Happy Wednesday to TSJ Peeps!
What is the first thing that enters your mind when you read that question?
In case you missed the question, it is: “Are you doing what I am doing?”
Your response may be something like this, “I don’t know. What are you doing?” Or it may be, “Hmm, I wonder why she is asking that question?” Or it may be that you just want to move on quickly and not give it any thought at all. Good luck with that! The brain is ever curious, always in a hurry to figure things out to prevent unwanted feelings and happenings, or at the very least….to make sense of things.
Anyhow, it is time for “The Boys” and I to share our Wednesday tale.
“Mr. Inner Wisdom” and “Mr. Wonder” as I often call them, have conspired to make me move them closer. . . just for blog writing. Well, truth be told.. . something put it into my head that Tom would have moved them.
I have left them on my dresser where they bring me comfort when I wake up. But when I moved them out by the computer, it seems they wanted me to take their picture so you can see them sitting on my printer and help you know if we learn something from WW it probably comes from them. I am sure it was SJ that wanted all that. Solomon just wanted me to share this story.
The Slack Rack
I was in a clothing store returning a shirt and browsing for a pair of comfy slacks. I have noticed I am eating too much comfort food and am now feeling uncomfortable. Ever done that?
So there I was searching for a perfect fit. I looked at some, pulled others off the rack and put them back and was checking industriously for sizes etc.
Another woman who looked to be about my age was there too. I had thought about greeting her or making a socially acceptable remark but she seemed very serious and preoccupied. So for a change, I kept quiet.
Then she popped the question. “Are you doing what I am doing?”
I stumbled to figure out what she might mean. I said, “Perhaps. Not sure what you mean.”
She said, “I am putting the sizes back in their rightful place as they are all mixed up.” I chuckled and said I was doing a bit of that, yes.
What happened next is something hard to explain. But it was as sudden as turning on a switch. She looked at me and suddenly teared over. I do not know what triggered that for her but “triggered” is a good word.
She fought for an explanation saying she had little time so she was putting things where she could come back and find them later. Her grandson lives with her and goes to college so she transporta him.
The tears spoke volumes. Her heart was open. She then said that she had lost her husband a year ago last August. At first I did not say anything about Tom. The inner Solomon filled me with genuine compassion for her moment. So I said, “Ohhh. It never goes away, does it?” And she spilled her story, thoughtfully. It was a wonderful story of love, care, and loss. Of faith, community and sadness. Of finding herself again.
Everywhere I turn I hear of people still grieving the loss of their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, child, best friend, mentors, etc. That includes most of us at some point in our lives. I felt way down deep once again that we humans are on a shared journey.
On the surface, hers was a simple question about sizes and tags. And I will respond to it here in a rather simple way. But on a spiritual level the question was much farther reaching.
As humans we are literally graced with a deep inner place where God waits. All is actually well there. And our other gift is a mind that keeps us looking for the treasures of heaven (peace, joy, happiness and love), and like a treasure hunt, we are often riddled with misleads and missed cues. We still seek meaning, purpose and peace. Especially at 3:00 am. Ask Solomon. He was on the dresser beaming wisdom back at me. I am so grateful.
So let me ask you again, “Are you doing what I am doing?”
Here are some simple things I am doing:
Looking for comfort, like those slacks that need to be just right…snug enough but not too snug. There must be room for some losses and gains.
Where do you find yourself going or what do you find yourself doing to find comfort from stress, loss, confusion, disappointment?
Seeking brief escapes from the intensely fast moving pace of our culture. . . escape from bondage to time and electronics. Yesterday, I went to visit someone and took all back roads so I could drive more slowly for a change. The trees were beautiful and the sun was brilliant. I looked for places to pull off and let cars go by as I was on a road that had no passing signs everywhere. It was hard. I did not want to deter the person who was in a hurry. But it was difficult to go at my preferred pace for this occasion.
Finding simple ways to soothe the soul and quiet the mind. Because I believe in God’s Presence, I have been moved by a meditation by Sarah Youngs I read one morning when I was in a hurry. I opened up the reading for the day and the first line said:
“I am with you. I am with you. I am with you.”
Solomon said, “I told you!!”
