Friday, August 12, 2011

Experiencing Gifts

Every gift carries both its blessing and its burden. We know this. Though the balance can weigh heavily on one end of the scale or the other, if we pay serious attention we see both blessing and burden in every gift. Don't we?

One of the items on my short list of what I desire is to be competent, alert and vertical until the moment when I suddenly die of a massive heart attack or simply do not awaken from sleep. My father died suddenly, like that; my mother suffered a long time. For those of us left behind, Pop's death weighed heavily, Mom's provided her release. That's how it felt to us. But the other side existed, too: for the one transitioning, I believe Pop had the easier path. Not that I imagine I really have a choice in the matter...

Today in the cool, dry morning air I experienced the gift of sunshine on my crown and shoulders as such a boon. It felt so very lovely to be walking along, to swing along, to notice the present-moment, embodied pleasure of being alive.

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