MyDailyOM

conquering adversity!

While checking in on the folks I follow @MyDailyOM, I happened upon this *retweet* {thanks Mahala @LuminousHeart} from @DreamInAction.

It seems right for the moment.

"Under the greatest adversity exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself & others."

~ Dalai Lama

imagine...

Saturday. Vibing on Lennon today & seeking ease... Imagine...

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

mechie the luckie one.

strength unbroken.

Watching CNN coverage of the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy & heard a very appropriate quote used in reference to his life challenges:

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places." ~ Ernest Hemingway

I also feel the quote speaks well to my feelings of today as I manage the life challenges of the moment. What a year this has been for me personally & my Family.

There are times during the day when my Mom's condition takes my breath. Like I literally cannot breathe. Her suffering wounds me beyond words. My helplessness (on all levels) makes me feel weak, though I know that I am not.

Thank goodness for Refuge. May we all live with ease...

mechie the luckie one.

the present moment... {redux}

"The present moment is the perfect teacher." ~ Pema Chodron

Mom told my son Jay she feels like she is "falling". Falling...

I am trusting Pema's words to be true & holding to the reality that this is the path we were destined to take.

I will be a stronger, wiser, kinder, person as a result of this experience. I will it so.

mechie the luckie one.

a new mom.

Some of you may be aware that my Mom has been on a slow {until recently} incline, exhibiting symptoms related to Alzheimer's Disease more & more each year.

Since I first realized something was "off" {6 yrs. ago} I've adjusted - sometimes well, sometimes not - to the changes in her personality but then 3 weeks ago, we hit a new place & all things changed.

Due to the advancement of Mom's illness, she can no longer live alone & has officially been moved into my Sister's home -- and boy she is NOT happy.

Can you imagine how she feels? Everything in her life has changed in just a few weeks. Her mind, which has always been so sharp, is now unpredictable. She can no longer count on it to make sense of the world she's living in.

On days like today she sounds frustrated, confused & helpless. I have a "new" Mom.

I've returned to this blog because I am aware that I cannot hold this life challenge in.

I need help. Help to understand the disease's progression. Help to manage the pain as I have to endure watching it.

I'm reminded at this moment of my Refuge Vows, that I took just a few years ago & was blessed to have my Mom witness:

I take refuge in the Buddha {the example}. I take refuge in the Dharma {the teaching/path}. I take refuge in the Sangha {the community}.

peace & blessings...

mechie the luckie one.

wordless wednesday: Buddha Shakyamuni

Buddha Shakyamuni - The Compassionate One

still on the path...

When I recently stepped back to reflect on the past year, I realized that I am smack dab inside a Buddhist/life lesson of Patience Acceptance...

I can be so dense! After all these years of seeking the path, I still find myself expecting to reach some point where life is perfect & pristine!

Even though I know how good character is acquired, I still find myself begrudging the path to it! Sheez!

So I return to MyDailyOM - the ramblings & sometime wise reflections of an Accidental Buddhist, to work through my thoughts of present.

It's been a while... 3 years this month! But I desperately need the space & the freedom MyDailyOM has always afforded me. 

I still don't know where the journey will lead us, other than forward. I welcome you my friends to strap-on your back-pack & join me...

I've missed you.

mechie the luckie one.