Pondering Blog exploring lessons from life’s teachers

20 Breaths
Janet Howard Janet Howard

20 Breaths

I gently pushed off into the darkness - slowly frog-stroking away from shore,

stretching my arms and legs and moving through the darkness into the unknown,

now an ocean creature, through the cold, healing liquid.

for ten counts out

turning,

and ten counts back.

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Lessons From Falling Down
Janet Howard Janet Howard

Lessons From Falling Down

Lessons from falling down. Sometimes in life — we fall. It can’t always be avoided. We can notice the conditions, give ourselves a warning and fall.

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Lessons from Food Services in Assisted Living
Janet Howard Janet Howard

Lessons from Food Services in Assisted Living

I didn’t know I would learn the names of so many people, get to know them - learn about their kids, their career, their life partners and the nicknames that their partner called them - like Honey Bun. Once when I called someone that - she told me that her deceased husband called her that - so we started calling each other Honey Bun.

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I Can’t. I Am. I Did. - Lessons from uncomfortable positions
Janet Howard Janet Howard

I Can’t. I Am. I Did. - Lessons from uncomfortable positions

Every dawn - I face discomfort head on. One minute each. Every morning. I start the day doing something that I think I can’t. This short, daily kriya is an important component of my spiritual healing practice. It represents life - Tackling what scares me the most. The things I don’t want to do - the parts of my self I don’t want to look at.

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Pushing Through: Stop
Janet Howard Janet Howard

Pushing Through: Stop

There was no room for ginger steps.

In the early years.

I had to push through.

But I don’t have to do that anymore.

I can stop pushing.

I can stop pushing.

I can walk gingerly.

and take care.

of my

self.

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Lessons from KitKat - A Needy Cat
Janet Howard Janet Howard

Lessons from KitKat - A Needy Cat

KitKat’s depth of need appears bottomless - perhaps that mirrors my own. As I take the time to love and comfort her - I take the time to love and comfort myself.

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Welcome to Rosehip26
Janet Howard Janet Howard

Welcome to Rosehip26

I used to feel burdened by my imperfections – my mistakes -- my pain -- my shoulders sore, my brow worried.  I was weighted by stones in my pockets.  But over time, I’ve dropped those stones one by one.   They sit by streams, under a fern and on a window sill.   I still have one or two in my pocket and in my palm - for comfort.  To hold onto.

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