Greetings Sunny Optimists,
My, how quickly each Friday comes around!
How are you today?
I wonder what is in your heart this morning that enlivens you and brings you joy.
Seeking Inspiration this morning.
I decided to sit in the back garden and just listen to the sounds around me this morning. There was a blackbird singing up on high, there was the gentle drone of bees visiting our flowers, and there were peals of laugher from the children. The sound of the young ones took me to my delight in being a grandmother, to the simple pleasure I have in watching these little beings find their way in life. I love the space to appreciate their little quirks and the delight I get when they put their little arms around my neck and say, ‘Love you, Nanna.’
So the inspiration came, something about being a grandmother. Mmmmmmm
I have subscribed to a daily email service called Wisdom at Work for over twenty years. Michelle and Joel Levey offer it, and I so appreciate their wisdom and compassionate collating of insights, inspiration, and guidance. Recently they shared the poem below. I have held on to it for a few weeks now, waiting for the right time to share it with you.
Today feels like the right time:)
Therigatha : Poems of the First Buddhist Nuns.
The Therigata is an anthology of poems thought to originate in the third century B.C.E. This wisdom of women elders connects us across an arc of history and shows just how timeless and selfless love is. So powerful and life affirming. To see each child as the Buddha provides a portal for them to step into their fullness.
Bhikshuni Mahaprajapati was Buddha’s maternal aunt, and she raised Buddha as her son after his mother died giving birth to him. When I read it, I felt a rise of emotion within me. Yes! Who does not look at their child and feel a primordial pride rise within them?
This poem is a multi-layered evocation of the joy and wonder that resides within family relationships.
I hope it touches your heart this day
————-
I know you all.
I have been your mother, your son, your father, your daughter.
You see me now in my final role: kindly grandmother.
It’s a fine part to go out on.
You might have heard how it all began,
when my sister died and I took her newborn son
to raise as my own.
People still ask, Did you know then what he would become?
What can I say? What mother doesn’t see a Buddha in her child?
He was such a quiet boy.
The first time he reached for me,
the first time I held him while he slept,
how could I not know?
To care for all the children, without exception,
as though each will someday be the one
to show us all the way home:
that is the Path.
-
Oh my, I still get a wee lump in my throat as I read this. The tears prickle at the back of my eyes. I think on those moments in the middle of the night just looking into the eyes of my newborns and seeing The Buddha, the Divine flowing through them.,
And as always, I would love to hear your thoughts on what this poem evokes for and within you.
Much love
Ann
Recognising how blessed Judes and I are to have you as our Mum and appreciating all you give as Nanna to the next generation of our clan xxx