12.22.17 Often Enough

Often enough in our lives, we encounter situations we have not met up with before. Experiences we know many have had before us, but for us are new. And we wonder if we can manage. How on earth we will manage. Even as we know others of all species and types of living beings have managed before us.

This is when our contemplation helps us to rest. Our prayer, our genuine meditation. 
Our mindfulness, in quiet and in our steps and in our actions.

Our conscious awareness, while experiencing these things, brings us to the present moment.
And even if what we are encountering is tough tough, we can always manage just this present moment. And then this one. And then this one.

This is a truth, and a reliable way to manage the steps on the path we are traveling.
To leave off speculating about the great big broad unknown future.
To let go of think thinking about the past moments.

Because those considerations are not much help, unless we are mindfully digesting them down, taking one at a time, while breathing in, out, identifying this one as a ‘thought’, that one as a ‘feeling’ and then watching them slowly pass by. Leaves in the wind ,flowing over and past us.
Otherwise, thoughts and feelings about the future, the past, overwhelm and destabilize us.
Just when we are doing tough stuff. 

Just when we could really use stability and balance. 
And so, we take it moment by moment. 

Which is a practice. Either to elude suffering. Or to live with more ease in the present.
When we are doing this, we are in good company. We are in remarkable company. There are so many among us here, near and far, undergoing tough tough. 

There are so many who come before us, who quietly learned to move through these tough times.
Mycelium and bacteria and ants and Oaks. Bears and wildlife and human beings.
We are among so many, as we learn these parts of our lives. 

It benefits us to do whatever we ourselves do, to live and breathe in our connectiveness with these others. 

With the present. With those brethren of the past.
The traditions, known and unknown to us, lie in this realm. Are available to us in this way.
Contemplation, prayer, meditation, sitting out in the darkening night or in the coming light of day.
These are the ways we forge our connectedness with each other . With ourselves. With our time, and all time. 

In this way, find the strength for these steps of ours, on our way.