A friend posted this quote on Facebook recently. I don't know what prompted her to share it just then, but it was exactly what I needed.
This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all!...The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
-- Rumi, "The Guest House"
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Groundhog Day
In certain cultures, there is a strongly held belief that errant bloggers who post on Groundhog Day will continue to post regularly for the next six weeks (at least). So here goes:
Near my college apartment in Iowa there was an old rundown house lived in by a very frail old woman who rarely poked her nose outside the house.
One day when was walking by, I noticed what appeared to be a giant, truly enormous, rat sunning itself near the house's foundation.
Appalled, I stood there staring, trying to decide what to do. Clearly if I let the thing be, it would eventually kill the poor woman in her sleep.
I took a long time standing there marveling at the size of the thing, trying to decide whether I should walk back to my apartment to call the police, or wait and call from work, where I was headed.
Luckily a more worldly student walked by while I was deciding. "Hey, check out the groundhog," she said.
... I still wonder what those cops would have said.
And now I love groundhogs. (I just don't have any pics of them.)
PS I have a coworker whose birthday is today and I swear yesterday I heard someone ask her, "Have you always had your birthday on Groundhog Day?" God love her, she just said, "Yeah."
Near my college apartment in Iowa there was an old rundown house lived in by a very frail old woman who rarely poked her nose outside the house.
One day when was walking by, I noticed what appeared to be a giant, truly enormous, rat sunning itself near the house's foundation.
Appalled, I stood there staring, trying to decide what to do. Clearly if I let the thing be, it would eventually kill the poor woman in her sleep.
I took a long time standing there marveling at the size of the thing, trying to decide whether I should walk back to my apartment to call the police, or wait and call from work, where I was headed.
Luckily a more worldly student walked by while I was deciding. "Hey, check out the groundhog," she said.
... I still wonder what those cops would have said.
And now I love groundhogs. (I just don't have any pics of them.)
PS I have a coworker whose birthday is today and I swear yesterday I heard someone ask her, "Have you always had your birthday on Groundhog Day?" God love her, she just said, "Yeah."
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