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"Daddy, I feel so sad"
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Dear Friends,
I
vividly recall my reaction when my son, Daniel, spoke those words at
age 2. I felt a mixture of concern and compassion (toward him), joy
(how utterly wonderful that he could express himself so clearly!), and
an edge of guilt (did I do something wrong as a father?).
These
days, at age 5, Daniel continues to amaze me in his willingness to let
us know what's going on in his emotional world -- even though he
sometimes prefers less verbal methods.
What enables
children to be so connected with their emotions - poignant sadness,
handclapping delight, fiery anger, or carefree openheartedness - and to
be so willing to communicate those feelings?
And, what is
it that takes us, who have lived so much longer and gained so much more
experience, away from those emotions? And that gets in the way of, or
at least modulates, our honest expression of them?
AND, what can we learn from this as mindfulness practitioners?
You are invited to join us this Thursday, November 1, for a conversation about emotions and mindfulness.
The
best times to join our Thursday evening gathering are just before the
beginning of our 7pm meditation, just before we begin walking
meditation (around 7:25pm), and just after our walking meditation
(around 7:35pm).
Also, this week, beginning promptly at
6:30, we will have our first Thursday Orientation to mindfulness
practice and to the Still Water community. It is a good way to
introduce friends and colleagues to our practice. (It would be helpful
if you would email peter.cook@earthlink.net to let us know you will be
coming.)
Warm wishes,
Peter