Rock, Paper, Scissors

Shared by a psychiatrist friend. Something to think about.

Anger, fear and sadness play scissors paper rock with each other.

In the absence of resentment, the sharpness of anger cuts through the blanket of fear; the blanket of fear comforts and soothes the rock of sadness; the rock of sadness hones the sharpness of anger.

With resentment, anger becomes rage, fear becomes immobilizing, sadness becomes despair.

But in the absence of resentment, anger becomes courage, fear becomes respect, and sadness becomes grief.

-adapted from Ernie Kurtz, The Spirituality of Imperfection

-shared by Steve Farmilant

Trump Wins Presidential Election

I won't go on about this too much. Just watched Trump's acceptance speech and he almost seemed normal. His makeup was not quite as orange. 

My hope is that he is "actor" enough to be able get his public appearance act together. I cannot imagine how anyone, let alone Hillary, can concede to his bigotry, crassness, rudeness, prejudices, insensitivity, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and I could go on.

My hope is that he will not be able to keep his "campaign promises" , of which historically most of are not, even with the Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Hopefully the "checks and balances" system will work.

I will not be waving the American Flag for a while considering the Trump administration has brought the United States to a new low regarding women, minorities, LGBTQ, immigrants, Jews, the poor, and who else did I leave out. Right now I am NOT proud of us.

I have hope ... but also fear that this is the end (as we know it) of our Democracy, of rational thinking by those who we allow to govern, of respect for intelligence, persuit of diversity, "One nation with liberty and justice for all," and Lady Liberty keeping her arms open to those in need of new life in a new country as ALL of our ancestors experienced in the past as they arrived in the U.S.A. from all over the world. I only hope the "Hitler" references do not come true. As a Gay man and a Jew, I have a lot to loose!

Sometimes the bottom must be reached before reclamation, before a cure, before recovery. I believe we are experiencing a backlash to President Obama, to better health care for all, to Same Sex Marriage, among other what I consider growth.

This has been going on for a long time and Trump is the embodiment and culmination of this trend. The time of White supremacy is over, I believe this is what Trump is all about, I do not believe he is really the spokes person for the "common man," and the U.S.A. needs to work on a new identity and a rebirth in coming together.

Good luck to us all. And God Bless the United States of America (Lord knows she needs it!)

Death

A hard one to accept with death being something we fear and fight for most of our life. But if it turns out to be true, what a lot of time we will have wasted with our fear and battle. So maybe one should accept it as a truth and if proven wrong, so what, one will be dead anyway!

Death Hangs Heavy

On December 31, two days ago, we received a call from Gregory's niece Renee telling us that Mark, Gregory's brother, had suffered a major stroke and that only time would tell if he survived it or not. This after a previous smaller stroke, many over the years "resetting the heart" procedures, putting in a pace maker, removing the pacemaker in favor of a machine that basically ran his heart full time, being careful with his weight, taking his medications religiously.

It brings a heaviness to the air that one cannot completely describe. One that is yours to carry around during your day to day activities of living. You continue to live as he possibly continues to die. It reminds you of your own fragility as well as your continued strength. You feel a sense of sadness and fear yet numbed versions. Did I say a sense of helplessness. Pray? Not sure how that helps. Hold positive healing thoughts, sounds better to me.

So we continue to wait and hope try not to notice that shadow following us around the house.

                Unaware By: Michael A. Horvich (2010)

There is a fear

That lurks just behind

The awareness of your thinking

Hiding

The next moment

Will not be like this moment

Or the one before

Different

And with a comment

Or the ring of a phone

All will change

Forever

I dare say that nothing I fear has ever caused me harm.

I dare say that nothing, I fear, has ever caused me harm.

I dare say that nothing I fear, has ever caused me harm.