(Apology. For some reason, I could not log into the Brothers and Sisters account...)
Greetings, and welcome to the May 2nd edition of Brothers and Sisters.
First the obligatory Acknowledgement:
"Welcome to Brothers and Sisters, the weekly meetup for prayer* and community at Daily Kos. We put an asterisk on pray* to acknowledge that not everyone uses conventional religious language, but may want to share joys and concerns, or simply take solace in a meditative atmosphere. Anyone who comes in the spirit of mutual respect, warmth and healing is welcome."
This is probably the sixth time that I have hosted Brothers and Sisters and each time, I try to relate at least a little bit to the nearest corresponding Pagan holiday (this being Beltane). Such was my plan this time around, too. But a couple fo things made me change my mind this time.
One being that there were at least two diaries on Beltane yesterday, so the subject had been covered sufficiently. And, I went out this morning and took several nice pictures for tonight’s offering, but I’m experiencing technical difficulties, so that’s not going to work, either.
But the basic, underlying them for tonight was going to be "Gratitude", and that I can still do, thank you very much!
So often lately, it seems that things are so bad in this world that despair is the order of the day. In addition to all the "usual" daily tragedies of war, starvation, disease, and other depravations that we foist upon each other, we are now faced with yet another piece of blowback for our collective arrogance and greed in the form of the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. And as usual, we aren’t going to be the ones to pay the biggest price for our folly.
So, I awoke this morning feeling a great deal of sadness for all those creatures that are doomed due to our actions. Countless thousand (millions) of innocent creatures are going to die horrible deaths and there is nothing we can do about it right now.
But not being one to stay depressed, I took a walk "out back", and found many reasons to be filled with gratitude on this day. "Out back" for me is my 26 acre wood lot. In the middle of the acreage, we maintain a small clearing which is home to our garden, and the forest edge that we are learning to cultivate. I was immediately made aware of the many blessings that surround me every day.
The sparkling beauty of raindrops clinging to the blades of grass. The wild violets (in both purple and white). My pea plants finally starting to poke their heads out of the soil. The bright blooms of the tulips. The new maple leaves unfolding. The squawking of the indignant blue jays. All of these things helped me to refocus and see the world with new eyes (again).
You see, spring comes hard here in the Adirondacks. It’s a long, slow process that usually includes several false starts and slightly dashed hopes. For example, we had 80 degree weather this weekend, but it snowed Monday and Tuesday of this week! But we always know that the circle will continuing turning, the cycles will become complete, and Nature’s promise will be fulfilled. And dispelling gloom in ones heart can really be as simple as recognizing this.
I feel extremely blessed to be living where I am. But I have lived in some pretty big cities in my time on this planet, and I know that there is wonder everywhere if we open our eyes to see. I can find beauty in flocks of pigeons in a city park. Or, bright yellow dandelions peaking through the cracks in the sidewalks. Or the beauty of a young mother taking her children to the park.
We can experience a moment of gratitude for of the gifts that the Creator(s) have blessed us with each day. We can, while doing everything possible to make our world better, still feel pretty good knowing that these cycles, which Nature has perfected over millennia, still continue, and that blessings are all around us.
Thanks for reading. And thanks for sharing your thoughts and prayers.
And now for a bit of Ecclesiastical Byrd songs.