Resistance

 Brett, my friend on death row, wrote in a recent letter that he has been enjoying watching the sun rise and the sunsets; that they are some of the prettiest he has ever seen.

My son, who befriended a mature aged man who was in his Animation Course and finally finished the course after a number of years, made the effort yesterday to attend his graduation, a very special day for him.

My painter, a refugee from Afghanistan who came here on a Humanitarian Visa, noted to me that he had been enjoying my stash of camomile tea.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted to David Letterman in an interview that he had been enjoying the mornings; another day in which he had woken up alive.

A guest of Andrew Huberman who visited the Ukraine recently said to him that the people were still making delicious food; prided themselves on doing so.

The guest noted also that while it is thought democracy is at threat in the United States, when one visits the Ukraine, there is the realization that life in the United States is fundamentally stable.

When I am in the enclosed trampoline with my grandsons, that sits in their garden, they want me to bounce them, and jump with them, but my right knee sometimes tells me that it's a bit too much. So I sit in the middle and let them run about me. There's still plenty of movement but I'm not adding to it, or trying to stop it. I'm secure and know that eventually it will stop.

My youngest son, the one who still lives with us, sees that life lived with a worrier, a compulsive person like his Dad, is not easy. He has a quirky sense of humor, as do I.

'Mum, you do good work," he said pointing at me from the far side of the room just before he departed.

'You do good work', I said, pointing back at him.

We both laughed.

In a tough situation, laughter works. Zelenskyy agreed. He still likes to crack jokes.

When Deity died, but I was still unaware of his passing, there was a very still moment for me, complete peace, and somehow, don't ask me how, I knew his spirit was free.

All these little moments. The present moment.

As the world spins around us, chaos, even madness seemingly winning the day, we still have at our disposal the pleasure, and the acceptance of the present moment.

As one of my favourite meditation teachers likes to say, 'Everything that peace touches becomes peaceful.' 

I fulfilled a request by my painter from Afghanistan yesterday to construct a letter to ask about his sisters' application for a humanitarian visa to join him here in Australia. The streets of Tehran are very dangerous and even going onto the streets to buy food puts them at risk of being jailed should they be deemed a protester.

We sat looking out onto a lush garden as we talked of them on the streets of Tehran in possible danger.

It's been a wild, wild ride this year.

As a friend said to me via email just now, if I try to go against the spinning tree, it will throw me off, but if I let it stop of it's own accord, it will. 

Don't resist.

Ah yes, that special phrase of Carl Jung comes to mind, 'What you resist, persists.' 

'It is what it is.' Indeed.

And the most profound of all? Lennon's 'Let it Be'.