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Day was odd.   Rain off and on which means there was no rain off and on but the day was gray ,  the sky hung low.

SO many feelings and none of  them going so far as to become thoughts,      and on    until I read Nancy's post today in Pomegranate Trail.   OH….,  ok.         I was still caught in yesterday.     The every two week or so foray into town…Post Office,  Dollar Store etc.    Before I left,   and really the day before,   I realized I was curious about how it all might FEEL,   off the Hill…down there in the world.   It was the first time since the election.  Would I be able to notice any difference in vibe?  and if so,  what might be my response.    I thought I would go with the intention to be kind.  open to looking at anything.   Noticing.   I thought that maybe other people might be wondering too.      And I had 4 very specific experiences of this.  Two with homeless people 2 and really 3 in the Dollar Store.  and tho all were very different from one another,   all were…….well,   there was Goodness.   With one,   a maybe 40 yr old guy in the check out,  which was the longest and involved  several people waiting in line,   I found myself explaining that    "I want to take any opportunity to be  (and here I paused….choosing a word…not kindness but   nice) nice.  Because it feels good."   and that's when others in line chimed in…yes!  they said.

so…somehow,  reading Nancy's thoughts,  I realized this.     I came away tonight with these particular words of hers…."I ponder where I fall  into the world of everybody"    and   "not everybody can go incognito" 

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15 responses to “feelings”

  1. Nancy Avatar

    Aw, Grace. I love this, that this is what happened. ‘Nice’ is one of those words that in my classroom world, one we have to be careful with (as in not telling children to “be nice” – because what does that mean to them, like saying good boy or good job…or calling a group of children ‘friends’ -my work really went off on that one some years back- it does get really overused). Butt here, yesterday, it rang true to a group of adult strangers, who could pretty much land on the same understanding and agree on its importance. How lovely that is.
    I’ve been wondering how things will ‘feel’ too and the few places I’ve been, things feel just the same…which is both good and not so great too. Good because they do not feel worse, which I am glad for since I’ve read some stories showing otherwise. But, bad because shouldn’t we all Not Be Okay with how thing went and will go? Shouldn’t we care what is happening to our country and each other? Are people to upset or uneasy to say so? It’s early days, so I guess time will tell.
    Thanks for your thoughts, which got me thinking more too. xo

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  2. Margery Avatar

    Thank you so much for sharing this encounter. The Dalai Lama said “My religion is kindness.” A good spiritual practice for us all & something to remember in tough times. And, as both your encounter & the photo say to me, Beauty — in its many different forms and guises — is always there for us to discover…. Wishing us all open hearts to walk through another beauty-filled day.

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  3. Marti Avatar
    Marti

    Synchronicity: Yesterday I went to Walmart very early as I often do to get some grocery items. I shop at Sprouts, Smiths and Natural Grocers but there are those times when Walmart, so close to where I live, is so handy.
    As I entered the grocery section a woman staff member at Walmart, Cheryl, knows me on sight, smiled and gave me a greeting and came over to help as I had a lot of grocery items to self-check. Walmart now again has checkers at check stands but they do not work as early as I go. Why am I even telling about this…I am telling about this because of the gift of trust and kindness.
    As Cheryl helped me check out, she looked at me and said that she noticed I was not wearing my Harris for President pin and that I must feel sad. One of the things that had surprised me during this election cycle is how few people seemed to notice my Harris emblems or even attempt a conversation, even though I would smile and say hello. I looked at Cheryl for a long time before replying. Told her to look at my tote bag, my Harris for President tote bag. It had gotten turned around in the grocery cart so she could not see the writing which is only on one side. To my utter surprise, Cheryl then came closer and in a quiet voice said these words: “good for you for still standing strong.I do not know where to turn, did not expect the outcome.” Here was a woman speaking from her heart, trusting me a total stranger with her thoughts, hoping that I would be kind enough to accept her words. I reached over and hugged her and said, “I’m not strong, just trying to hold on and it helps Cheryl to know that you are here.””
    Yesterday was a surprise as well as a gift. I don’t have any answers for how to go forward, but maybe it’s just a matter for all of us to need time and for all of us to know that with kindness, we can begin to take forward steps.

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  4. Tina Avatar
    Tina

    It’s democracy. America chose now all we can do is have faith that America is more than its politicians. Appreciate everyone sharing their different experiences

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  5. grace Forrest Avatar

    I’d not thought ahead about saying anything…was of that
    moment, and I hesitated kind nice ? For those not
    familiar with the Buddhist sense of kind ness…kind might
    have connotations???? But then…nice. ?????
    i’m still thinking about it all. I would love so much to
    be able to just ask all kinds of questions of everyone as
    we stood in line waiting
    and yes. Time IS going to tell many things.

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  6. grace Forrest Avatar

    it is. always there. Always.

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  7. grace Forrest Avatar

    I just love this SO much, Marti. just so so much.
    if in the future it is ever appropriate, tell Cheryl
    that your friend grace in California, she helps too
    by being who she is. Thank her for me.

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  8. grace Forrest Avatar

    i’m not sure of anything.

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  9. maria Avatar
    maria

    trust yourself there IS nothingelse

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  10. maria Avatar
    maria

    dear woman , thank you for your words
    even a flower have its way to ….
    look how that tender strong delicacy flower protect herself by leaves with prickles , so her inside stay strong and open to the surroundings
    love has manny forms …

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  11. grace Forrest Avatar

    Maria…yes. and I count on that, that love prevails.
    What’s happening here in this country tho is in this moment
    completely Insane.

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  12. maria Avatar
    maria

    it is just insane who we see it , but it’s not there vision ;
    so try to understand them the kind of emotion, vision they follow , for the moment they can’t do better , please don’t think bad about them , they can do wrong because they don’t understand , they don’t know , they darend trust who we think ,they are affraid because they feel what they have to loose , to let go , to do differend ; time will heal if we are possible to stay in love energy and in trust it will heal
    i know in your heart you know , hug to you grace

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  13. Nancy Avatar

    Maria~ I read your words and so want to be able to act on them in this moment, but I am not there yet. It is hard to have that kind of compassion when so many people’s lives will be touched, altered, devastated. These times are much harder than ever before and it is hard to process (even though we try).
    (((hugs)))

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  14. grace Forrest Avatar

    your thoughts are True and I love you for them….
    i cannot rest easy in it though…so much I have never
    had to live before…I have never seen this to the degree
    it is unfolding

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  15. grace Forrest Avatar

    your thoughts are True and I love you for them
    but there is nowhere I can rest easy right now.
    What is unfolding is far beyond anything i’ve ever
    seen in my life time

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