Buzzing and Humming

My early morn T'ai Chi Chih practice was filled with the buzz of bees and the hum of hummingbirds. It helped me to feel comforted and comfortable. Four bees hovered and circled over the nasturtiums at my side. Their low vibratory hum was like a lullaby. Then ... silence. When I glanced over, bee butts extended out of each blossom as the owners of those butts silently sipped nectar from each brilliant orange flower.

Another noisy interlude occurred during practice as a lone squirrel skipped from branch to branch, tree to tree. His route was easy to track because with each leap a cascade of raindrops fell from leaf to ground in a loud shower.

Meanwhile I focused on diving deep into total peace and relaxation. (That intent was meant to ensure that I'll operate from a quiet, centered place while working at the library today.)

I unexpectedly unearthed several Xeroxed pages from The Tao yesterday as I prepared for my TCC class. Verse 78 reads:

Nothing in the world
is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,
nothing can surpass it.

The soft overcomes the hard;
the gentle overcomes the rigid....

Therefore the Master remains
serene in the midst of sorrow....

          From: Tao Te Ching, Stephen Mitchell

Something in these words spoke to me about my current upset regarding work. It encouraged me to dwell in the serenity that underlies the ups and downs, failures and successes, and gains and losses that occur during the course of one's life. These simple, direct words gave me hope....