Sunday Stills

This is the best time of the year, and if I say this again in summer or fall, don't believe it. This is 'the' best time of the year. My walks have become longer and am just soaking it all in, shedding my winter gloom and embracing all the sounds, aromas and sights around me. Storing it all in to contemplate on it, on cold winter nights. Picking wild flowers like a little girl and making a bouquet, it is so rightly said that it is the smaller things in life that makes the big difference.

The other day I was talking to my sister on the phone, she's a store house of positivity and warmth. I'm not kidding, I'm sooo blessed to have her in my life. There are some people and when you talk to them, you are just sooo happy...and then they are some 'other' people...lol! let's not go there.

She narrated a beautiful story, and I just had to share the story here and am sure a lot of you might have read it somewhere....

The Story : Two Buddhist Monks were on a journey, one the Buddha, the other a junior monk. During their journey they approached a raging river and on the river bank stood a young lady. She was clearly concerned about how she would get to the other side of the river without drowning.

The junior monk walked straight past her without giving it a thought and he crossed the river. The Buddha picked up the woman and carried her across the river. He placed her down, they parted ways with the woman and on they went with the journey.

As the journey went on, the Buddha  could see some concern on the junior monk's mind, he asked what was wrong. The junior monk replied, "how could you carry her like that? You know we can't touch women, it's against our way of life". The Buddha answered, "I left the woman at shore a long way back, and you are still carrying her?"

There is so much we all carry with us, it is really not worth it. I really hope to learn from it and practice to leave the 'unwanted' at the shore.

 Another cute story, this one not so much a story. This was the lone tulip from my garden and I  brought it inside and I was taking some pictures, playing with light and shadows (above). I went to my study to download the images and when I came down, I was welcomed not by the shy lone tulip bud....but by a glorious bloom (below)...

Maybe there is a lesson in this, don't underestimate the abilities of those that do not look so powerful :) there might me a sea of wealth hidden inside.