Friday night grateful moment

wo tidbits to share tonight, each with a bit of gratefulness within the writing... they came to me at different points during this long-but-short week, like custom-written notes from the universe to poke me in just the right places.

A Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
Rumi

Be Grateful to Everyone
If we were to make a list of the people we don't like--people we find obnoxious, threatening or worthy of contempt--we would find much about ourselves that we can't face.

If we were to come up with one word about each of the troublemakers in our lives, we would find ourselves with a list of descriptions of our own rejected qualities. We project these on the outside world. The people who repel us unwittingly show us aspects of ourselves that we find unacceptable, which otherwise we can't see.

Traditional lojong teachings say it another way: other people trigger the karma we haven't worked out. They mirror us and give us a chance to befriend all of that ancient stuff we carry around like a backpack full of granite boulders.

"Be grateful to everyone" is a way of saying that we can learn from any situation, especially if we practice this slogan with awareness. The people and situations in our lives can remind us to catch neurosis as neurosis--to see when we've pulled the shades, locked the door, and crawled under the covers.

Pema Chodron, Comfortable With Uncertainty

I hope your weekend has arrived at just the right moment in your week, to bring you rest and peace, and a little joy and love too!