On Saturday, it was D’s birthday, and we decided to go to Shaw Nature Reserve (imagine, DnA haven’t been there in 10 years of living here!)…and though it was a short visit, it was wonderful. As we drove in, I got this beautiful

A Buddhist Monk asks his teacher: “Master, Is it alright if I use Email?” The Teacher: “You may… as long as there is no attachment.”

Courage… Is not only standing up to ravening lions In the jungle.. How often does that happen in one’s everyday life? Courage is… feeling sorrow A dreadful emptiness of one’s heart, Which brings tears springing swiftly to one’s eyes… Which saps the energy to do anything… To battle that inertia, Digging deep to find the wellsprings of strength To go on with one’s life; To know(not just think) that whatever sorrow it is, There is nothing that some man or woman has not faced before. And probably handled better than one has. To reassure oneself that this sorrow, this emptiness Has been felt by others, Who have faced it And moved on, vanquishing it in doing so. To reason, therefore, through that cloud of sadness That this sorrow will pass.. (Knowing that others have borne a burden Does not make it any easier for one to bear) To take strength from the knowledge That one is not alone, And to go on without complaint… To even try and laugh about the pain that cuts into one’s heart… That is courage. I hope I have it.

So many thoughts crowd my mind as I sit here…it’s incredible…I have no baby to see to, no little, enquiring mind to entertain, no little body to pat back to sleep, no cereal to mix…