A friend reached out to check in on me, and I confessed I'd been having stress dreams for the first time in many months due to the pandemic.
He invited me to nightly online meditation he leads. I've never participated in anything like this, but I know and trust this friend, so I accepted his generous offer.
There was a moment in the process of growing aware, breathing deeply and allowing thoughts to pass "like clouds" through my mind.
In it I caught a note from son, singing in the shower outside my office.
Being a novice to meditation, there was a moment where I was overcome with emotion rather than equanimity.
I will deeply miss the music of my children; I fear I've started to take for granted that I'll hear it every day.
There was another wonderful moment at the end of the session, involving accepting the suffering of others to lighten their load; the idea that through a collective unburdening, the world is alleviated of suffering.
It was a deeply needed, rather stirring experience.
It knocked me out of my head and back into the world as experienced by others who are suffering. It was a good lesson. Instead of self-pity, outreach. Instead of seeking personal respite through escape, there is relief to be found in service to others.
Right message, right messenger, right timing.
Comments 7
“collective unburdening” – wow! Super interesting – and loving – way to look at things! I’m gonna have to marinate on that for a while! 🙂
Author
Hey J. Money,
Glad you found some mental jerky to chew on.
As the guy who put this site onto others’ radar when I first started blogging by featuring an early post on Rockstar Finance, I’m touched to see you still visit my backwaters every now and again.
Thanks for being that kind of person – kind of restores my faith a little.
With affection,
CD
I’ve never tried meditation, but the idea has always intrigued me. I’m glad to hear you mention the “music” of your children~I try to memorize it sometimes, as I know it won’t always be there 😐
Author
Mrs. T,
I find that to try something so foreign to me, I need a trusted friend to serve as a guide.
You are wise to memorize these moments. If I could read the notes, I’d score some of the music of this stage in life to review it later for posterity:
-The hyped up gibberish songs that precede a pre-bedtime tickling attack for my son
-The pop-inflected choruses and showboat solos sung at full volume that emanate from my daughter’s room as she powers through homework in the afternoons.
-Their spontaneously performed duets singing “Aaron Burr” from the musical Hamlet with no advance warning during meals.
It’s the headache I’m sure I’ll miss once it’s gone.
Warmly,
CD
I might the prayer of St Francis as a framework.
Author
It’s beautiful, Gasem, thanks for bringing it to my attention. I’d heard snippets over the years, but today was the first time reading it whole.
I like this post a lot!!!