Day Eighty-One

It's Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.'s birthday today. Not that he's celebrating much, as he died in 1894. But as I was reading about him at The Writer's Almanac website, I was struck by a quote from him: "Love is the master-key that opens the gates of happiness, of hatred, of jealousy, and, most easily of all, the gate of fear. How terrible is the one fact of beauty!"

As I read this, I realized how true it is. At least for me. So much of my debilitating unhappiness the last several weeks has had love at its root. My attachment to my own mis-perceptions about love and its place in my life has caused me to doubt myself and others around me and left me open to too much jealousy and fear.

I've changed my understanding and things are better. It wasn't until I read Holmes' words that I really understood why.

Day Seventy-Nine

It's been about a month and a half since I last posted something. The truth, briefly, is that I've been having a bout of depression and as a result, it's been very difficult to think of anything to post. I fell out of my meditation practice. Funny how the thing that would probably have helped me the most to deal with the feelings was the last thing I wanted to do. As a result, I let myself be overwhelmed by sadness and the delusions that go with it.

But, a couple of things have turned around for me and I think I'm back on a path to being happy and healed. Everything is looking brighter.

I'll try to remember to post something more positive tomorrow.