Gratitude in The Midst of Life

I've been particularly aware of a deep sense of gratitude and flow the past few days even though I've walked with people through some very dark places. I find this is so often the case; meeting people where they are in their pain or in their joy is where life flows.

I've also been spending some time pondering what the Buddha said so long ago 'Life is suffering'. I really rejected that idea for a long time, wanting it to be different, thinking it was all about choosing something else or once we did enough 'work' it would no longer be true but I've changed my mind about that. There is an incredible amount of pain in the world and that is as it is. I remember well many years ago when a friend reminded us that to suffer meant to allow; not how we tend to define it is it? I don't know how the Buddha meant it but my sense is that there are elements of both ways of seeing suffering at play; on one hand there is much pain and on the other hand allowing it is really the only thing left after we've tried everything in our little bag of tricks to deny it or distract ourselves from it or fix it.

That is really where the gratitude comes in. For some inexplicable reason when I am present to and simply allow the pain and suffering in myself and in others what is left is a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for no good reason. I love feeling appreciation for no good reason, I suspect that is the truest expression of appreciation; not the stuff that's dependent on things being a certain way.

Life is what it is, suffering and all. The more we accept that, the freer we are to be in the moment with what is instead of hoping it will be different someday or projecting some memory or belief about how it should be. Life is for living; it seems to have its own agenda and everything is part of it no matter what my opinion may be. Whew! That's a load off the old shoulders.


Namaste