EVERYDAY MIRACLES: An Occasional Journal of a Life Lived in Wonder

WORDS LIKE LIGHT

Thursday, October 28, 2021

GENTLE

When it comes to falling, cats apparently understand the principle of taking what is known as ‘the gentle way’, and I’m hoping to learn more about that approach to life in these elder years of mine. For most of my life, I’ve taken what I would call ‘the harsh way’, a path that uses bravado and hard-heartedness to basically beat up on life so it does what I want it to do. The gentle way, as I understand it, employs kindness and consideration when faced with obstacles, and thus helps a person slide around or through the obstacles, sometimes revealing that an obstacle is actually an asset.

From what I have read, cats use this gentle way in dealing with falls. When a cat starts falling, it doesn’t resist the fall, doesn’t stiffen and start fighting the situation, but actually loosens and even assists the fall, just easily floating with whatever is happening, which somehow prevents the fall from being harmful. It’s as if a cat says to a fall, ‘Come on, fall, let’s see how much fun we can have together’, and the fall becomes almost an amusement.

I’d like to be more like cats. I’d like to ‘let go’ more often, just freely ‘fall’ and gently allow problems to present their solutions to me.

A SOFT TOUCH
(about Shay M., 91, Blessings, CT, USA)

Shay's become a soft touch in his elder years. 
He softly touches problems
and they easily dwindle away,
and fears always fall victim 
to his easy-going touch.  
He lightly strokes his worries
as if they're his friends.
and they slowly fade off with smiles. 
If he smoothly rubs a sorrow,
 it whispers its wisdom to him,
and sometimes stays for weeks 
as his special instructor. 
At the gentle age of 91, 
Shay's spoken words have a soothing touch,
as if you could stroll with them 
and softly toss away your worries.

Here are our Halloween pumpkins for this year, Delycia’s on the left …