I woke up this morning to hear the news about the bombings in Brussels.
I stopped what I was doing, took a deep centering breath, placed my hands on my heart and prayed.
I asked that everyone involved, touched, connected to this happening be surrounded in light. I asked that the suffering would be eased, and the healing take place. I asked that the highest and best possible outcome for all concerned happen now. And then I turned off the TV and began sending love. Whenever I thought about Brussels, I sent my love.
I am still convalescing after my surgery almost four weeks ago. Still can’t put my own pants on (maybe my doctor wasn’t so crazy after all), and Winston and I are on the couch resting most of the time. But I did want to come here and share with those of you who might be wanting to hear a little perspective from my own heart because I know this is really upsetting for a lot of us, and maybe there is something I can do to be of service in my own way.
I thought of these posts below, which I wrote earlier when other things were going on in the world. May these serve you in powerful ways.
Send Your Love, Not Your Worries
I am in a position of loving people through difficult things. Sometimes people witnessing those going through the hard time will say to me: But what can I do?! I am so far away, I don’t really know what I can offer. These sweet friends will be sitting with guilt and worry and not really know what to do. As we hear about friends going through difficult times, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by a variety of emotions. In our efforts to do something, we may say little things like, I feel so bad for you! I wish there was something I could do! My heart is breaking for you! Which as you may guess isn’t really helping either of you (as nice as it may seem). But there is something SO POWERFUL we can all do in times like these: We can send our love not our worries. >> Read the full post here
Meanwhile, the World Goes On
I have been moving through my days carefully and cautiously since I heard about Paris. And the scary truth is, I have been sitting here trying to find a way to tell you that while OF COURSE there is a part of me grieving for Paris, there is an even bigger part holding many loved ones in the midst of grieving their own tragedies and hardships, and this is taking precedence. Paris is not at the forefront of my mind right now and I am feeling bad, and a little guilty about saying that–even though I know it’s okay to be feeling this way. It’s been kind of hard for me to focus anywhere. And so I’m moving gently. These are the kinds of days I remember–especially when the kids were little–when I would pour vodka into my sippy cup while we built forts in the living room because I needed to blur the edges a little. >> Read the full post here
Rainbow Suspenders Are Forever, Robin
My friend texted me to say Robin Williams had taken his own life. Nanu nanu, she said. Rainbow suspenders forever, I said. This amazing, bright, shining, funny man who delighted the world decided to leave on his own terms. We don’t really know what happened, but for sure it is shockingly sad to hear the news. Sad to imagine how his wife and family are doing. Wherever Robin is now, he gets it. He understands. Death is an experience for the living. We’re the ones experiencing that shock and sadness, we are the ones still here, we’re feeling the loss, and perhaps we’re even feeling left behind. >> Read the full post here
Full Permission to Honor What Is
Honoring what is isn’t always easy. How do you manage when you have a heavy heart, or something happens in the day you weren’t counting on? My way is to honor it all, allow the heavy heartedness and the sad, the grief and the love but also the humor and the commitments too, to the best of my ability. This isn’t about dissolving into the unconsoleable kind of collapse which serves no one. Sometimes we have to stop everything and pay attention, honor what is happening. Make space for feelings that are never ever convenient and almost never anticipated. >> Read the full post here
If I can be of help or assistance, or if you just want to share how it’s feeling for you, please do that in the comments. I promise to write back when I can.
xoxo
