A Joyful Practice

A Memorial Day Post-Practice Note (with excerpts) May 27, 2024

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone observing Eastertide; Counting the Omer, and/or working as a force of peace, freedom, and fulfillment (inside and outside).

This post-practice post for Monday, May 27^th. It includes excerpts from a 2020 post about Memorial Day and a 2023 post about beauty, empathy, and compassion. The prompt question was, “What does Memorial Day mean to you?” You can request an audio recording of this practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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“But it seems reasonable to believe — and I do believe — that the more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us the less taste we shall have for the destruction of our race. Wonder and humility are wholesome emotions, and they do not exist side by side with a lust for destruction.”

— quoted from Rachel Carson’s acceptance speech for the John Burroughs Medal (April 1952), as printed in Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson by Rachel Carson, edited and with an introduction by Linda Lear

“‘Everything is connected. The wing of the corn beetle affects the direction of the wind, the way the sand drifts, the way the light reflects into the eye of man beholding his reality. All is part of totality, and in this totality man finds his hozro, his way of walking in harmony, with beauty all around him.’”

— quoted from The Ghostway (Navajo Mysteries #6) by Tony Hillerman

It has been a long time since I read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (who was born May 27, 1907) or just sat down with the sole purpose of reading a novel by Tony Hillerman (who was born May 27, 1925). There are, however, certain things from their works that stick with me after all these years. First, there is the way Nature shows up as “character.” Then, there is the reinforced awareness that we are all connected and that what affects one of us, affects all of us. We may not all be affected in the same way, but just as one person’s problem has a ripple effect on the people around them — and the people around them — a problem with (and on) Earth affects everyone and everything on the planet. Finally, the words of Rachel Carson and Tony Hillerman remind me that (a) when things are out of balance, we can all be part of the problem and/or part of the solution and (b) not everyone can do everything, but everyone can do something.

To me, Memorial Day is one of the days when I think about the fact that there are people doing things I cannot do, things I am not forced to do (by circumstances and/or laws) — and that some of those people are lost to us because of their service. I wish we lived in a world where everyone engaged more “wonder and humility”; where there was no war; and where personal conflicts never beget violence of any kind. But, that is not the world in which we live.

So, today, I remember those who serve(d) so that others (like me) may live.

We Will Remember Them

“…in our effort to accommodate many Americans by making the last Monday in May, Memorial Day, we have lost sight of the significance of this day to our nation. Instead of using Memorial Day as a time to honor and reflect on the sacrifices made by Americans in combat, many Americans use the day as a celebration of the beginning of summer.”

— Veteran and Hawaii Congressman Daniel Inouye, quoted from the “Senate” portion of the Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 106^th Congress, First Session (Vol. 145, Washington, Tuesday, January 19, 1999, No. 8)

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

If you are thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

“‘I didn’t want to believe it. Too many old friends are dying. I didn’t really think I could learn anything about that diamond out here. I just wanted to see if I could bring back some old memories…. Maybe it would help me get into harmony with living with so many of my friends gone.’”

— quoted from Skeleton Man (Navajo Mysteries #17) by Tony Hillerman

The Grace of Knowing How to Feel & FTWMI: How We Learn To Feel (and what we learn from feeling)

### “Compassion. Respect. Common Sense.” — Retired Marine Staff Sergeant Tim Chambers (a.k.a The Saluting Marine) when asked what he wanted to inspire in people who see him standing/saluting ###