Raccoon Diarrhea

Somebody who lives on or near this road has diarrhea. I could feel the sting just looking at the scat of.... What? A raccoon?  I found 2 tiny "cowpies" on our driveway, about ten feet apart. Somebody had to go and go badly. And then again. You know how that feels.

Food goes in our mouths; our bodies compost it; and the remains exit through the bottom of the torso.

The food that goes in my mouth is not me. The waste that comes out the bottom end is not me. How about that composting process? Is that me? The stuff i chew? The masticated mess that the stomach digests? Is that me? The slurry that enters the small intestine. Is that me?

When do the vitamins and minerals become "me"?

The body is constantly changing. Water in. Pee out. Is it ever me?

Blue Gentian

Twenty years ago, i met a 72-year-old Master Gardener, Lanice, who couldn't keep up with her many flowerbeds. She gave me a gentian that had been overgrown by a nearby azalea.

Today, i am 72 years old, and i just rediscovered Lanice's blue gentian growing in one of my nursery beds.

Gentian is an herb--one of the ingredients in bitters, which settles the stomach.

Meditation settles our mind. Interestingly, gentian blue settles my heart. When i am wearing this bright blue, i feel safe.

Feeling safe, feeling a lack of fear, anxiety, worry and such, is one of the ingredients of loving-kindness and friendliness.

One of our challenges today is to feel friendly toward those who do not share our views and opinions.  The first response of the amydala might be bitterness, but we are seeking the heart's response. How can you feel safe with "them"? And how might "they" feel safe with you?