Sunday, January 1, 2012

On New Year's Resolutions, Including Mine

I have not been posting much because I've been having fun - maybe too much fun, playing Words With Friends on my new iPad with 4 or 5 people at a time, including my grandson, who likes to play two games at a time.  I tell you, grandmas who don't do the new technology (and I know people who won't even have e-mail) are missing out.  It's made being old and less active much more fun.

But I thought I should post something today, so here is a child's view to think about as you make your resolutions -

(If you friend me on Facebook, I pass along good things like this once in a while, but not too often.)

I called my dear friend Teena today when she didn't show up in church.  We were in meditation groups together all those years ago, about ten years now, I guess, and you form a bond there with people that is warm and lasting.  In fact, this morning two other women came up to me who were in those groups, and who I hadn't seen for years.  There is something terrific about sitting in silence with other people.

Teena says her resolution is "Be open-minded and don't get too attached to anything."  Very Buddhist, I told her. She didn't mind.  She likes to read Buddhist books.

I told her my resolution, arrived at spontaneously a few days ago, is "I'm not going to let this shit get me down."  Can't help it, that was the language of the soul.  And what I meant was this sickness and aging stuff.  It just keeps coming at you, throwing curve balls.  I am already much better with it all than I was, say, 10 years ago, when I practically had a nervous breakdown before my thyroid surgery.  (It is possible to have your vocal cords damaged by the surgery, though unlikely.)  Might as well get used to it, I think now, because aging is inevitable, and this is what it means - things breaking down.  I maintain my current commitment to exercising and doing my various PT exercises, too, for my back, neck, and now right arm.

I hope you don't overwhelm yourself with a whole bunch of self-improvement ideas going into the new year, although we can all vow to be kinder and more generous.  If you must form a healthy new habit, I recommend daily meditation.  It's been good for me in many ways, the best being to have it in place to help you when you're lying awake in a hospital bed.

And of course, no hitting or biting.  Not even doctors, tempting as it might be.

3 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post! And sage understanding from the four-year-old Bodhisattva, Nathanial.

    I borrowed his advice for my blog entry today:
    http://what-is-zen.blogspot.com/2012/01/letting-go-new-years-resolutions.html

    I get your RSS feed and always look forward to your posts. Thank you.

    Be well.

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  2. well...I guess my son was having a bad day yesterday since I got hit and bit! OH well...that's another story. Maybe I'll take up this meditation. I keep doing some half-assed attempts at it, but it never lasts more than a session here or a session there.

    You had thyroid surgery Jeanne??? My thyroid has been my THING of worry for quite some time. I think another post is due for the lumpy thing.

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  3. Lol! yeah! good one, you can always take your meditation to your hospital bed with you. I had a psychologist show me how to find peace and calm within me through just breathing and my mind had to follow my breath into my body, and I had to feel it calm my body down as if warm sea water was soothing it. It worked for me.
    I'm 49 now and can now start to feel arthritis hurting my fingers, so I'm already dreading old age. I think morning meditation is vital to get into the right frame of mind all day and exercise and eating right all go hand in hand.
    My mom is 79 years and my resolution is to phone her every day and to visit her once a week at least to get her hair done, or go out and have coffee, etc. I got her a little Tracfone SVC with bigger keys and letters for Xmas and because it's light and small she carries it in her pocket where ever she is, so I don't worry as much about her .
    Lets focus on physical and mental health and love and friends and family this year.

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