As I sit, I get hooked by pleasant, surprising thoughts.
Just shenpa, (Tibetan for "hook", discussed a lot by Pema Chodron - sorry about the ad at the beginning of the video) and no better than other thoughts, in that way, but...
For example: Lucy asked me, after hearing a bit about the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, if they made him king after that. I smiled, and said the United States doesn't have a king.
But I was wrong, wasn't I? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is, of course, our king.
Also, in the pleasant shenpa category, I'd had a dream a few days ago that Laurent and I were trying to move from where we were living. I came home, and the children and my sister and my brother-in-law were all there. I walked into the front room, which was covered with windows, and was surprised. There were mountains rising over a plain, and hippopotami down below. "Why would I ever move from here? I can paint this every day! I must have been an idiot not to have been doing that every second I could!"
And then I went and retrieved Emile from a a pack of mongooses, as they had adopted him as one of their own.
The meditation realization? Duh, Julia, you already live there. No mountains, no hippos, no plains, but life. And you can paint it.
Lastly, I have four New Year's resolutions that are more post-treatment resolutions than anything.
First
Do what I need to in order to paint and spend more time with husband and family.
Second
Exercise (on most people's list)
Third
Eat healthfully - this means no extremes. Neither a health nut nor a binger.
Fourth
Grow, and learn, because otherwise there is no point. If that means slowly increasing meditation time, do it. If it means writing and painting, do it. If it means getting to bed early enough to be kind and present, do it. Etc.
Happy shenpa awareness to you all.