Mockingbird Karma: Life Can Be Challenging

It's true. Life can be challenging sometimes. So very challenging. And sometimes we are able to meet the challenges head on without a pause. Other times, the challenges might get the best of us, temporarily. Sort of a spin on the old saying: "Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you."

Shortly after my last post, my Mother-In-Law entered into Hospice care. (What an amazing organization, Hospice.) It was not totally unforeseen, as she had been battling cancer for some years. And shortly before Christmas she passed away, her family having spent her last days close to her, loving her. I suppose, in some ways, it was as 'rich' a passing as one might hope for, if you can briefly ignore the indignities of a failing body.

I have witnessed a family in loss before, on different occasions, and I have to admit I was scared this time. You can never be quite sure how someone is going to react to the loss of a loved one. I believe, to some degree, it depends on the circumstances of the passing. I've seen the tragic and unexpected loss of a young man, and the anticipated loss of an older family member. While neither would be missed any more or less than the other, there is a difference.

Whatever the case, the passing of a loved one represents our greatest challenge. And that's seems to make sense. Or does it.

It seems that, from what I have read in Buddhist based books and articles, our self-inficted misery is largely based our tendency to cling to things, people, ideas, etc. We hold on for dear life. And then, when we lose control of these things which we hold so dear, misery ensues. What if we learned to appreciate and welcome things into our lives when and while they are there, while learning to let go easily and freely once they are not there?

You can see where I'm going with this. How do you feel about it? Do you hold dear? Are you able to let go freely?

Mockingbird Karma: Doing The Work, So Many Challenges

Today was a pretty good day, for the most part. I think even just being in the first days of this new website has been good for me. How? Well, because I’m thinking a lot about writing here about my days, I’m more aware of the emotions I’m feeling, the moods I’m experiencing, and the ‘work’ to which I have committed myself.

Don’t get me wrong, I was nowhere near great or perfect today. But I was less of a mess than many days. I still got anxious about the

traffic on my way to work this morning. I still had negative thoughts, and some negative words (gossip), about some people I work with. I felt frustration and depression about an important personal goal/dream that I’ve recently had to put off for a while (indefinitely).

We have a somewhat new dog in our house now, and she’s still a bit of a puppy. So of course, she’s got