Let love come to you

The buddhists tell us "attachment is the root of all suffering."

When I did research over the last few years, I found over and over again that suffering was a deficit of love.

How can these both be true? Are they as at odds as they seem?

In fact, when we step back a bit, we can see that the two are sides of a coin, united.

When we are experinecing suffering, we are indeed experiencing a love deficit. And our suffering may in large part be due to how attached we are to our love needs. 

Wait, that sounds weird, right?

It is kind of, yes.

When we are placing expectations on our love relationships, we are chaining them down, stuffing them in a small box, and making our relationships transactional by expecting them to deliver specific behaviors or things in specific ways. This is unfair, and it limits the amount of love we can receive. In effect, our expectations are creating the very love deficeit that is creating our suffering.

Lighten up.

Loosen up.

Let love come to you as it will.

This is the Way.

There it is

It’s been a very long winter, and even though it isn’t over quite yet, the path through has begun to emerge. I’m grateful for the lessons along the way, for the coming season, and for the path in front of me. Welcome to February. It’s not Spring, but I can see it from here.

The Way will open.

Number 5 will not surprise you

American Association of School Libraries updated Common Beliefs (2018):
https://standards.aasl.org/beliefs/ 
https://kappanonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/15pdk_99_7_tbl2.png
“5. Intellectual freedom is every learner’s right.
Learners have the freedom to speak and hear what others have to say, rather than allowing others to control their access to ideas and information; the school librarian’s responsibility is to develop these dispositions in learners, educators, and all other members of the learn­ing community.”

Artists along the Way

Each step along the way of authority, there have been artists showing us what we are living through, holding up a mirror to reflect, unsparingly, what we have become, to condense it all into a laser, a lighthouse beam flung through the dark future, illuminating the skerry landscape that lies ahead.

1984.

Fahrenheit 451.

The Man in the High Castle.

The Handmaid’s Tale.

Our Missing Hearts.

Celeste Ng has vaulted from amazing artist to Cassandra.

Rabbit (y)ear(s)

Spent the morning at the gym with a friend and then we put together IKEA bookcases, had an amazing lunch, and then went out for ice cream and played chess.

May everything always be wonderful!

The Fight is Already Won

Truth

Truth is like a lion.

You don’t have to defend it.

Let it loose.

It will defend itself.