™

Heartwings Love Notes 314 - Eat The Strawberry

Heartwings says, "The present moment is the only moment you can taste."

A Zen monk traveling in the wilderness suddenly saw a fierce bear headed his way. He fled, only fall off the edge of a cliff. He grabbed at a small tree growing out of the rock. Far below he saw sharp stones, looking up he saw the ravening bear. The trunk of the small tree was weak and beginning to bend. Just within reach was a ripe strawberry. He reached for it and put it in his mouth. It was the most delicious berry he had ever tasted.

Like the monk hanging from the cliff we are in the midst of perilous times. Many have loved ones engaged in a war they did not choose yet feel they must fight. The prices of what we use in the pursuit of our everyday lives is far higher than it was even last year and likely to keep rising. The media blasts us with scary predictions about cancer, obesity, the effects of pollution and more. Parents are aging; children are at risk, what is there to feel good about?

As did the monk in the story I reach for the strawberry. It is true that I might be accused of refusing to face facts or of ignoring reality. For not wanting to focus on the dire and the dreadful I could be called a Pollyanna. Yet what good does it do to worry about things over which I have no control? When I allow myself to focus on them I feel powerless and dismayed.

In my upbringing crying was discouraged. Tears invariably resulted in my hearing: "If you don't stop I'll give you something to really cry about. I learned to recover quickly and carry on. Later I learned to honor my feelings while doing this. Now I do what I can to be of help, focus on what is positive regardless how obscure it may be, and in this present moment, eat the strawberry.

May you discover ripe berries close within reach and eat them joyously.

Blessings and Best Regards,
Tasha Halpert
 

← Back to Heartwings (Index Page)

   - Click here to print this page

Prev|Next