On The Second Day Of The New Year, 2017

So here we are in 2017, at last!  

With the calendar days of 2016 past! And, with current events primed to linger on for a long, long time, especially those having to do with our presidential election for who knows how long.

May the force be with us!  We are sure going to need it to navigate life as it now looms.

As I have been suggesting in recent blog articles, the way I see it a paradigm shift is what’s going to do me best.

How about you? 

Have you figured out yet what is your best way to chart a course for the year ahead?

I asked this question of several of my friends last evening at dinner as we celebrated the new year. That was before our table discussion sunk into two of them, a married couple, getting into combat about money! Their long term grudges toward one another, defining the tone. Not much fun for us onlookers, right?

That episode and the general trend of making resolutions at the new year, as to how one might clean up one’s act, got me to contemplating, as I drifted off to sleep last night, of some personal work I need to do on my own spouse relationship.

It wasn’t all together pleasing for me to see where I, too, have some long held, old and stale forgiveness work to do myself. The mere thought of that might have been daunting. However, upon further investigation, particularly drawing upon the teachings of Steven Levine and his wife, Ondrea, the former having recently passed away last year, I quickly came to realize that walking a path of healing and forgiveness is a central tenet of how I know I must live my life. My most important values; tikkun olam, Hebrew for healing the world, and tikkun adzmi, healing oneself, demand that of me.

So I made a pledge to do more in that area this coming year, insofar as my relationship with my Beloved goes. I am a bit challenged by this plan for my personal life, but not nearly as much as I am about applying this practice to Donald Trump, as president.

Had he lost the election, I know I would have found the application of this exercise much easier.

With Trump in the White House, I just don’t know!

How does one apply reconciliation processes where there is no truth?  I believe truth and reconciliation are partners.

I just don’t know how best to proceed, in this instance, other than being mindful that lovingkindness is a path I believe in though somehow it seems rather out of order here in this new U.S. reality at this time.

However, I am  taking from the words of Viktor Frankl (paraphrased) –

When we have lost all other freedoms, each of us still has the freedom to decide how to think about things. Vktor Frankl, Man's Search For Meaning

So, I conclude, at least for today, that I must continue to ponder this big existential question; forgiving Donald Trump and his "team," while I enjoy the chickadees and large family of cardinals feeding at my bird feeder outside my office window today. And the various other simple pleasures of my life, like the warmth I am now feeling from a hearty fire in my wood burning stove and the nutritious lunch of holiday leftovers I am about to have.

And, while I also wish you a very Happy New Year, 2017!