I use tarot and oracle cards as tools for reflection and contemplation. Rather than divining the future, they are a way for me to look more deeply at the "now."
"The goal isn't to arrive, but to meander, to saunter, to make your life a holy wandering." ~ Rami Shapiro

Sunday, June 22, 2014

The Glue of Compassion

From the Jolanda Tarot, the Hanged Man; from the Bird Signs deck, the "Oriole:"
The big whale of an ego is flowing out of this man's head, but there are still remnants of the "committee" nearby. Their nonstop chatter sounds like this: "Don't you have better things to do? Why are you wasting your time? Do you think anyone really appreciates this sacrifice?" Sundays I spend with my mother-in-law, who has the beginning stages of dementia. Some days are better than others; yet there have been more than a few times I wanted to scream in frustration and run out the door. I have to constantly remind myself it is the disease that says and does those exasperating things, not the woman I once knew.
In our area, I only get to see Baltimore orioles briefly, as they migrate through our area. Females construct sock-like hanging nests, which tie in nicely with the Hanged Man. The creators of this deck associate this bird with compassion, probably because of its love for sweet things - ripe fruits and nectar. That word reminded me of a poem I wrote many years ago about the ferns we have on our front porch steps:
Masses of green fronds
Sprout from my brick steps.
It's a mystery,
How these ferns survive between the cracks.
What nurtures and sustains them?
Perhaps my love and gratitude
Encourage them to thrive.
I wonder what effect,
This same love and gratitude
Would have on a human?


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4 comments:

  1. EllenJune 22, 2014 at 9:21 AM

    First, what a beautiful poem this is. Thank you for sharing it
    These visits to your MIL do resemble my visits to my husband a lot. Some days are better then others; sometimes frustration is running high. Then I miss the man he once was so much. So I do understand you how you must feel to during these Sunday visits. What is helpful for me is to promise myself some alone time when I come home to refuel again :D

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    1. thesycamoretreeJune 22, 2014 at 9:59 AM

      Yes, I imagine you do know exactly how it feels - even more so, as it is your husband. I have to keep reminding me that venting my frustration will not help, but perhaps being patient and kind will. Refueling is a must!

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    2. EllenJune 22, 2014 at 10:07 AM

      M is reminding me to let go of the attachment to the past and experience it how it is now: We give him the attention we need and don't expect anything in return And afterwards we refuel :D
      It is hard but necessary to keep being able to be there for them

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    3. thesycamoretreeJune 22, 2014 at 10:19 AM

      Let go of expectations - that's it in a nutshell!

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