Joy and Sorrow

The messiness of life has such a richness and beauty. A depth of experience that without it things would seem flat and gray. The great up’s and down’s are a contrast, we could never feel joy if we hadn’t felt sorrow. These waves of emotion bring me the experience of a wide open heart . Once a great difficulty, now a new challenge. To be continually aware of my present, pleasant or distressed. Both are now my allies to assist me in remaining with what is. All sensations become reminders to be aware and in your ground. The fluid movement, experience to experience is like waves in the ocean or currents on the wind. The beauty of this movement has become a life with richness. I dive into the difficult places and I gently uncover the bruising. I have trust from my practice that things will be safe. My great longing for my dear mother is both a pain and a joy. I am getting better though at moving into a place of gratitude and remembrance of my precious time spent with her. The deep joy that she generously gave all of us. The beauty of her genuine smile. Her honesty and sincerity. My memories give me both joy and longing, but it’s all a blessing. To see the depth and contrast is a gift for us all. The messy, unkept, fleeting richness of life is what makes it so precious. It is a joy and a curiosity for me to watch it unfold in all of it’s delicate beauty. Bittersweet.