rainy days. That’s California autumn for you. Unpredictable. Found an umbrella, boots and a waterproof jacket so that I can skip hop and jump into rain puddles – so looked forward to more wet weather. BUT no rain today – sunny is the forecast. Varied weather patterns make life interesting. Nothing is permanent. Made me think of sad traumatic losses taking place around us – While it would be more a celebration for someone if she had led a full complete life; there’s so much grief, regrets for someone so very young, so incomplete, short lived; when preventable. Sometimes when so young and not equipped with long range vision, stress management does not come with ease. The adults around them are no help by exhibiting more signs of stress themselves rather than relieving; giving off the wrong vibes, not serving as much of a role model, showing signs of duress, mismanaging stress themselves. Take a look at yourself because you, the adult is the teacher to the young. How do you set that example?
The mantra should be – This TOO SHALL PASS. Bigger, better things awaits. All is not lost. NO matter, it’s never hopeless. Have faith. Things will get better. Not belittling it or making light of it but just get through knowing that – No problem is too big to solve nor too important to cost a life. Unfortunately, sometimes, we are not given the skill set to cultivate peace and resilience. We don’t know what’s really most important. Take care of yourself. Don’t be so hard on yourself. What you are doing and who you are … is enough.
Confession – There’s a person I usually avoid because this person lacks any sense of the greatest virtue called … “humility” but I realize it’s because he/she feels the need to compensate.
Here are some quotes that may help cultivate that sense of – it’s okay, you don’t need to be the authority – the boss – the driver at all times. Let go that needy needs.
“To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.”
― Criss Jami
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Wild Years
As Judith said at our Invitational – doesn’t it occur to you that your students know much much more than you and you can learn from them? Then she had Kelly teach a lovely sequence with full awareness of how our body works (and how that affects our mind, visa-versa). At a sangha of the liked minded teachers, it’s about learning from each other as much as learning from a veteran master teacher, herself. Her strength and wisdom lies in her ability to be humble and open. And still remaining the authority in all that she knows and shares with wit and intelligence. Indeed she is like that container she asked us each to become. TO me, that is the fountain. Fountain? Yes, more on this later.
Ending with humor I did not know he had:
“In the course of my life, I have often had to eat my words,
and I must confess that I have always found it a wholesome diet.”
― Winston S. Churchill
While I never thought I would have anything in common with OMG this man, I would say that my diet is pretty wholesome as well. Besides, some words are retractable? It just takes forgiveness, a not so easy act and a skill few possess.
Sad?
So sad.
Sadder?
Taking stock of what happened.
Moving inward from the the physical Koshas to … another layer upon layer …
Where’s the sun? It’s within you. The sun and the moon and the stars… all within you. You are the manifestation of this universe.
Salute the grey skies, not afraid of the rain, embrace the darkness and let the light shine 🙂
Bark less, wag more ! Be happy!! Rain or shine and shine, shine, shine. It’s BEAUTIFUL. This life. 
Love this… wish we can do shiba inu carving too but a bit complicated and I lack the knife skills … a challenge for sure.