Nouvelle vie........

It’s a beautiful morning in Yamba, Spring is stirring and at times it could be mistaken for Summer.  I have just returned home from a long walk with Sami-dog…and it seems it’s time to appreciate the gentle art of being alive again! I have neglected my blog in the business of living, in the frustration of pain and now two frozen shoulders! I have neglected the pleasure of writing, feeling numb at the craziness of the world around me and not knowing how to understand it….Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt…and more , dying children, CSG, the pending destruction of The barrier reef for dollars, and oh so many more places for the same reason, Orangutans, Polar bears, Koalas and more,  all struggling for the preservation of their habitat…and more, children living below the poverty line in Australia, child abuse, and more, damning treatment of refugees, disrespect for the rightful owners of this precious land, and more  and more….and no amount of my tears can fix this….I have retreated for a moment into the safety of what is familiar and easy, a good book, a funny movie, a game of scrabble, a dig in the garden, work…..and whilst all of these things are lovely and simple in their own right, they are not the sum total of me.

I do what little I can, WSPA, Amnesty, WWF, Greenpeace …all of these take a small slice of my labours, but it’s only to appease the rising dread that sits if I dare to look for it like a lump of stinking stuff at the pit of stomach. But I cannot continue to let the suffering of this world pull the curtain for me on sunshine, the sound of waves lapping at a pristine shore, the glossy reflection of dense green trees in the creek down the road, the waddling ducks on my front lawn. And today I realised with a smile, how much it is right and proper to appreciate the very blessed life I lead.

Yamba is nothing if not scenically gorgeous.....and early morning walks are a delicate artist's palate of soft colours and sparkling reflections.......

Wildlife abounds on and in the water and seems impervious to my staring and the feisty Sammi-dog's snuffles...

I am fortunate in my work, which allows me to ease, at times if only by sharing, some of the pain of others, and to be uplifted in their joys and triumphs as well! I am blessed in the peace and magnificence of where I live. I am blessed in the enduring and warm love I share with my best friend and husband. I am blessed in the sweet and fulfilling bond I have with each of my four children and I am blessed with their integrity, compassion and kind-heartedness.  I am blessed with good food; quiet moments of reflection, memories, laughter, health, possibilities and freedom.  So much of this is denied others, that I am obligated beyond measure to open my opens and draw all this close to my heart, giving the greatest thanks every day!

So I am back to the art of living, to the art of life…. I am letting go of helplessness, of shame at our human race, and I am going to extoll instead the great qualities of beauty, love, courage and care that I know we are capable of …I am going to appreciate what is to be appreciated…the gifts of my life!  Where I can, I will continue to try and make a positive difference.

And I will try to bring this belief in life itself back to others who may have for a moment lost it….by sharing some positive moments here:

“A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities.”
                      TENZIN GYATSO, 14TH DALAI LAMA

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
MOHANDAS K. GANDH