"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."
- The Buddha
Pain is a gift and a tribulation. Whether it is physical or emotional it has the ability to distort and enlighten my view of myself and my world. There is an old saying that says, "The best thing about being sick, is how good you feel when you're better." For weeks I have "manfully" ignored my body, falling into the delusion that I could hop over the sensations that were giving me messages calling me to attention, like a person whistling in the dark, believing the whistle will keep her safe.
My whistling didn't keep me "safe". Not listening, not practicing mindfulness, resulted in a physical flare that brought a great deal of pain and suffering. The gift of the practice and age is knowing that the cycle is inevitable whenever I drift from the present moment. I am humbled by my stupidity and my courage to begin again, to present myself to this present moment. So, I emerge from the cave of pain and delusion that I've been in for several weeks and gratefully turn my face toward the sun that always awaits me.
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