730 things — Day 115 of 365

Today I was thinking about the intentions that radiate from us — like the light of a star or the perfume of a flower — and how they shape our daily reality.

Circumstances arise in our lives, threads of the fabric of events, and we must interweave with them as best we may. 

Sometimes the circumstances of our lives come as a direct result of our former patterns and choices — whether intended or unexpected and unforeseen — but sometimes they arrive in our lives through the actions and personalities of other people, or the governments of our countries, or war or disease or whatever.

But everything is ultimately connected and interdependent. Like pandemics arise from disturbing natural patterns and overriding natural boundaries, such things as mass-felling of forests or technological advance permitting global travel or keeping domestic animals caged in large groups. And we may not personally have engineered those things, but our choices may be contingent upon them, and the society of which we are part may have encouraged them — and so we travel along connected more intimately than we might have guessed.

This being the case, it is important in every detail of our lives to choose what seems to us to be gentle and constructive and kind and healing and peaceful. Even if we make some missteps, we shall still then be travelling in the right direction, and heading determinedly towards the creating of a better world.

It might seem advisable to be ambitious in our vision, and try for the most and the highest in our achievement; but in my own experience that usually leads to exhaustion and collapse. Like Icarus flying too close to the sun with his wings made of wax.

"Love your neighbour," Jesus said; a recommendation for starting small and dealing with what is close at hand.

If we do manage to heal ourselves and heal our world, it will surely be not by grand gestures and massive achievements, for the most part, but by an aggregate of love — small, persistent habits of kindness, a willingness to live simply, the humility to start again when we fail, and the stubborn faith that all in the end shall be well.

 

The things I want to send on their way today are some unused batteries and a sturdy stationery clip.

They'll go in with the other things into the DIY box I'm putting together.