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The Sunshine of My Life
“The sun of real happiness shines in your life when you start to cherish others.” — Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
When I think of summer, I experience a restorative state of mind: easy days, dazzling sunlight, leafy trees, blooming flowers and cheerful moments. I think of a bright, yellow sun, bathing the skies and shooing the clouds away. A sunny day lifts me up, even when things might not be going well.
When we are not blessed with sunlight, however, it might be easy to let the clouds drift in. Before we know it, shadows linger nearby, visions narrow and loneliness sets in. But if we are wise, we remember that our lives are illuminated in the cloudy moments through our relationships with others. At those times when we feel most alone and not appreciated, the world looks dark. But when we cherish others, embrace the beauty and warmth of sharing our lives with friends, family and colleagues, the sun is always shining.
Thank you, Ricochet, for shining the sun into my life.
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Published in Group Writing
I memorized these lines taped to a college roommate’s mirror from a longer poem and recalled them from time to time in dark patches:
Even living in a place with fairly tolerable winters, it’s good to see the tips of daffodils starting to break the soil this week. Good to know that human dramas don’t impress or impact the underlying patterns of nature (although our bulldozers might scar patches of it).
Awwww, I love the sunshine too! Cuz then, a person can cast a loooong, dark shadow….
Thanks very much, Susan!
I just want to say that it has already been sweet…
Lovely comment, @eridemus. It provides a sense of hope and re-birth. Thanks.
For @mim526 :
Happy BD, @georgetownsend!
Yup, that’s the one, though I don’t remember the verses much. We’d sing the chorus and something that was maybe tedious would become fun to me.
I only remember the chorus. Jews don’t sing much about the devil. ;-)
Mama and Grammy weren’t given to advertising him either. True story: a young minister at my grandma’s church once asked her what she thought of his message. She replied that she thought the pastor gave a fine sermon, but there was enough evidence of the devil at work that it didn’t need broadcast freely from the pulpit :-) As the story goes, the pastor started a series on the beatitudes the following Sunday LOL.
Good for him!! That day, Grammy was speaking for the Lord.
Even though this was not meant for me, it is quite a gift. You are so sweet, Susan. Thanks!
As are you, George. Thanks.