Illness

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,



With the morning light comes hope for a day with less coughing and less runny nose events. My joints are no longer achy, but my nose keeps flowing and the cough is still there, though not quite as bad. I think I can actually speak in a near normal voice, as well. The sad news is that Soku Shin seems to have caught this from me. Being ill is no fun. Yet, it does bring a few benefits if we are willing to accept them.



First, being ill is a clear reminder that we are not permanent. We are of the nature to get sick. Sooner or later we will naturally succumb to illness of one sort or another. Second, illness slows us down. It is good to slow the pace from time to time. In such a slow pace it is easier to assess where we are and what we are doing with our lives. With slowness comes the third benefit of illness, appreciation. We are much more inclined to appreciate things when we are deprived of them for a time. Illness deprives us of energy and diminishes our capacity to listen to others, but at the same time it causes us to pay attention to that which we too often neglect, our bodies.



So, while I do not suggest we all go out and become sick, I do think that when we do become sick, we might pay attention to the lessons our illness may be teaching us.



May you be a blessing in the universe today.



Yours,

Daiho