Monday, 2 April 2012

Monday's meditation.... on impermanence

Today marks the first day of two school-free weeks. The first two hours are going well - harmonious children and a game of "picnic at the train station" mean I've even managed to sit quietly and alone in the Cwtch to wind the next (and final) skein of Thick Wool to finish my Bella Wrap. 

Of course the sibling harmony won't last - I'll give them another 20 minutes before one of them cracks and starts shouting at the other, or they both want the same piece of faux food and start squabbling. But now is not the time to think about that, instead I'm enjoying the moment - the peace and their chatter. When a 2 and 5 year old are talking and they think no one is listening, you can learn a lot about their perceptions of their world and family life. 

Learning to enjoy the moment is something that I've been practicing since I became a parent. Before that I was so busy rushing from one thing to another that I didn't have time for contemplation beyond how to improve business or become more profitable. I didn't take the time to notice the small moments of beauty in each day, and I didn't think about impermanence or realise being mindful that each thing shall indeed 'pass' can be a help at tough times and a reminder to live in the present moment and appreciate joy and beauty. (I use photography to help with this - it's why there are so many seemingly random pictures on my phone and now on Instagram!) 

I am trying to make the children aware of this through Nature (I've written about the lessons of life and death already). The short life of our beautiful Magnolia blossom holds a lesson for all of us. 
"On the level of form, there is birth and death, creation and destruction, growth and dissolution, of seemingly separate forms. This is reflected everywhere; in the life cycle of a star or a planet, a physical body, a tree, a flower; in the rise and fall of nations, political systems, civilisations; and in the inevitable cycles of gain and loss in the life of an individual.
There are cycles of success, when things come to you and you thrive, and cycles of failure, when they wither or disintegrate and you have to let them go in order to make room for new things to arise or for transformation to happen. If you cling and resist at that point, it means you are refusing to go with the flow of life, and you will suffer."
Eckhart Tolle - The Power of Now (p152)

3 comments:

  1. Your so right, I'm learning to live in the moment too. I was diagnosed with adhd 3 years ago and my life upuntil then was semi chaos. My mind used to whirl I struggled to concerntrate and organise self. I used to do jobs that I was clarly not suited to just because they paid well.
    It all came crashing down leaving me with very little confidence or self belief. I'm on medication for adhd now after coming to terms with things. I work part time in a less stressful job, which I can do, and try to see the good in each day, by slowing self down. Crating, walking and gardening all good for this. Id like to be a mom but well have to wait and see. If it was meant to happen it will.
    I love your idea about capturing random photos to capture the moment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's great that you are able to do things to help and it sounds like your activities are just perfect for this too xxx

      Delete
  2. What a wonderful quote. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete

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