Entry 46: Zinnias Popping Sunset Yellow, Military Dogs and Accepting Apologies Without Forgiveness

Dear All:

Thank heaven for late summer. The season's sunlight continued and and so did the rainfall cocktails! Everyone is happy! We were so lucky to have cruised to Block Island, RI (The Hopeful Universe), Edgarstown, MA (A US Wildlife Preserve) and Montauk, NY (The Surf Party) this year. The garden is delighted by the zinnias' popping sunset yellow, blue velvet purple and stunning ruby red. August's golden spectacular and illumination have given us the summer of a lifetime!

The migration is lighting up the backyard. The variety of birds' whistling at dawn and ringing at sunset, brings the clatter to its purest calling. As the nests beep with newborns and the Blue Jays cry to their own songs, I bow to their promise, just outside the window. 

Tweet(s)

1.  Thank heaven for late summer (8/21/12).
2. Where the bird's songs illuminate us, there is light (8/21/12). 

As the late summer gets its "sunset" on, I am confused by the lack of resolution with the US-Afghanistan war. I follow Kevin Hanrahan's blog on military dogs and their cooperation, which seems to be providing a ray of hope in some desperate chaos, fighting the --fucking Taliban.

"Kevin Hanrahan is the author of the novel in manuscript, Paws on the Ground. Paws on the Ground is a novel about US Soldiers and the dogs that protect them in the treacherous and alien terrain of of Afghanistan. The novel is based on Hanrahan's twenty years of Army service, his experience as a company commander in Iraq, his experiences as a company commander in Iraq and as the Deputy Provost Marshal (what?) for US forces in Afghanistan. While in Afghanistan, Hanrahan was instrumental in spearheading the surge of dogs in Afghanistan and lobbies the Army to adopt an innovating and life saving explosive detecting dog program."--Kevin @Hanrahan.com. God save the soldiers and their "best friends" during this savagely difficult time.

As the Zinnias cocktail in the garden, I am surprised how we accept apologies, but without forgiveness. It is such a nutty ego thing! If we are without forgiveness, and we can not let go, what does it say about us? Do we like to be in a state of continual resentment? Is that how we get our rocks off? If I am open to forgiving everybody for everything (in particular wrong doings towards me), 1) I am letting go  2) I am free of my ego (yahoo) 3) I am genuine 4) I am focused on loving others 5) I am losing my self importance (oh god, that again) 6) I have transcended to a higher level 7) I am not attaching to others unfavorable actions 8) I am focused on myself) 9) I am not being passive aggressive and 10) I am sincere. A forgiving path is a bright path, that way we are "for real", right?

Tweet(s)

1. Forgiveness set me free today!
2. How did forgiveness save you from yourself today?

If we can celebrate to the golden flowers today, and awaken to all soldiers, their beloved dogs and their questionable reality at this time, while examining the destructive ways of our infantile ego, then nothing can go that wrong right? 

Let's pray for the soldiers, children and animals who need our determined and fierce protection at all times.

Sincerely,
Kristen

Entry #45: The Relief of Getting Over Myself

Dear All:

With the garden as happy as can be this summer season, is there any way to control our emotions when our loved ones may not be loving and kind towards us? I am the nicest person in the world when things are going my way. If we can lose our self importance (ego) with everybody & everything, we may just get some relief from ourselves. 

If I do not react when loved ones 1) listen to me with judgment 2) say something of unbearable truth to me (but its true) 3) talk instead of listen 4) display unfavorable actions that I may not agree with 5) share something unfavorable that someone else said 6) withhold info that I am "attaching to" 7) shout at me 8) do not do what I have asked them to do 9) have passive aggressive tendencies towards me 10) cannot look within, then I am Getting Over Myself, and what a relief it is, right?

Tweeters

1. I Got Over Myself today, what a relief! 
2. If I let go of my ego today, I'm good to go. 

As the sun shines on the garden and the flowers beam with pride, while we are totally getting over ourselves, even when others throw their ego bullshit our way, nothing can go that wrong right?

Let's pray for the women, children and animals who need our fierce protection at all times.

With Love and Sincerely,

Kristen