Okay, I know this will be a shock, but I was painting last night and making prayer dots – the fingerprint kind! Dots for a dear friend and her dad, who is having some health issues.
Communication with the hospital has been a bit of a challenge. (Well… more than a bit!)
She was, quite understandably, worried. And, if we’re being honest, I was worried about her.
As she and I touched base back and forth, I had an inspiration. A question I had never thought to ask, before…
What can you do to take care of yourself while you worry???
Telling people they shouldn’t worry never seems to do much good.
Telling MYSELF not to worry never seems to do much good.
In fact… and this is another new thought as I’m literally typing these words…
Worry feels somehow deeply related to compassion! Even – or perhaps, especially – fierce compassion!
I don’t know who James Redfield is but his name is the one that popped up when I searched for an old quote tickling my consciousness…
Where the attention goes… the energy flows.
It sure works that way for me. Not always, I should add, in a productive or nurturing kind of way!
Which brings us back to worrying. And the wild notion of what we might be able to do for ourselves while we do the worrying that sometimes just is.
You know me… often I boil bones. Even the aroma in the house is soothing for me. And, often, I can give the broth to the beloveds I’m worrying over.
And, dots, of course. Kinesthetic, auditory-digital, and visual processing. Whole person praying. Like walking a labyrinth. Or celebrating communion. Prayer knitting works really well, too, though it’s pretty hard on my hands these days.
And, yes… had I been raised right by other people in other places, I might mention that this whole conversation is a pretty good argument for rosaries, too.
All of which brings us to cookies. Really!
Specifically, the shortbread cookies that come clear from Scotland in wee plaid packages. They are whole-person comfort food for me, with remarkably whole-food ingredients. I love the aroma when I tear open one of those packages. And the barely sweet crunch. They make my teeth happy… especially when dipped in a smidge of flakey sea salt. And my ears!
And, like so many things in our world, few is often better than many… though it looks like more when they break! So…
Staying fresh. Nearby. A conscious choice, rather than something along the lines of I’m walking by the big box on the shelf in the kitchen so I should just grab some! (Especially when part of my deal with my Physical Therapist involves going “the long way around” on my path from here to there!)
Will cookies solve all the problems of the world. Sadly, not!
Does having a medicine basket with multi-sensory strategies for comfort help? It does! Especially when it helps us honor all of who we are and what matters to us.
In my world, this is all about seeing consciously, so that we can get from if only… to I am! Curious??? Let’s talk! 30 min. My gift. It could well be your next right thing!
ps… some of my best advice for Intentional Creativity painters is plant lots of roses!
pps… there’s still time to join the amazing community known as Red Madonna… Celebratrix. A year-long adventure in medicine painting and claiming our lives! All the info is here! The doors open Friday! (And you can do this… even if you’ve never painted before. Really!)
