Landing

Here at Liz of Oz we only think of you and what you need except when we are thinking of ourselves.

What you need is to know there are only 77 days left of winter left this year.

We are not using scientific measures, or calendar measures, but emotional ones.  If we can get you well into March, you’ll be fine.

The following categories will help nurse you through this difficult time.

Anecdote:

I visited my grandma today at the “Lost Minds” unit.  She got to pet a dog, which is her favorite thing in the world.  I kissed her one time, and she whispered for me to come back so she could kiss me, and asked me to kiss her again.

Something beautiful here: Blues and browns and golds here are incredible.  Enamel from France in 1500.  Small portion pictured here.

Deep spiritual thought: 

When we start to meditate or to work with any kind of spiritual discipline,we often think that somehow we’re going to improve, which is a subtle aggression against who we really are. It’s a bit like saying, “If I jog I’ll be a much better person.” “If I had a nicer house I’d be a better person.” “If I could meditate and calm down I’d be a better person.” Or the scenario may be that we find fault with others. We might say, “If it weren’t for my husband I’d have a perfect marriage.” “If it weren’t for the fact that my boss and I can’t get on, my job would be just great.” And, “If it weren’t for my mind, my meditation would be just excellent.”

But loving-kindness ~maitri~ towards ourselves doesn’t mean getting rid of anything. Maitri means that we can still be crazy, we can still be angry. We can still be timid or jealous or full of feelings of unworthiness. Meditation practice isn’t about trying to throw ourselves away and become something better. It’s about befriending who we are already.”