#1 - When I was putting on my ice skates for the first class of my intermediate lesson, I watched the adult beginners. They all looked wobbly. One in particular appeared the least steady, to possibly never have been on ice before. Not only that, but she was a dark skinned woman, in a hijab, in a sea of white. I admired them all, and especially wanted to encourage her. One moment she caught herself from a wobbly moment, caught my eye and I smiled and we laughed together.
#2 - I thought to myself, "This is my last ice skating lessons" (meaning in my life). That was before the class started. During the class I realized...I took one session last winter - when I was one of the worst in the intermediate class. This is my 2nd intermediate session this winter and I am definitely at the head of the class. When the teacher was impressed by my stops and my crossovers I thought, "I couldn't do any of this before my session last winter."
I still don't think I'll ever take advanced, I have zero interest in spins and the other things that classes focuses on,
but maybe it isn't my last skating lesson either.
#3 - After some beautiful nudges from life, I signed up for one of Eckhart Tolle's online courses last month. It couldn't have been better timing. Tonight as I was listening to Challenges as Catalysts for Growth I started to feel a bit restless, so I paused and turned on some music and did a little dancing. And then I was reminded how when I lose face in humanity, music reminds me of what we are capable of.
#4 - Will Evans - Bridge with No Name
(song I was listening to on repeat as I wrote #5)
#5 - We Need Everything
We need it all
We need it now
We need your pain
We need your power
We need your dance
We need your tears
We need your hope
We need your fears
We need your reach and your contractions in vain
We need your desperation
We need your pain
We need your questions
We need your space
We need your suggestions
We need your grace
We need you
We need you now
Whether that means sitting in silence
or reaching out somehow
We need what is inside you
we need the voice that wants to care
We need what guides you
We need
We need what's there
What's there is an arrow
What's there is a path
What's there is a question
What's there is the aftermath
of centuries of struggle
centuries of fear
we hold it inside us
we hold it right here
right here in my palm
right here in my heart
right here in the surrounding silence
right here
Please don't run from this darkness
please don't shut down this pain
find the space just around it
find the space that remains
when the mind drops its story
when the emotions just flow
when what is is everything
when now is all you know
