated Vince Gill’s song “Look at Us” to our new friends Steve and Brenda Finley and John and me. We both celebrate wedding anniversaries of over 50 years this week. Our 59th is today. March 19 is also the wedding anniversary of other music friends, Alan and Cindy Bickford, from Pine Island. Wishing them a happy anniversary as well.
Look at us lyrics:
Look at us
After all these years together
Look at us
After all that we’ve been through
Look at us
Still leaning on each other
If you wanna see how true love should be
Then just look at us
Look at you
Still pretty as a picture
Look at me
Still crazy over you
Look at us
Still believing in forever
If you wanna see how true love should be
Then just look at us
In a hundred years from now
I know without a doubt
They’ll all look back and wonder how
We made it all work out
Chances are we’ll go down in history
When they wanna see
How true love should be
They’ll just look at us
Chances are we’ll go down in history
When they wanna see
How true love should be
They’ll just look at us
When they wanna see
How true love should be
They’ll just look at us
Songwriters: Max Duane Barnes / Vince Gill
Look at Us lyrics © Reservoir 416, Diamond Cholla Music, Benefit Music, Irving Music Inc.
From a Buddhist perspective, a wedding anniversary is a time to reflect on the journey of a relationship, reaffirming vows of love, compassion, and mutual respect, and practicing mindfulness in the face of impermanence.
I have often found myself saying over the years that we have not actually been married to the same person for all of these years, and John is famous for adding, “And I am not just talking about hair color….”
I chose this photo for today’s post because Stacey was there with us on our wedding day and every anniversary since! We have all changed so much.
I have officiated at MANY weddings over the years. I have had the honor of officiating at only one uncoupling ceremony. I think the Buddhist teachings about impermanence are significant related to both. I found the following AI generated paragraph that speaks to the letting go of what was with love and respect.
“When it comes time to part, be it through death or another fluctuation of cyclic existence, we aspire to look back at our time together with joy — joy that we met and shared what we did — and acceptance that we cannot hold on to each other forever. We will wish each other well from the depths of our hearts and help each other as we both go on to new lives.”
I could not read those words without feeling the adjustment John and I are going through with Linda and Larry as we are both securing new seasonal rentals because we cannot return to the beloved Blue House we have shared in Punta Gorda for the past two winters. We have all loved this house. I have loved witnessing dawn from our east-facing lanai and biking the neighborhoods. We have shared many meals made in the roomy kitchen with friends and family. This is the nicest house John and I have ever lived in. Our homeowners have determined maintaining two properties is not sustainable for them. They are very sad to not have us as guests, but it is undeniably what needs to happen.
Those words from the Buddhist perspective about when it comes to part seem so fitting: we cannot hold on to each other forever. Not a house, not a spouse. So, for this moment, we treasure what is present.
Linda and her late husband had four children under the age of five when they got married. (March 19 is also their daughter Chris’s birthday.) Linda has shared that when life would get really chaotic they would say to one another, “I would still say I do.”
John Basham, that is what I say to you, Look at us. I would still say I do. I love you more with each passing decade. Happy 59th anniversary
By Debra Basham, on March 18, 2025 I visited with some deep friends (if not long friends) yesterday. I met them two years ago while biking in Port Charlotte and their sweetest little dog grabbed my heart and would not let it go. Of course, she was the magnet, but my friends are the glue.
The purpose for the visit was an article from the Wall Street Journal on March 15, 2025. Yes, they had a paper copy! Jason Zweig was writing about a person who had been near and dear to him: Daniel “Danny” Kahneman. Daniel chose to go to Switzerland and end his own life while 90 years of age but still near his prime. He sent news of his decision to some close to him, spent wonderful time in Europe with family and his partner, then went alone to Switzerland. Something about his story is riveting to me and, I would guess, repulsive to others. It is a hotly debated issue….
Two quotations in the article have made their way onto my journal page so I will share them. The first is by Annie Duke, a decision theorist and former professional poker player who wrote a book in 2022 titled, Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away.
“Quitting on time will usually feel like quitting too early.” ~ Annie Duke
The second is by a psychologist at the University of Oregon, Paul Slovic:
“But often the reasons aren’t reasons.
They’re feelings.”
This morning’s aftersharing with the Still Mountain 6:30 am Tuesday meditation group was about what is often called “comfort care” – essentially the opposite of aggressive medical treatment to save or extend life. Several of those present had very strong desire for appropriate choice to avoid pain and/or anxiety. We spoke some about the nuances of palliative or hospice care, both of which often are referred to as comfort care. (Palliative care focuses on improving quality of life for individuals with serious illnesses by managing symptoms and providing emotional and spiritual support, while hospice care is a specialized type of palliative care focused on comfort and dignity for those with a life expectancy of six months or less who are no longer pursuing curative treatment. ~ Courtesy of AI)
The Four Immeasurables Prayer from Buddhism are profoundly meaningful to me: “May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness. May all beings be free from suffering and the cause of suffering. May all beings never lose the happiness beyond all suffering. May all beings abide in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.”
RIP Danny, RIP.
By Debra Basham, on March 17, 2025 Sandhill cranes are known for their lifelong pair bonds, making them symbols of devotion and faithfulness in some cultures. While I often hear them in the area (sometimes on Sandhill Boulevard) out riding my bike, yesterday morning I was gifted a very close encounter with a pair. These birds are very used to humans.
My encounter gave me joy and stimulated a substantial amount of nostalgia. When we were on the East Coast of Florida many years ago, they would come right into your garage if you left the door open! Of course, nature has a way of reminding us that too much of a good thing is still too much. What came to mind was the beautiful way the Deep Spring Daily Reflection encourages us to cultivate true compassion.
Compassion is a healer for the Earth, for yourself, for others. You are not here to do it perfectly, and no human does. What you are here to do is love. So often those of you that are so attuned to others, so desiring of service and so attuned to the suffering of Gaia herself and all that is upon her, you can become stuck in a place of sorrow and grief and anger for the things that are happening that don’t need to be. At this point in Earth’s evolution they are, but you see that we don’t have to destroy each other in war, we don’t have to destroy the food supply, none of these things. But these things are here now. Anger has an energy to it that sometimes is an impetus for change, but in and of itself it cannot truly bring that change that is needed and desired for you inside yourself, for others, for the Earth.
Compassion is the fertilizer of the soul.
So, I encourage you as you go through your daily life, in moments you’ll be sad, you’ll be angry, all the different emotions. They just come and they go. But when you begin to feel contraction or depression, anxiety or agitation, what you may call fear, or wanting to fight against, to push against, either to push away or to contract, to protect, when you notice it, just breathe. Sit and breathe for a moment. See it for what it is. It’s neither good nor bad, here nor there. But then consciously move into compassion. You cannot have true compassion for the Earth and others if you do not have it for yourself.
So, when you find yourself in constricted places, take time to move into compassion, but do not leave yourself out of the equation. ~ March 14, 2025
It seems the message here is quite universal: It’s neither good nor bad, here nor there.
When migrating, sandhill cranes carry a stone in their mouths to help them stay awake. If the stone falls, it wakes them up. Similarly, if a crane is standing watch at night, it will stand on one leg so that if the other leg drops, they wake up. This is why many equate cranes with vigilance. (from CreationGirl Blog)
A very good reminder….
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