I am Moved

Literally and figuratively.

Yesterday we made another trip to the condo unit in the city and removed the remaining items to bring to our new home in the mountains (except for the two pieces of furniture landlord is allowing us to leave until we can get them sold). Even though we thought we only have “a few” items to move, we ended up packing both of our cars to the max. Now we can “stay in” to focus on getting this house organized for a full-time living. I can’t stop feeling grateful how this seemingly unfortunate “eviction” has turned out to be an incredible blessings. Not only we now get to quarantine ourselves in this quiet and spacious place surrounded by the nature, communing with the beloved woods I’ve always talked about; but also our expense of living in the city is gone reducing our overhead by almost two thirds. We’re far from destitute but our business is definitely impacted from the current situation, and it really helps that we don’t have to go through cash like we would have had to had we kept paying the rent.

During this whole time, I have been moved by all the generosity and acts of kindness offered by people around me for us as well as in the world in general. I’m so grateful for those who are providing essential services such as grocery store workers, delivery people, let alone all the people who are there to care for the vulnerable and sick. There are so many people, that we don’t even know about, who are working tirelessly during this time to keep our life safe. It is indeed a test for humanity. And I have no doubt we will survive, and I am truly hoping that our world is changed in an incredibly positive way when we come out of this.

Again, remember to join me for my Friday lunch time practice on Zoom.

Keeping Quiet

Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still
for once on the face of the earth,
let’s not speak in any language;
let’s stop for a second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would not look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.

If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.

Now I’ll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.

Pablo Neruda