I just read There is a Silver Lining on the Newsweek website and it has some interesting insight. To paraphrase, this article says that amid all the difficulties and hardships we are about to undergo, there is one silver lining. This crisis has - dramatically, vengefully - forced the United States to confront the bad habits it has developed over the past few decades. If we can kick those habits, today’s pain will translate into gains in the long run. We, not only as a nation, but also as individuals have depended upon easy money to support our spending frenzy. I realize that I too, am part of the problem. I have purchased things on a whim that I did not need, spending money unwisely instead of saving for a rainy day. Sitting idle in my closet are new shoes that have never been worn, sweaters that still have the sales tag attached and dresses that I will never wear. In my bathroom are a variety of hair products that have been used once or twice and then shoved under the sink and beauty products that promised miracles but didn’t deliver. I have enough blankets and towels to outfit a mansion but I only have one bedroom and one bathroom. There are so many things that I spend money on needlessly without thinking. Maybe this is my wake-up call. Read more »
One of my favorite Saturday morning things is to drink a cup of tea while I watch the birds visit my bird feeder. Blue Jays, Nuthatches and Titmouse commonly fly in, but my favorite visitors are the Chickadees. They are so polite and respectful of each other’s space. They take turns flying into the feeder one at a time, select a seed and fly back to their perch in the trees. They patiently wait their turn as they work through their rotation and then they begin again until all have had their fill. There is not pushing and shoving, no vying for superiority, no squabbling over who is going to get the better seed. They all seem to instinctively know, young and old, that they when they finally leave my backyard, everyone will fly away sated and in harmony with the others. How do they know how to do this? There is no sign up at my bird feeder that says , ONE AT A TIME, no sign that says NO PUSHING, and no sign that says DON’T BE GREEDY - TAKE ONLY WHAT YOU NEED. And yet they seem to instinctively understand that with respect and order, life is good. They live in the moment and pay for my simple kindness with a little song. If little birds know how to live in harmony, why don’t we? Why do we need to have rules and wars and greed? Why do we feel the need to put others down so that we can feel superior? Why is it so important to have more than your neighbor? I think it is time to take a lesson from nature. Wouldn’t it be great to feel like singing all day long?