We are going through some problems at the moment, nothing serious, just an endless series of things that seem to be going sideways. One was we decided to ship all our product orders in house. Literally, in house as in our lounge room. It hasn’t gone well. My brain does not work well with this kind of work, but I thought I could overcome that and it would be ‘fun’ and satisfying. It has been gruelling. Our shipping from London with all our belongings has been photographed by customs and sent to us as it looks like it’s literally been shaken and tossed over and over and over. Boxes broken open, furniture all over the place, chairs broken, and that’s all that we can see with them just opening up the container and standing at the entrance. I looked at the photo’s pragmatically, and thought it’s just stuff, we will sort it out. Then an hour later I cried in my car, it just seemed the icing on a very strange cake we have been forced to be eating this year.
Now, these and all the other bits, are not life threatening things. But they are upsetting, and more so for me, frustrating. I then read this quote by Pema Chodron in one of my many notebooks, where I jot these things down, and had a huge deep sigh.
Of course, what a stunning way of looking at it. I’m not being tested, or punished, there’s no ’solving of the problem’ to be done. It’s just some things falling apart, and some things coming together.
When I look at what else has ‘come together’ we have a group of beautiful friends who have loaned us all that is in our house now whilst we waited months to ship our things back to Australia, and I am so grateful for them, and when I wander around our house, I feel an immense sense of love, of support. I see the names of all our students who have ordered the books we are posting, and delight in slipping their Letters Edition One into an envelope. My mind floods with memories on Retreats and in classes and workshops and all the incredible times we have shared. Then there’s all the places I have never even heard of that we are shipping the books! I had no idea there was a Chihuahua in Mexico as a place, and having a Chihuahua now this brought a lot of joy to our whole family.
So whilst somethings fall apart, other things come together. And if it wasn’t for the space created when things fall apart, there would be no coming together. From this mindset, we can keep a sense of humour and lightness and most importantly gratitude. I hope this helps you frame up something that is happening for you at the moment in a new light.
With kindness,
Jac x