Spring is now officially fourteen days away; someone needs to let the snow suppliers know that they can scale back on the deliveries any time now. I'm looking at four feet of snow in our back yard, and although it is giving us a beautiful, bright, blank page to write on, I don't need to be writing a tome! 

Actually, a blank page may be what we all need right now, with the potential to reassess and to start living life with a new sense of appreciation for the gifts that we have been blessed with. We are all grappling with the knowledge that, as we sit in uneasy comfort, our brothers and sisters in the Ukraine have had their lives torn apart. We wonder what the future holds for us all, and what we can do to help to promote peace.

I believe that peace has to begin within each of us, one moment at a time, one kind thought at a time, building exponentially from kind word to kind word, caring smile to caring smile, one act of forgiveness to total forgiveness of others, and of ourselves. In the words of Desmond Tutu, "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." 

Wisdom Springs and Joy Sings!

No one ever lives in complete isolation,
For within each of us,
Wisdom dwells,
Our spirit's dear companion;
Living alongside our human essence,
In quiet contemplation of our desires and
Our efforts to give;

Its sole purpose is to guide us to giving

In constant, selfless ripples;
It is the voice within
That puts a stop on our tongues
When hurtful words prepare to leap forth,
Or when we would voice an untruth;
It asks only for a diet of humility,
And a letting go of earthly ambition;

It is not a solemn companion,

But a joyful spirit;

It is not bound up in pettiness,
But laughingly loves us,
Revels in every smile that we let escape,
Every kind act that we follow through on;

Those actions let it know that it has been welcomed and heeded,

That God, the giver of the gift, indeed dwells here;

We are totally and forever enfolded in His loving embrace,
We are never alone.
 

Solomon's Respect For Wisdom:   "I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones"

 

 

This message was sent to you from:

Edie Batstone

E-mail:  edie@ediebatstone.ca

Website:   www.ediebatstone.ca

Address:  Box 2167, Prescott, ON,  K0E 1T0

Telephone:  613-925-4835

 

If we have contacted you in error or to Unsubscribe from future emails please reply to this email with Unsubscribe in the subject line.

You know that isolation is getting to you when you start looking at mice as kindred spirits!

As I was meditating my way through some Tai Chi movements this morning, I happened to notice a mousetrap set in the corner of the room, and my mind suddenly headed off on a nostalgia trip.   It took me back to some of my early artistic endeavours; children's pictures that included  some of these wee folk dressed up in quaint costumes; happy little pictures, of happy little creatures, in happy little settings.

In this time of isolation, when our individual personal environments are drastically reduced, when our tactile interaction with those we love is interrupted,  I am reminded that we all share a larger family home:  Nature waits, with its arms wide open, to welcome our long-overdue attention and appreciation, and to give back happiness in return - we need look no further than the small, simple things.

  A Mousey Meditation!

As I sat, meditating,

And searching for light,

An ominous mouse trap

Came into my sight;

Off in a corner,

Of my humble house,

Sitting there, waiting

For some little mouse

To come, uninvited,

And fall for the trap;

I winced as I thought of him

Caught with a snap!

Perhaps that wee creature

Was watching me too,

Waiting nearby,

And seeing right through

My frustrated efforts,

As I tried too hard

To find life's deep meaning;

He'd catch me off guard;

Keeping it simple,

He'd gobble the cheese,

And leave with a 'thank you!'

As bold as you please,

Wishing me luck,

As I seemed to be stuck,

Caught in my own mousetrap! 

  Keep it simple -  gobble the love, leave pride in the trap!

Nice Ta Meetcha!   - The Power Of A Biscuit!

That's it!  I've Had it!   Time to bake biscuits!

Enough of all of these doom and gloom forecasts, whether political or weather-related;  It's time to bake  some love into some biscuits. Whatever form your biscuits take, whatever your 'knead' may be - let's sit down with a nice cup of tea and take a healing time-out  - calories be darned!

Each time that I recreate my mother-in-law, Joan's wonderful shortbread biscuit recipe, I find myself adding something extra to the mix that might make it even more delicious.  So far the ingredients are coming from Toronto, B.C., Ontario, Quebec, Indonesia, and the U.S.   How exotic is that! 

As I lovingly work the ingredients into small crumbs, on their way to the final mix, I am aware of the dependence of each of them on the others in order to form. These ingredients had never met before today - stayed in their separate cupboards, but once introduced and the more I let them combine and work together, the finer they have become.  My trained ear is hearing them as they compliment each other at great length, with 'Nice ta meetchas' happening all around!

I have now come full circle, contemplating world issues again, but through the lens of a biscuit baker.  We are all part of this wonderful recipe called mankind, and whether we admit it or not, we are all dependent on each other in order to get from crumb to delicious biscuit, to reach our full potential;

 We each have something to offer that no one else can give, but we can't find out what that something is until we start coming out of our cupboards and offering our 'nice ta meetcha's.

 Ah, the zen of the biscuit - may its force be with you!

A Mother's Reflection:

My newborn slept against my breast,

And I whispered, "How beautiful."

I held him out to the world,

And it echoed, "How beautiful."

I sent him into the world,

And the world touched him

And I felt pride, and I felt fear.

He came home wounded,

And I held him against my breast,

And I whispered,  "How unfair."

Then I sent him out again,

Armed with tools that I hoped would help:

Love, faith, patience, tolerance, kindness, listening skills,

And I said to him, "Be my peacemaker."

He came back home confused and wounded,

And I said to him, "Don't despair, you are growing, and I am so proud of you,

This pain will be part of your strengthening."

And he went back into the world,

Bruised, but determined and hopeful.

Then he laughed,

And the heart of the world skipped a beat,

For he had touched the world, and it had responded,

He became aware of a unique something within that he possessed,

That was his to build, develop, and share.

He wondered aloud, "Who am I?"

And a voice answered;

He knew that voice,

It whispered, "How beautiful."

And again,

"You are mine, you are more precious

Than you can possibly imagine."

And this mother echoed in gratitude,

"How beautiful!"

I Am Grateful -  Right Now!

'Experiencing gratitude is a learnable skill that improves with practise.  It isn't dependant on things going well, or receiving favours from others.  It's getting better at spotting what's already there.'

'Recent research has shown that people experiencing high levels of gratitude tend to be happier and more satisfied with their lives. When people were instructed to keep a daily 'gratitude journal', where they were to record each day, things that they felt grateful for, it was found to have a profound and reliable impact on mood.  When we get into the habit of keeping this kind of journal, we train our minds to notice the up side of life more easily and quickly.'

The above excerpts are from an article that was sent to me by my wise and caring Aunt Jane (Sister Jane), who is not without her own crosses to bear.  Judging from the positive vibes that continue to emanate from this beautiful lady, it is certainly a state of mind that she has attained and translated into lifting the spirits of others daily.  Therefore, the advice is well worth heeding , her example well worth following.   

Starting today, I will give more notice to the little wonders around me and

 practise gratefulness.

The little bird

That came today,

Because of a seed

On a little tray,

A tiny gift

For tuppence bought,

Gave back to me

A happy thought.

Does that tiny bird

Know what pleasure

She gave to me

With her greatest treasure;

Her lovely song

Sang out to me

That all I have to be

Is me.

Then to those seeds,

In happy mood,

I added grains

Of gratitude.

This Christmas - I Don't Want Much!

I Don't Want Much!

Christmas is not something that just happens,

It is built out of priceless gifts - our gifts to the Christ Child whose coming brought hope into the world.

Who and where are the wise ones who come to the manger today?

Take a deep look into the eyes of children when we think we have wisdom;

They have a way of unmasking us and revealing our unsure inner child.

The wisest responses are those spoken by our actions -

 A reassuring, love-filled hug is often the immediate answer that they are seeking, even if they don't realize it right away.

 They may hear our words, but  they will remember our actions, our kindnesses - no fancy wrapping needed -  there is enough beauty  in that gift.

I only want

A Christmas tree

With tiny bells that play,

And underneath, a little water

To give it life each day.

 

I only want

A song of joy,

Like tinkling bells that play,

To fill me up, like living water,

And lift my life each day.

 

I only want

A little hope

And happy bells to play,

When I get up on Christmas morning,

To ring in Christmas Day!

 

I only want

A little peace

And bells that ring and say:

"For all the world - the gift of water

For everyone each day!"

 

A  little joy, a little hope,

A little peace to help us cope,

That's water to my little tree,

The one that grows

Inside of me!

 

Christmas comes but once a year, but let's invite the Christmas Spirit to dwell in our hearts all year long, and promise to give it a top-up each December 25th.  In the meantime, let's keep building!