#sangha | Living The Emerson Rule

August 18, 2022August 18, 2022

I Know You Friend – Love of My Heart

The value of friendship is immeasurable. Nurturing these magical connections takes time, energy and intention. This labor of love has a return on investment beyond my wildest imaginings. My intimates help me learn and grow – they share my triumphs and tragedies. They are the best of life.

“If it’s true from the start
That the names of those we love
Are written on our hearts
And we’ll search ’til we find
In this jungle of confusion
Something that reminds us
How we love each other
Then I think I’ve found the clue
Because I’m certain I remember you“

Michael Franks wrote these words in his song “How I Remember You.”

The emotion this song evokes is how I experience my dearest and most beloved. I knew you before we met. We made a pact to help each other during the interlude of this lifetime. The bond of community; my sangha – is my greatest fortune.

Of this world or beyond – we keep each other; hold space for passage to meet our purpose.

Wherever you are, near or far – you’re still here.

“A chorus of sparrows in summer
Is how I remember you
The fire of maples in autumn
Is how I remember you
The Silence of snowfall in winter
Is how I remember you”

“Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow
Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead
Walk beside me… just be my friend”
― Albert Camus

January 13, 2017December 30, 2022

Stand Up

Speaking up is hard. Mom told me I was an “observer” as a kid. I watched and saw what got the most approval; for girls – it was the polite, agreeable behaviors. Go along to get along. This and other fabulously warped and twisted lessons were digested in my formative years. Deep protective roots were planted – roots that caught and squeezed my spirit decades past their use by date.

It’s rare that I let people inside my introverted world. Afraid you won’t like me and my fierce demons. And I want to be liked – most of us do. So I put on a mask – became a master people pleaser. But boy do I admire the folks who are truly themselves – damn the torpedoes! They don’t care if I like them … and generally they’re the ones I like the most. Quite the conundrum.

Being female in Corporate America these past 30 years didn’t do much to loosen my disguise. Toeing the line and fitting in got me more interesting projects and promotions – to a point. The glass ceiling is real. Did what I could to crack it – it was harsh going and undervalued. Time to pass that torch. So buhbye nine-to-five.

There were some interesting shifts after my “retirement.” Dumped the hair dye, hung up the business casual, pitched the alarm clock and created space for something new to emerge. Some things were good (yoga, dance, a little writing) – some not so much (lost our sweet schnauzer Molly and old-lady cat Cleo). Then there was the appalling election and its result; which wrecked me.

Since then I’ve spent a lot of time on the couch, and with my sangha. Miraculous thing the couch . . . alchemical. And my sangha; they know me, support me, nourish me – undeterred by my insecurities. While it looked like not much was going on – something was shifting.

Now it’s time to stand up and speak up. That little girl–she’s fading; the ambitious office worker–liberated. Delicious, fascinating new insights emerge every day. I’ve got lots to do; hopefully with kindness and compassion. If you don’t like it – or me, that’s not my business.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

“Speak what you think today in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance