Reflections

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  1. barba
    barba
    2 days ago

    what does “matters” mean?
    . I can do something wrong
    . I can do something right
    . I have to do something, I have to act, I have to be
    . my actions are important
    . the moment is important – not me
    . every moment is an opportunity, has a gift, challenges me
    . be careful, because every moment matters

    I have read your texts and am deeply touched by all the emotions after this election day (I live in Germany)

    1. Robin Ann
      Robin Ann
      2 days ago

      Thank you Barba, it’s been a lot to come to grips with.

    2. Mary
      Mary
      2 days ago

      Thank you for what feels like a warm embrace, Barba.

  2. Robin Ann
    Robin Ann
    3 days ago

    Every moment does matter but we do not always have control of what is happening. I will try to focus on the positives in my little world of friends and family. I will continue praying for our country because it is so needed. I will continue to try to do my best & focus on grateful living as much as sometimes it may be difficult to.

  3. beata23498
    beata
    3 days ago

    It gives the present moment an extraordinary Christmas charm.

  4. D
    Dawn Elaine Bowie
    3 days ago

    I can grieve. It’s okay to do that. And I can write out the pain and the fear. And spend as much time here with all of you as possible.

    Elegy for A Democracy

    We didn’t quite make it to 250 years.
    248 to be exact. On July 4.
    So 248 plus a few months.
    The whole democracy idea wasn’t just ours back then.
    It was sweeping the western world.
    France, England, everywhere.
    But we put it on paper in a unique way.
    And we committed to it – or said we did.
    But we couldn’t quite let go of our worship of the God of Mammon.
    They must have thought there was time to deal with it later, those founding fathers.
    Slavery.
    Which is just another word for, “more stuff for me.”
    And we just kept taking and taking and taking.
    It took us longer than any other western democracy to get rid of official slavery.
    Then the immigrants began to come.
    Even though it was a lot closer in time then than now, there were already plenty who
    thought of “us” as the ones who belong, and “them” as anyone else.
    But immigrants were useful to Mammon, especially with its ever expanding middle. Immigrant children were useful. Cheap labor.
    Then they made THAT illegal, after enough had died and the immigrants of then had started to become at least mostly more of “us.”
    Then wars.
    Then unbridled consumption.
    Then warnings that nobody wanted to hear.
    “You can’t fool Mother Nature.” COP-26.
    Mammon was there, pretending to participate,
    planning how to keep going until nothing was left
    Until its acolytes could jet off to Mars in a spaceship.
    Those of us who lived in the lap of luxury were getting sleepier and sleepier.
    Like the ten virgins.
    We liked comfort and convenience.
    We thought everybody lived like we do.
    So when Mammon raised its head and flexed its muscles and found a poster-child
    Who said what everyone wanted to hear, “Go back to sleep.
    All you need is me and more stuff for you.”
    It made sense to them.
    So they voted and went back to sleep, secure in the siren’s poisonous song.
    56% of American voters feared the end of democracy here after this event
    (I can’t even call it an “election” in the classic sense. It wasn’t.)
    But where were the 56% when the voting happened?
    Taking a nap.
    And the others that drank the kool ade went to what looked like a voting booth,
    And elected themselves a king.
    Like the Israelites.
    “Everything’s not perfect. Give us a king,” they said.
    So God told them what that would look like.
    But they chose it anyway.
    I need a little phase of sackcloth and ashes.
    Then I need to get up, stop whining, get out there,
    and love as many of them as I can.

    1. Mary
      Mary
      2 days ago

      Thank you Dawn Elaine.
      This rings true.

    2. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      3 days ago

      Thank you, Dawn Elaine, for this thought pondering reflection.

    3. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 days ago

      Thank you for this.

  5. Antoinette88615
    Antoinette
    3 days ago

    I’m trying not be scared, but I think admitting that I am scared is a start. I can pray and ask for help to let go of this self who is full of fear .

    1. Mary
      Mary
      2 days ago

      I think I have been a bit numb today, Antoinette.
      Letting go of fear is hard for me.
      Sending my love to you, dear Antoinette. ♥️

  6. Ngoc Nguyen
    Ngoc Nguyen
    3 days ago

    I know that since late August, the distance between my mom and me has been reduced from 22 hours of flying to 4 hours of flying as she now lives in the U.S. However, I have only met her twice since she moved to the U.S. So far, we have spent a total of 4 and a half days together. Every moment definitely matters. I can’t hold onto our sweet moments forever, but I’ll keep them in my heart and use them as motivation for a better life and for our next gatherings.

    1. L
      Loc Tran
      3 days ago

      My Ngoc, you’ll get to see her in a couple weeks.

  7. KC.
    KC
    3 days ago

    I live about an hour north of the US border on the west coast. So many in my community are holding you all and of your country in prayer. Please know that so many of us in Canada, and I am guessing around the world, are with you in your sadness, grief and concern today, and in the days ahead. Warmest wishes and much love, KC.

    1. Michele
      Michele
      2 days ago

      Thank you KC – my son’s former boss, his gay son and husband just moved to Canada because of this.

      1. Robin Ann
        Robin Ann
        1 day ago

        That is unfortunate but good they were able to do so

    2. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 days ago

      Thank you for this. I recently attended an international meeting and met wonderful new colleagues from several countries, one of whom sent me a sympathy note after seeing the results. It does help to know the whole world cares.

      I live about a 3-hour drive south of the US-Canadian border. Back in 2016 I was saying “Canada isn’t that far away, after all”. I don’t want to abandon my country but it’s comforting to know you’re right there….

    3. Robin Ann
      Robin Ann
      3 days ago

      Thank you for thinking of us! My Dad is going on 90 and said he might move to Canada or Ireland. He of course was only kidding. It was rather depressing but I will try to focus on where I live and my little state of RI and try to hope for the best!

    4. D
      Dawn Elaine Bowie
      3 days ago

      Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

    5. L
      Loc Tran
      3 days ago

      KC, I saw the election results and see where you’re going with this.

  8. Mary
    Mary
    3 days ago

    After yesterday’s US election I’m feeling sad, not wanting to look at a newspaper or watch any news program.
    So that’s where I’m starting my day.
    In a bit I will do my daily walking and then visit my Mom.
    If this moment matters, and it does, I will allow myself to feel my feelings
    and notice my breath, the inhale of life,
    and the exhale into relaxation.
    I will keep coming back to my breath, through these moments and throughout my day.
    I clearly remember coming to the gratitude lounge 8 years ago today,
    full of shock and deeply disturbed by the election results of 2016.
    This time around, I am deeply concerned, but I am not shocked.
    I am better prepared emotionally.
    I am planning to take better and more nurturing care of my body.
    And to use the moments I have been gifted with in my life well,
    prioritizing connection and my interconnectedness with family and friends and those I do not yet know
    as was referred to in the Word of the Day.
    In response to what I perceive as an out of control man ruling our country,
    I will be much more conscious of living my life well, moment by moment, day by day,
    and also prioritize doing my part to help those in need, those who have been othered.
    I also planning to get involved in some action to help the environment on our beautiful planet earth.
    I cannot save the world, but I can do my part to help make it a better place.
    Sending so much love to all of you as you reflect on today’s Question of the Day,
    and as I return to my breath, breathing in life giving oxygen
    and exhaling into the peaceful place that I can create in each moment.
    ♥️♥️♥️

    1. Linda72766
      Linda
      2 days ago

      I remember that day in 2016 very well, Mary. I was shocked and broken hearted. I wore my version of sackcloth and ashes to work. It was a very hard day, and a very hard 4 years following. I feel like it is Deja vu all over again…

      1. Mary
        Mary
        1 day ago

        Hi Linda. I was so shocked by election results in 2016.
        I can’t comprehend how this happened in 2024.
        I am still trying to get my bearings.
        Someone on these pages said to be in the moment
        and to stop future tripping.
        That feels right.
        Baby steps.
        I will deal with this in baby steps.

    2. Pilgrim
      Pilgrim
      3 days ago

      Well said, my Friend. I am with you. And I am wondering, where is hope!?

      1. Mary
        Mary
        2 days ago

        Where is the hope, yes, where is the hope?
        I haven’t gotten that far yet.
        Even though I wasn’t as shocked as I was in 2016,
        the whole thing is even more shocking now.
        I just don’t understand how all of this is happening.
        When did hatefulness become so acceptable?
        I can be more positive in the morning than I am, now in the evening.
        I should go to bed.
        And then return to my breath in the morning.
        I’m sending my love to you, dear Pilgrim. ♥️

      2. Robin Ann
        Robin Ann
        3 days ago

        Maybe he will fail in a big way and get thrown out. That is my hope!! I hardly paid attention to anything to do with him and heard on the radio he will be sentenced in about a week! Word is he will do 30 days after his 4 yrs in office perhaps!

  9. D
    Drea
    3 days ago

    Believing that every moment matters helps me become more aware of time. I have an urge to spin out and get absorbed in preparations. But when I do that, I forget about anything else. I also see activity as a way of avoiding grief. And grief is very slow. So I begin to allow myself to feel whatever comes up in the moment, including grief, and respond with more intelligence.

  10. Barb C
    Barb C
    3 days ago

    Right now recognizing that every moment matters fills me with guilt that I didn’t do more. I used to be very engaged in politics and held elective office. I know from firsthand experience just how much difference every single action can make in a close election. I’m older than when I did all that doorbelling and phone-calling but could still have done more than just donate and share a few memes.

    I was born on Election Day and the first time I was elected it was on my birthday, so Election Day is always a bit of an occasion and sometimes I like to joke about whether the voters gave me a big present. This particular year my birthday is today. I didn’t look at the results last night because I just couldn’t. While the national voters didn’t do me any favors, in my state and local elections we elected good leadership and an initiative that would have gutted funding for my specific programs was defeated (an attempt to repeal a carbon auction cap-and-trade revenue source). I’ll appreciate those wins as part of my response.

    My older daughter dropped this link into the chat we have with my younger daughter. It’s a very long piece and well worth the read. The list includes a reminder to give ourselves permission to grieve, as well as specific ways to engage in constructive civic action. I’m not going to sit around. https://wagingnonviolence.org/2024/11/10-things-to-do-if-trump-wins/

    A quote from the piece:
    “On the days when I can’t sense any of these political possibilities (more than not), I zoom out further to the lifespans of trees and rocks, heading into spiritual reminders that nothing lasts forever.”
    –Daniel Hunter

    1. D
      Drea
      3 days ago

      Thank you Barb!

    2. Elizabeth H67151
      Elizabeth H
      3 days ago

      Thank you, Barb C! That is a great article.

  11. Elizabeth H67151
    Elizabeth H
    3 days ago

    It helps me to guide myself as much as possible away from splitting my attention, and instead to aim to be as fully present as possible in each given moment. On this day when I am full of grief and fear and disbelief, I can choose to either hold space fully for my grief in a given moment, fully focus on reading articles and learning what I can do in this moment in history, or else fully focus on the activity I am engaged in, whether that is caregiving or washing the dishes or enjoying my backyard. I recognize that if I keep repetitive thoughts of anxiety and fear going in my mind WHILE washing the dishes or caregiving or enjoying my backyard, I am kind of throwing away that moment by not being present to what I am doing.

    1. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 days ago

      Thank you for this. Right now I’m on my sofa with a warm cat on my lap, my husband reheating the coffee that got cold, the sky beginning to lighten so I can see tall trees against a gray overcast sky. The furnace is humming to warm the house and my older daughter recorded “Happy Birthday to You” and sent it to me via WhatsApp. All good things I can appreciate.

      1. Michele
        Michele
        2 days ago

        Happy birthday Barb!

      2. Elizabeth H67151
        Elizabeth H
        3 days ago

        Happy Birthday, Barb C!

  12. Patti
    sunnypatti
    3 days ago

    Every moment has led me to this one, and I feel like I’ve learned to relate to the present moment in ways that help me have a better life overall, so I will continue doing my best to choose peace and happiness.

  13. Jenifer
    Jenifer
    3 days ago

    I think of the butterfly effect, how one thing can influence the other and so on. I think about all the moments in which I was incredibly sad and hopeless, wanting those feelings to go away. Looking back, they were just as important because I allowed myself to feel the depths of my pain instead of ignoring it. This had led to more self compassion towards myself when I’m get into a similar state.

  14. L
    Loc Tran
    3 days ago

    I appreciate whatever I have instead of going after my desires. As a liberal, I can see the benefits to conservatism. Yes, the only constancy is change, but not all change is good. Some things are better left as they are. Ketchup on rice and soup doesn’t taste right just like Asian fish sause on burgers.

    1. Barb C
      Barb C
      3 days ago

      I wouldn’t put ketchup on rice myself, but my husband grew up with ketchup on rice. His mom is from the Philippines, which may be the source of that. Tastes vary!

      1. L
        Loc Tran
        3 days ago

        Barb, I guess it depends on the rice. I don’t know about the Philippines, but I’ve had Mexican rice before. I’ve never eatten ketchup with that, but I can imagine that having a better chance with ketchup than Vietnamese rice. As far as Asian fish sause and burgers go, I’ve never heard of that before. That sounds far-fetched to me.

  15. Nannette
    Nannette
    3 days ago

    I am not sure that I am thinking well this morning— all I do know is that I have this moment in time..that is all I have and I am grateful for this time. I know not where I am going but I do know that I am here now.

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