Mindful Moment: It Is What We Do
From Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening
In India, there is a story about a kind, quiet man who would pray in the Ganges River every morning. One day after praying, he saw a poisonous spider struggling in the water and cupped his hand to carry it ashore. As he placed the spider on the ground, it stung him…
The next day, the same thing happened. On the third day, the kind man was knee deep in the river, and, sure enough, there was the spider, legs frantic in the water. As the man went to lift the creature yet again, the spider said, “Why do you keep lifting me? Can’t you see I will sting you every time, because that is what I do.” And the kind man cupped his hands about the spider, replying, “Because that is what I do.”
There are many reasons to be kind, but perhaps none is as compelling as the spiritual fact that it is what we do…. It holds the same beauty as berries breaking through ice and snow every spring. It is what quietly feeds the world…. [The berries] simply grow to be delicious because that is what they do.
Moments of Gratitude
It’s an awesome feeling when you know you’ve found your people. The people who get you, who are kind to you, who support you, and who are just as excited as you are when something wonderful happens to you. Because it’s just what they do.
This weekend, I attended Bloggy Boot Camp in Minneapolis, and I am so thankful for the time with my blogging tribe. The conference was held in a hotel I had not been in since the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies Conference in 1998. I had attended that conference with a different tribe ~ my Social Studies Education Master’s Program cohort.
I hadn’t even begun student teaching when I attended that program, and I was nervous and unsure about teaching. My fellow preservice teachers became my tribe. During our weekly classes, social gatherings, and even 1 am phone calls, we supported each other as we began our teaching journey. And when I ultimately began my teaching career, I found another amazing community of supportive teachers. They shared lessons with me, covered my classes when I was sick, and consoled me when a student called me a bitch. Because that’s what teachers do. {And, unfortunately, what some teenagers do.}
On Saturday, I entered this hotel again, more than fifteen years later, having embarked on a new personal and professional path of writing and blogging. I loved entering the conference room, not knowing any of these people in real life, and immediately recognizing, and being recognized by, my tribe. I hugged and chatted with people I’d never met, but who I knew were my people from meaningful online connections.
I am thankful for all the talented women bloggers I met who share their words with us ~ their recipes, crafts, photographs, homeschool lessons, tips, stories, and wisdom because it is what they do. Fellow bloggers, we are quietly feeding the world.
This week marks six months since the start of Left Brain Buddha, and certainly one of the most unexpected benefits of starting this blog has been the authentic and powerful friendships I have developed with some amazing women. I am so grateful for everything blogging has brought me.
Last week also marked the first time I only posted twice in a week, and the first Friday in a long time that I did not post with my fellow Finish the Sentence Friday bloggers. I am thankful that I didn’t freak out about it, and so glad that the universe did not, in fact, shut down because I missed a blog post. We’re all still here. You’re still here. Because it’s what we do. Sometimes life gets crazy and intervenes with our plans, because that’s what life does.
And I am incredibly grateful for my neighbor who kindly watched my children for 9 hours on Saturday so I could attend my blogging conference. Because it’s what friends do.
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I am also deeply thankful and honored to be a contributing author to Sunshine After the Storm: A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother {available as a free download through October 17}. While writing for this anthology means I am part of a tribe that mothers never want to join {those who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss}, I am so proud and grateful that this community of mothers and fathers has come together to provide comfort, inspiration, empathy, and advice to support grieving parents. Because it’s what we do.
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Finally, my daughter had her first friend birthday party yesterday. It was the first time SHE chose the guests to invite. I am thankful that she has formed friendships with fun and caring girls. I am grateful to see her finding her people. I am thankful that they enjoyed spending time with my child, made her beautiful cards, sang “Happy Birthday” delightfully out of tune, and treated each other with kindness. Because that’s what friends do.
The Birthday Girl. When did she start looking so grown up?
What are YOU thankful for this week?
Top photo credit: Jason A. Samfield via photopin cc
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