Learning from loss is possible with the right attitude. I contemplated this when I knocked a set of handmade bowls to the countertop, breaking them into pieces. The sting of tears came quickly. I had purchased them as a gift for my mother, who died recently.
Just like for so many others, the losses in my life over the last several years have been stacking up. I have been seeking a path to accept all of it; the ups and downs of everyday life.
Thich Nhat Hahn, beloved teacher, Buddhist monk, and activist wrote, “Most people are afraid of suffering. But suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. There can be no lotus flower without the mud.”
Standing in the mud, I breathe, raise my eyes to the sky, and I know that I am free. The trick is to keep breathing.
Photo: Leilani Norman
Leilani M Norman 