Tuesday, December 20, 2016
December 21 is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. For the past while our daylight has become more precious and rarer. Last week my breath was taken away a couple of early mornings when I watched the moon over our meadow. The light that it cast was spectacular and I really appreciated it after the long dark night. In all of my studies of yoga over the years one theme that is constant is how precious life is. It all ends and so that informs how to live. Yogi’s practice with the intention to live fully every day because life is short in the big picture. And so my final article for the year is dedicated to being grateful for the fullness and many gifts of 2016. We all have so much to be grateful for. Perhaps that can be a focus for our conversations as we move through Christmas and New Years. We all have stories and need to tell them to each other. I am grateful for 18 year old Bayan Wiso who has been doing yoga with me this fall. She arrives early every week and sets the studio up for everyone and then sits and waits. She and Lynne Thompson Higgs do it together. They welcome me into the studio every week. Bayan is learning English and is new to yoga, bet she isn’t new to expressing her gratitude in the way that she can. She inspires me every week. I am grateful for everyone who is supporting the Wiso family in our community. I am grateful for my own family and friends and our many shared adventures and support of each other. Friends are more important than money. I am grateful for all the volunteers who coach volleyball, hockey, basketball, skating, badminton and so on. It makes such a difference. I am grateful for the teachers at all levels of education in our town. For the dentists, doctors, chiropractors, optometrists, massage therapists and all health care professionals who work so hard to keep us healthy. To the people who show up every day at the grocery stores to serve us. To the people who organize and run our dumps and deal with the garbage. To our libraries for books. To our plow drivers who clear the roads so that we can travel safely on our highways. To Dennis Barry who just completed running his 50th annual bird count for Haliburton County. He has been organizing the count for 50 years because he cares about our feathered friends. He has inspired many people to join him and the count will continue on. I am grateful to the people who make music, and organize performances in this community. To the Highlands Summer Festival and Highlands Little Theatre for all their endless work. To all the artists who continue to create and innovate. I am grateful for the 4c, the Foodbank, Food for Kids, Fuel for Warmth, the Hospital Foundation , The Dental Outreach and all the people who raise money to help people in our county. I am grateful to those of you who read my articles and attend my classes. I am grateful for employment. Finally, I am incredibly grateful to live in such a beautiful part of the world where we are safe. We are rich in so many ways. “May all beings be safe this Christmas. May all beings be healthy and strong. May all beings move through their holidays with ease and joy.”