Of course, on the day of each movie showing we busily clean, cook, and make room in our house for 12-15 people; today is no different. I was up at 5:30 a.m. and immediately launched into dishes and cat boxes. By late morning I was ready for T'ai Chi Chih, and I timed my practice to coincide with Frances's trip to the dump and the Bayfield Library. Ahh. It's quiet. No vacuum cleaner noise, no phone calls, no frantic rush to organize piles of papers (at least for the moment).
Yesterday's melt turned to ice overnight so I watched out the window as the chicken gingerly picked her way around the yard near the house. Lucy the goose already stood guard on the front step. Practice time flew by and it took some effort on my part to slow my body-mind after a morning of nonstop action.
Frances and I are both hopeful that tonight's movie will be an inspiration to all who see it, especially as our town gears up for its annual caucus this week. It's time for a change and we all need to be reminded that, by changing ourselves, we can effect change in others.
The world is a reflection of ourselves. What we see without is an accurate measure of what we are within. If there is serenity inside, the outside world seems friendly. When we go to a strange place with our hands outstretched and open, willing to offer whatever we have to give, the reception is warm, we make new friends, and life is joyous. But if we grasp, if we manipulate and exploit, the result is different. Our vibration is changed, our appearance is uninviting, and we repel others.
-- Justin Stone, Climb the Joyous Mountain: Living the Meditative Way
From: Sr. Antonia's January 2012 Newsletter
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