Skip to main content

Solitude

I remember learning about photography from my dad when I was a teenager. I had gotten a 35mm camera for Christmas one year and he explained to me about lenses and settings and aperture - how much light was being allowed in through the lens. It changes the focus and the concentration of the picture that develops. Remember when we had to know these things? We can do the same with our lives: How much light are we letting in and what is it focused on. I know for me the light is usually focused on other things, other people, other events. In Lent, we can take some time to focus on our inner room, let the light land inside us and see what's going on in our hearts, our minds, our bodies. I know I'm a different Me in different situations - the Me when I'm alone meditating is different from the Me when I'm at dinner with my husband. I invite you to narrow the lens, widen the aperture, and focus inside. How often do you find time to be alone? When can you just be yourself and know yourself? When we ask the question Who Am I? can we find an easy answer? 

One of the ways I've learned more about myself and Who I Am is by studying the Enneagram. If you haven't tried it yet, there's a survey you can answer to give you a deeper understanding of yourself. It's encouraging to know that there are many different types of people, some who share the same worries and the same drives, the same strengths, and the same weaknesses. There are 9 different numbers that describe the various stances or the ways we see ourselves and the world around us. And these are all different faces of God. So by learning about ourselves, we learn about God and others too. If you have more time and want to plunge into the Enneagram, The Road Back to You was very enlightening... 

Today I hope you find a few minutes of solitude - to focus inside, on You.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Is Grief?

 What is grief? It is standing in the shower and  you are suddenly crying and then you are sobbing. And you barely thought about it in the two days since you heard  your Uncle Rich passed. You thought about your dad and your cousins and your aunt and how sad they must be and you checked in on your dad. "I'm so so sorry." And you went to work and you did what you had to do. And now you are ready for another day and you are thinking of all the things and then you are crying and you are little again and vulnerable  and your heart hurts. And you remember everyone. Medford Lakes and a swimming pool and laughing so hard  and dancing around a Christmas tree and fireworks by the lake at night. And you can see his face and all their faces smiling Aunts and uncles and cousins and brothers who aren't here. And you remember his voice, deep and laughing, and you remember his kindness and his advice. "Are you taking vitamin C, Joannie?" You see all their faces and you mis
6 comments
Read more

Home for Christmas

  Dear College Kid and Post-Grads,  Welcome Home! You are finally here! And we are so happy to welcome you. It's been a long semester. You've faced trials and tribulations. You still need to meet your own benchmarks and others you've exceeded. But it's over now. For now, you must rest. For now, you are released from your duties and obligations for studying and group projects. You don't have to worry about homework and practice and when to wake up and when to eat. You are home. You can sleep until noon. We are here to love you back to health and wellness and give you that unmistakable feeling of home.  Some things haven't changed here at home. There will be bacon and eggs for breakfast and we will get cream donuts from McMillan's tomorrow. We will have bagels and cream cheese one morning. Some things are new to us. We will order the meat lover's pizza. We will make room on the shelf for your protein powder. Some things have changed. We painted the front d
Post a Comment
Read more

Tomorrow We Will Make Coffee

We are all searching for guarantees.  The guarantee on shipping from our website order, the guarantee on the newly-purchased mattress, the guarantee that when we wake up the electricity will still be on, the guarantee that the weather will get nicer soon, the guarantee that my car will still be parked where I left when I get back, the guarantee of a healthy pregnancy, the guarantee of an easy child.  All the things we expect at the beginning of the day to go our way, the meeting, the conference call, the sales pitch, the ruling, the game, the score.  I see people searching for schools, looking for a guarantee that the choices they make, the selection of this school over that school, will guarantee that their child will thrive, be successful, and maybe happy.  They want the guarantee.  They expect it when they walk in, as if they were going to a car wash, that the car will be perfectly cleaned when it comes out the other end.  As if kicking the tires will guarantee the purchase they mak
7 comments
Read more