I totally resonate with this quote from Ray Charles.
In fact, I would take it even further: just as we can’t live without breathing, I believe we can’t truly live without music.
Music and breathing
Treating myself to flowers
I’ve been craving more color in my garden these last few weeks. In fact, I found myself impulsively buying random flowers at Grocery Outlet and CVS.
And then it occurred to me that this is a healthy way to indulge myself, since most of my usual treats (i.e. cookies, pastries, popcorn, etc.) are off limits right now.
So, I went to Weiss Brothers nursery and thoroughly enjoyed shopping for still more flowers. They’re all planted now and it feels great.
Wisdom from Seva
I love the powerful simplicity of these reminders written by one of Ananda’s most beloved and long term members, who passed away last year.
Love God more each day.
Focus in meditation on Master, keeping the mind from wandering.
Help others and love them with God’s love.
Trust in Master to guide your life.
Truly words to live by. Thank you, Seva. 💖
Coming up empty
This is one of those times when there’s so much going on that I can’t grab onto any particular theme to write about.
So, I’m coming up empty and I’ll just say good night!
Things we take for granted
Whenever I have a day or two of feeling yucky, I’m soooo relieved to have my full energy back again.
It’s interesting that when I had my one-day intestinal thing on Monday, it occurred to both Ramesha and I that maybe I was getting a small taste — just a little hint — of how I might feel after the bone marrow transplant.
And in reflecting on it further, I’m beginning to understand that the reason I find it so shocking to not have energy is because I take having high energy for granted! I feel that it’s my due, because I’ve always had it.
Well, that’s been my good karma in this lifetime, but I realize that it has limited my ability to comprehend and have compassion for people with a different reality.
Which got me thinking about how we all have at least one “something” that comes easily and naturally to us (for me, it’s been good health and high energy, as well as liking people and having people like me; someone else might be naturally good with money or extremely disciplined, etc. — you get the idea).
But often we can tend to get impatient with someone who struggles with the thing that comes so naturally to us. We don’t understand why they “don’t just…” (snap out of it; get more organized; just do it; etc.).
And maybe this is why sometimes we get a little wake up call, a period of time (hopefully short) when we’re without the thing (that natural gift or ability) that we usually take for granted. Because then we’re experiencing it from the other side and maybe — just maybe — expanding our awareness and learning compassion.
Something to think about.
My husband, my rock
While the nurse was inserting my IV this afternoon I happened to glance over at Ramesha and was overwhelmed by a wave of gratitude for this man.
Since February he’s driven to (and sat in on) virtually all of my medical appointments. He keeps track of the medical receipts and co-pays. And for a full six months he’s been organizing his teaching and business schedule around my needs.
I truly don’t know how I would have done this without him.
In other news, I’m completely over yesterday’s weird stomach thing. What a relief to have my full energy back once again!
And, we’re all done with the extra pre-op tests, many of which were long and involved, and took a lot of finagling to fit into our schedule. Yay!
Up and then down
Last week ended on a high note, as I dealt with the bone marrow biopsy with flying colors. It was a beautiful experience of what can happen when you combine lots of prayer support with raising one’s energy.
But this week started on a low note, as I woke up with some sort of intestinal upset that completely threw off my morning routine and made me wonder whether I would even be able to make the drive to town.
I couldn’t really eat the breakfast I had carefully prepared the night before (since I had to fast for four hours before my afternoon chemical stress test). We were late, of course, and then we had to wait a while for our lab tech to be ready for us. All I could do in the meantime was lie down on a couch in the waiting room.
By afternoon my gut had stopped it’s cramping and churning, but the whole thing has left me so drained that I can hardly type.
Coincidence? Or yet another example of the balancing contrast of duality?
Ah well, I’m sure a good night’s sleep will fully restore me!
Excellent advice
Amen to that! 😍
What a week
What a week it was indeed!
It all caught up with me this afternoon, leaving me feeling done in and determined to get some extra sleep tonight.
Hence the short blog post. 😴
Biopsy update: prayer works!
I am very happy to report that this morning’s bone marrow biopsy went extremely well.
We arrived in good time (despite the early hour); they were ready for us right away; the doctor, nurses, and technician were all great — positive, competent, easy to understand; and — most amazing of all — the pain level felt like maybe a quarter of what it was the last time I had a bone marrow biopsy!
There can be no question that the prayers pouring in from all around the world made all the difference. I felt completely calm and while the procedure was actually underway I was able to focus on opening up to receive the blessings of all those prayers.
Interestingly enough, the nurse overlooked the note in my chart about giving me the same painkiller as during my previous biopsy. I didn’t think about it until I was already prepped for the procedure, but turns out it was totally unnecessary.
We’re pretty convinced that the nurse missing that note was divine grace; it left my mind clear so I could be fully present to the experience of supportive calmness that surrounded me.
We were only there for about an hour, from start to finish. After all the anticipation and dread of the pain it was almost a little anticlimactic — for which I am exceedingly grateful!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. 💗