“Praise be”
is a greeting that is used throughout the book,
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’,
with a grim portrayal of life in a post USA country
called Gideon.
It is also said in many modern day Christian churches today.
I cringe when I hear it
and my throat runs dry.
I want to scream over the lump that has formed.
I want to run away to the woods.
It’s almost impossible
for me to separate it out
from religious zealotry.
But I am a big girl now,
so I must try,
for the word itself is innocent
and should not be judged by its usage.
And there is so much to praise,
isn’t there?
I praise the healers in the world,
the peacemakers,
the wisdom of the ages
carried in the breast of every bird and beast
that wanders the land.
I praise the sun that shines,
the waters that flow,
the clouds that shade,
and the moon
which always
gives us another chance.
When I think about praise in this way
then I am as happy as a little clam,
down in my hole,
deep in the sand,
nourished by sea water
bringing me teeny tiny algae and zooplankton
with each tide,
and sheltered from the feet of beach goers
and fishermen.
And tonight
I will quietly praise the gift
of having another day,
and a warm bed to dream in. ♥
Praising trying something different. What came to mind is an App called Vinted I signed on to about a week ago. My daughter told me about a similar one she is doing which is mainly clothing. You sell sell clothes and many other items (like to declutter) but the shipping is free. Since she was telling me about it I thought what the heck. There are a lot of items I would like to get rid of to declutter or clothes that just don’t fit or I am tired of. So I have sold 3 items so far within a week. And I feel like it is like a recycle of items and you can earn coupons by telling someone else about it . Kinda a fun project for the on coming cold weather!
All the kind and caring people I met as I made my rounds this morning to the Council on Aging coffee group, the public library and the senior lunch site. I also feel blessed by the beautiful fall weather we are experiencing today. I look forward to taking a walk later this afternoon and who knows who I may be privileged to meet in my very friendly neighborhood. Many times they are walking their dogs and I get to pet them! Sometimes I meet up with a large group of students from the local high school on their daily run and enjoy getting waves, smiles and “good afternoon, Ma’ams.” There’s nothing more real than a relationship. I’m thankful for them all of them which includes each and everyone of you.
The Rio Grande rift. Here, the Earth’s crust is stretching and thinning a few centimeters each year, with the Colorado Plateau on one side, and the Midwest on the other. In millions of years, the rift might pull completely apart and give birth to a new ocean. I love being a tiny critter on an earth that moves on its own timeline.
Mary, I’ve been learning about geology and it’s wild! Love thinking about geological timeline and how long the earth has been doing its thing without us on it.
Collectivism deserves my praise. It helps me stay rooted, separate myself from my own ego, and receive protective care better. Once, Angela told me how in her Mexican culture, when something happens to someone, extended family members go great lengths to protect that individual. Sounds like Vietnamese culture all over again. It’s that collective umbrella.
My yearly zen goal is to trust my people. Sean and I go from the July-June yearly time cycle for each quarter. By trusting my people, I learn to embrace Paw Mu’s collective vision for me. We were not made to go alone. Staying close to my root people from family, elders, and culture keeps me protected from my ego.
To me, the word praise, has a religious and judgmental meaning attached to it. I get what the question is asking, but I prefer being grateful and having gratitude. After all, who am I to heap praise on someone or something. I am not a king or a deity. I will definitely let people know my appreciation and (as usual) I will try and be grateful for all of this.
I had a similar perspective to the word ‘praise.’ Honestly, Br. David’s book “99 Blessings” opened me up to a new interpretation. I think now of praise, at least as Grateful.org refers to it here, as giving a blessing to–a form of honoring and humility unrelated to status. Not a mainstream conception of praise tho–in our culture, as you rightly point out, it has this religious, patronizing connotation.
That’s almost funny,
dear Charlie,
as I also
have that same religious connection
to the word ‘praise’!
I felt an immediate shudder go through me
when I read the Question.
I’ll have to work on this. ♥
I thought of things like praising someone who did good work. Then that seemed quasi-parental, which isn’t my role with respect to pale who aren’t my children.
I’m in an airport looking at this on my phone so I’m not in my usual reflection space. I may come back later to see if it lands differently after reading new responses.
God’s world – the natural world. (per Richard Rohr’s daily meditation today). My backyard is stunning after recent rains. And the cooler temps are so refreshing. I’m feeling worshipful.
Too much to count. I had a peaceful morning getting my daughter off to school. She’s a junior now so there’s only about one more year. Left of me ushering her through this process. I really felt the tenuousness of it. She was really sweet this morning. She’s becoming a lovely adult.
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“Praise be”
is a greeting that is used throughout the book,
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’,
with a grim portrayal of life in a post USA country
called Gideon.
It is also said in many modern day Christian churches today.
I cringe when I hear it
and my throat runs dry.
I want to scream over the lump that has formed.
I want to run away to the woods.
It’s almost impossible
for me to separate it out
from religious zealotry.
But I am a big girl now,
so I must try,
for the word itself is innocent
and should not be judged by its usage.
And there is so much to praise,
isn’t there?
I praise the healers in the world,
the peacemakers,
the wisdom of the ages
carried in the breast of every bird and beast
that wanders the land.
I praise the sun that shines,
the waters that flow,
the clouds that shade,
and the moon
which always
gives us another chance.
When I think about praise in this way
then I am as happy as a little clam,
down in my hole,
deep in the sand,
nourished by sea water
bringing me teeny tiny algae and zooplankton
with each tide,
and sheltered from the feet of beach goers
and fishermen.
And tonight
I will quietly praise the gift
of having another day,
and a warm bed to dream in. ♥
Amen, and thank you, Sparrow.🍂🍁
Praising trying something different. What came to mind is an App called Vinted I signed on to about a week ago. My daughter told me about a similar one she is doing which is mainly clothing. You sell sell clothes and many other items (like to declutter) but the shipping is free. Since she was telling me about it I thought what the heck. There are a lot of items I would like to get rid of to declutter or clothes that just don’t fit or I am tired of. So I have sold 3 items so far within a week. And I feel like it is like a recycle of items and you can earn coupons by telling someone else about it . Kinda a fun project for the on coming cold weather!
Fun, and practical, and helpful. Enjoy Robin Ann.🍁🍂
Praise to nature in all its beauty and wonder came first. Thank you all for sharing here.
Honestly me and MY world. I have been so consumed in my role in other people’s worlds, its time to I get back to my own.
Myself. I’ve been going out with friends and having strong reactions. It won’t stop me.
All the kind and caring people I met as I made my rounds this morning to the Council on Aging coffee group, the public library and the senior lunch site. I also feel blessed by the beautiful fall weather we are experiencing today. I look forward to taking a walk later this afternoon and who knows who I may be privileged to meet in my very friendly neighborhood. Many times they are walking their dogs and I get to pet them! Sometimes I meet up with a large group of students from the local high school on their daily run and enjoy getting waves, smiles and “good afternoon, Ma’ams.” There’s nothing more real than a relationship. I’m thankful for them all of them which includes each and everyone of you.
Carol, it sounds lovely!
The Rio Grande rift. Here, the Earth’s crust is stretching and thinning a few centimeters each year, with the Colorado Plateau on one side, and the Midwest on the other. In millions of years, the rift might pull completely apart and give birth to a new ocean. I love being a tiny critter on an earth that moves on its own timeline.
I am inspired to think more about this, Drea, thank you!🍁
Mary, I’ve been learning about geology and it’s wild! Love thinking about geological timeline and how long the earth has been doing its thing without us on it.
Wow, very neat! I learned aboput El Nino today. I thought it was a fancy name for climate chg.
El Niño took me a few tries to understand. It definitely makes climate change more dramatic, doesn’t it?
Collectivism deserves my praise. It helps me stay rooted, separate myself from my own ego, and receive protective care better. Once, Angela told me how in her Mexican culture, when something happens to someone, extended family members go great lengths to protect that individual. Sounds like Vietnamese culture all over again. It’s that collective umbrella.
My yearly zen goal is to trust my people. Sean and I go from the July-June yearly time cycle for each quarter. By trusting my people, I learn to embrace Paw Mu’s collective vision for me. We were not made to go alone. Staying close to my root people from family, elders, and culture keeps me protected from my ego.
To me, the word praise, has a religious and judgmental meaning attached to it. I get what the question is asking, but I prefer being grateful and having gratitude. After all, who am I to heap praise on someone or something. I am not a king or a deity. I will definitely let people know my appreciation and (as usual) I will try and be grateful for all of this.
I had a similar perspective to the word ‘praise.’ Honestly, Br. David’s book “99 Blessings” opened me up to a new interpretation. I think now of praise, at least as Grateful.org refers to it here, as giving a blessing to–a form of honoring and humility unrelated to status. Not a mainstream conception of praise tho–in our culture, as you rightly point out, it has this religious, patronizing connotation.
So Charlie and I
are not the only ones,
dear Drea . . .
I much prefer your take on it. ♥
That’s almost funny,
dear Charlie,
as I also
have that same religious connection
to the word ‘praise’!
I felt an immediate shudder go through me
when I read the Question.
I’ll have to work on this. ♥
Same.
I thought of things like praising someone who did good work. Then that seemed quasi-parental, which isn’t my role with respect to pale who aren’t my children.
I’m in an airport looking at this on my phone so I’m not in my usual reflection space. I may come back later to see if it lands differently after reading new responses.
God’s world – the natural world. (per Richard Rohr’s daily meditation today). My backyard is stunning after recent rains. And the cooler temps are so refreshing. I’m feeling worshipful.
The awe of everything !
Life, the Atlantic Ocean, a break in rain… I’m going surfing to offer my praise!
Too much to count. I had a peaceful morning getting my daughter off to school. She’s a junior now so there’s only about one more year. Left of me ushering her through this process. I really felt the tenuousness of it. She was really sweet this morning. She’s becoming a lovely adult.
LIFE!
♥
The universe! I’m so grateful to the universe! Thank you so much .☺️