June 11

HUMILITY MONTH: DAY 11: “A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It is a foundation for the development of such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being.” — James E. Faust

Wow…those are the promises of drugs and drinking…and I certainly believe that gratitude and humility are the keys to this whole deal. When I thank anyone for anything, I am reminding myself that I did not do that thing, possibly could not do that thing, and that I am not able to do anything of myself, except that which I am granted the ability to do. That keeps me right-sized, as I heard around here when I was new. I do not understand much about how the Universe works, but I sure do understand that the more I learn about it, the more in awe I become. It is SO humbling, for me, to stare out at the ocean and realize its immensity and power. The same is true for the stars in the sky, because they show me just a tiny, tiny bit of what the Universe looks like. When I am all puffed up and trying to impress myself (or others, or both!), it is funny how silly that must appear from every angle. I have all these feral cats around me that I feed, and I watch how darling little kittens hiss and spit and fight and how much that reminds me of what I probably look like when I am trying so hard to look fierce and impressive. Once I was trying really hard not to let down my guard when I really wanted to cry and I walked very proudly with my head high away from a situation and tripped and fell flat on my face in front of the whole group I was trying to hold my mud in front of. It was classic! I am so happy with becoming more real each day. I am terribly flawed and quite silly most of the time. Life is a truly humbling experience, when I am not sitting in my judgment seat and being critical of self or others, when I realize I am so vulnerable to this human condition, as is everyone else. I am so eternally grateful for the lovely folks who journey with me into and through this life…some for many years…yay, and some for only a short while…yay again! Each of my teachers shows me things that put me into awe with the wonder of the Universe and the Creator who gave us all so many unique, wonderful, challenging, beautiful, creative, destructive, joyful and sorrowful traits and experiences and skills. I love the idea of those things I have not yet learned to do…it is amazing when I can watch a true craftsman perform his skillful work…whether it be fixing a car, painting a mural, playing music of any kind, dancing, singing, building a home or a lovely piece of furniture, cooking a meal, flying an airplane or a kite, sailing a boat, writing a lovely letter, driving a car, building something beautiful (like a guitar or a bed or a table or a boat), growing healthy food, raising babies and caring for them well, healing the sick (especially animals!), tending to a human soul, whatever we do, when we do it well, it is because we have lost ourselves in gratitude and service. It always comes through and we are better people for having set aside our ego to perform that task; sometimes repetitively, sometimes only once. I love the creative spirit that inhabits us all and how that manifests when I get rid of the outside stuff, the stuff that holds me back from the interface with Creator and you…humility is the tool that gets me there, every time.