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Primitive religion is not believed, it is danced!

Arthur Darby Nock

Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
And only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Elizabeth Browning



Monday, May 2, 2016

Right Speech

With mindfulness we may enjoy producing only right speech, the kind of speech that goes along with understanding, compassion, joy, and forgiveness….we can produce right speech at every moment, loving speech that will bear our signature.  This is what we hand down to our children and to the world.     ]                           Thich Nhat Hanh, Reconciliation, healing the inner child,  Parallax, 2010, p.21
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my mother used to say
“think before you talk”

I ignored her

and now, so many years later
with her face and voice a memory from the distant past
(she died 26 years ago)

I am appreciative of her wisdom

she was a woman in whom the waters ran deep
but she did not know how to express herself
and rarely showed emotion

she was a woman of action
rather than words

far more comfortable
ironing my underwear (yes indeed)
and backing cookies,
and making amazing meals

than saying “I love you”

but I do not remember her using words to hurt
she was always “mindful” of what she said
and expected her children to do the same

and she taught us, through her few words
and her many actions
to be people of understanding, compassion, joy, and forgiveness

tiny she was
but in that small frame was also joy
and great wisdom
a willingness to serve, to  give and give, and then give some more
in her work with the church, 4H, girl scouts, and more!
and she was there, creating a place
in which my sisters and I could grow up safely

was she perfect?  absolutely not!
but her words, and actions bore her signature
and was a gift
she passed down to her children

she had right speech
right action
coming out of right thought

for she loved God deeply
and it showed

may my thoughts
my words
and my actions
reflect the heritage
which I have been given

thanks mom

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