Posts by Pat:
Know this story?
“Once there was a very wise king who spared no effort to teach his people good habits of being industrious and careful. He felt that nothing good could come to a nation whose people complain and expect others to fix their problems for them.
One night while everyone else slept, he placed a large stone in the road that went past the palace. Then he hid behind a hedge and waited to see what would happen.
Some folks drove around the stone. Others daydreamed and stumbled into it. Everyone who came by complained and whined because the stone lay in the road, but no one touched it.
Just before dark a shepherd came by and worked hard to move the heavy stone for worry that someone could be hurt by it in the dark. To his surprise, he found a bag of gold underneath with a note saying that the gold belonged to the one who moved the stone.
The king explained that we often find obstacles and burdens in our way. We may even complain out loud while we walk around them if we choose, or we can move them and find out what they mean.
And the king said that the one who travels the road best is the one who makes the road smoother for those who will follow.”
So, (without focusing on national issues),
- what lessons can we learn and apply in our own lives?
- how can we make the road smoother for all of us?
- can we stop complaining and whining about others?
- what can we do to ease the burdens or obstacles in our relationships, at work, in the community?
Can we stop judging what someone else is doing or not doing and, instead, focus on what we can do?
Sometimes the best way to deal with the vicissitudes of life is to just
- start where we are and
- do what is in front of us to do.
I wish it were easier!
Don’t you?
What are the Dog Days?
It’s summer time (and the living is easy? You know what that means…lots of fun, vacations, picnicking, sunbathing, lazing around. But also, potentially, the utter collapse of any of our momentum and productivity. It’s true, the dictionary even defines the “Dog Days of Summer” as “lethargy, inactivity or indolence.” And it’s from early July to […]
Food for thought…
“One song can spark a moment. One flower can wake the dream. One tree can start a forest, and one bird can herald the spring. One smile can begin a friendship. One hand can lift a soul. One star can guide a ship at sea, and one word can frame the goal. One vote can […]
Summer and the sun…
Summer has finally arrived and it’s time to celebrate! Recent graduates are beginning their new lives, the summer solstice brought the longest day of sunlight to us and the gardens are growing. Let’s commit to enjoying this season. (I recently saw an article that talked about the power of one ray of sunlight. Did you […]
Why your June 22 is so important…
Today is June 22. In 8 days , 2025 will be halfway over! That seems hard to believe! It seems like just yesterday we were making our plans for the year and feeling motivated about the future. Question to think about: what have we accomplished in this near-half-year? Have we achieved what we set out […]
What’s a Dad?
“A dad is someone who wants to catch you before you fall but instead picks you up, brushes you off, and let’s you try again. A dad is someone who wants to keep you from making mistakes but instead lets you find your own way, even though his heart breaks in silence when you get […]
Were YOU ever grounded?
Does that question ring a bell with any of the rest of you? When I was growing up, getting grounded meant that I wasn’t allowed to do the things that I valued most at the time. It means something different to me at this stage of my life! These days I often feel called to […]
Time for a new beginning?
Divine discontent happens when something new beckons, and we are hesitating. It’s when we’re trying to find satisfaction in a world that’s too small for us, yet we want to stay there because it’s familiar even though it no longer serves us. It’s like a chick in the egg. First it is comforting and then, […]
Eastertime musings…
In our current circumstances, this might be a very expensive Easter bonnet! But it is a safe bet that if we see any Easter bonnets today they’ll adorn the head of someone under 8 years or over 80. (I think they went the way of white gloves and black patent leather shoes!) But candy? Chocolate […]
Let’s spring into action!
We can come out of our hibernation. We can grow anywhere when we take the opportunies presented to us. We can bloom where we are planted! Let’s take advantage of spring! As the days go by, seeds move to buds and with the proper warmth and moisture, they unfold little by little, revealing their new […]