Lots of Talk About Acts of Kindness

Watching Mr. McKee's posts about acts of kindness has reminded me to be kind. I don't consider myself unkind, but I have a tendency to hurry through my life forgetting the small things that can make a big difference. 

I am very fortunate to work for my parents. It's great because everyone has known me for years, and so they are very understanding when I need to lay down for 20 minutes to take a rest. I work as a purchaser, making sure everyone has the supplies that they need for hazardous materials removal. As such, I have the opportunity to interact with a lot of different people in a day. A lot of the people are sales people that are always trying to convince me that their product is the best for the best price. Although sometimes this can get annoying, I've really been working on being understanding. We all have to make a living somehow, and as long as we have respectful relationships, I'm pretty happy. I made a special effort this week to be patient and courteous, but honest with the reps I deal with. Why I'm not purchasing their products, and what we can do together to make our working relationship better. 

I noticed this also makes a big difference when people are approaching me to buy, for example, girl guide cookies. I don't want or need girl guide cookies since I can't eat them (food allergies), but rather than trying to avoid their questions, I have started to just look them straight in the eye, smile, and say no thank you.. I feel less guilty for not supporting their cause, and I think it makes them feel better because I've taken the time to recognize the value in what they're doing. It's no different when I'm working to raise money for our own causes. I just need to keep that in mind for the future. It's a small change, but it feels big. 

The Joys of Aging

This week has been an interesting one. Straight off the plane I started feeling sick and was ridiculously nauseous. The first day I thought I might have the flu, but by the second day, I realized that there was something else going on. I went into the doctor and was told I had a major buildup of fluid in my ears. This is not the first time this has happened to me, but fortunately this time, my eardrum didn't burst. So I've been pretty laid up. Until Friday I was mostly useless although I tried my best to hold it together at classes since I told Sifu Freitag I would be there.

I had the wonderful experience today of celebrating my mom's birthday. As a kid, I remember that everything at home seemed like a chore, but as an adult I'm lucky to have outgrown that perspective and had a wonderful time cooking what turned out to be a great meal for my parents. There was some experimentation  but all went fairly well.

Reflecting on how much I enjoyed making and sharing the meal, I've decided that aging is great. I wish I had the perspective I have now when I was young. Not that I didn't have some spectacular moments in my youth, but I wish I could have appreciated them more. Living in the moment has become something that through the process of the I Ho Chuan I've sort of adapted to. I've never had this necessarily as the forefront of my goals, but I think through pursuing mastery, I've been drawn into this practice.

It makes me appreciate so much more, all of the things I have, and all of the things I can look forward to.

Homecoming

This blog is going to be short.  I've had a great holiday, but I am looking forward to getting back to class and having a bit more routine in my life.  I know how easy it is to let everything go, but I never feel as fulfilled as when I'm working towards my goals.  I've missed my sister, and I'm looking forward to a day when hopefully we'll be able to see each other more frequently again.  I'm so thankful to have the wonderful family that I do, and I'm feeling very revitalized.  See you all back at the kwoon.

Roatan

This will probably be a short one. I've been using my time on this holiday to meditate on the beauty of a place like this. It's nice sometimes to have a change of scenery to remind you how very lucky you are to be alive. I've had some time to discuss China and go over some of the forms I learned in China with Brandi and Simon. It feels so right to be hanging with my sister. Again, I am reminded of how much I miss her, but also how lucky I am to have someone that I have such a strong bond with. There is nothing in the world like the relationship we share. 

Roatan is not exactly what I was expecting, as I've never been to central or South America. But the people here are very friendly and helpful and it's nice to be in a place that feels so different, but so welcoming at the same time. I know I won't be able to afford another holiday like this for quite some time, so I've made up my mind to be fully present and savour this time with my family.

It's hard to keep much of a routine here, as I hardly know the time each day, but I've been getting a little bit of practice in. As always I look forward to being back home and getting back into the groove of things.