"Things falling apart is a kind of testing and also a kind of healing. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy." —Pema Chodron
Sabine left this quote for me in comments a week or so ago, and it really resonated. She also said the body is always, at every moment, trying to heal itself. That gifted me with a whole new way of understanding my own body, which I began to see as lovingly trying to take care of me. And even though I respect what another friend recently said—that if anyone told her to read Pema during her hard time she would "cut a bitch"—I'm putting this quote here, to remind myself that things are always falling apart and always healing, and every emotion that attends the cycle, which is simply life, we need to welcome in, and then gently usher on.
Photo: Doctor's Cave Beach, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Sabine is a very, very wise woman.
ReplyDeleteI love you and always feel your love back. Isn't that amazing? Thank you for the damn good words, even if they did originate with a Buddhist nun who probably doesn't have to deal with traffic or kids.
Sabine's quote in the comments resonated with me as well. In a broader sense I interpret it as life being not about the days that everything is going well, but about ALL the days. So when we're having a bad day, that's just a part of life. That's something I've only truly come to understand in the past couple of years. And I still forget it. So it's good to be reminded.
ReplyDeleteHello! I found your blog through another and wanted to let you know that I greatly enjoy it - I have read a lot of it all ready and just discovered it last night. I even put it on my FB status writing I was thrilled to find an intelligent, excellently written blog. Count me in as a fan. (I live in Vancouver, Canada, so you never know how far away your words reach).
ReplyDelete- Karen
Ah well, I am learning but there seems to be not quite that much room. Breathe and let it be.
ReplyDeleteI remember Sabine's comment. It resonated with me as well. But I must confess, your friend's remark cracked me up. :)
ReplyDeleteI love Pema Chodron. She is a fascinating person with a fascinating history. They resonate with me in particular today.
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