Yesterday, as part of a Thanksgiving ritual, I read a poem to a friend; David Whyte's "Everything is Waiting for You", the wonderful piece about the lively (and living) presence of everything around us, the "conversation" going on (if we are willing to take part!) when the tea kettle sings, and the window presents an opportunity for freedom, and so forth. It is a gentle feeling of thanks, kind of "where I am at in my journey is OK, and everything around me wants to help me". To add to the feeling of warmth, it is literally warm after two weeks well below normal, so in 34 degree air, the six inches of snow that recently fell has started to disappear.
On Black Friday, I generally avoid all kinds of shopping. In a lifetime of rather deliberately standing back from the whole consumerist thing, it is a day when I have tended to be particularly doctrinaire. And yet, today I don't feel quite that rock solid about it. There is nothing I need, I don't particularly have the money to spend, and I don't particularly want to be in crowds. But the duality/conflict piece of it ("it is so stupid and I'm fighting back by not participating") has softened. I just simply don't have to take part. I think we are past the point where human effort could mitigate the coming changes, so right now, it's easier to just send an energy of acceptance out there, to hope that people stay safe and learn the life lessons they need from the day. And not push back so much. Just let everything be what it is.
The sun rose a vivid orange-red, way to the south, and because the trees are virtually leafless, the fiery reflection was visible in the lake, blindingly so. Winter solstice isn't far away...soon the sunrise will start heading east across the lake again. This early morning sight is today's "gift" -- and I didn't have to spend a penny. To GUS (God/Goddess/Universe/Source) -- thanks! Thanks, thanks, thanks.
