i am in a quandry about what to write today. should i write about a narcissistic president who is destroying long-held alliances and whose impulsiveness may lead us into war? should i write about my wife's difficulty in shaking off a bout of bronchitis or should i write about my experiences spending several weeks doing a daily session of walking meditation? maybe i'll just try to write briefly about each.
let me start with donald trump. i am astonished that only a few republican leaders have spoken out about trump's attacks on robert mueller, the special prosecutor investigating possible connections between the trump campaign and russian attacks on our elective process. so far as i can tell, lindsey graham, jeff flake, and trey gowdy are the only republican legislators who have personally addressed the issue, while spokespersons for paul ryan and charles grassley have said that ryan and grassley are in support of the continuing investigation by the special prosecutor. the more trump attacks that invesitgation, the more guilty he looks. the firing of former fbi deputy director, andrew mccabe, appears to be politically motivated, after he has been repeatedly attacked by trump, and firing him just before he intended to retire seems vindictive and unnecessary. this is an administration that is attacking the foundations of our democracy, using its power for the enrichment of the trump family, and if trump is allowed to continue in office, i fear for our country and the world.
i have watched helplessly as my wife is wearing herself out coughing from the bronchitis that seems to have gone on far too long. her doctor has assured us that the medications that were prescribed will knock this infection out within a few days. in the meantime, she is exhausted and miserable. i think our bodies have not recovered yet from the stresses of our move, and this is contributing to her inability to fight this illness off. she has had the good sense to take it easy, resting as much as her cough will allow, and i've tried to make sure she has plenty of nourishing food and keep the house in order. beyond that, i don't know what to do, but if this doesn't clear up soon, we'll have to go back to the doctor's office and see what the next step may be.
my sessions of walking meditation have been very helpful to me. i've lost a little weight, and the knee and hip pain i've experienced in the past seem to have lessened substantially. in addition, i've found it easier to focus, my mind is more quiet, and i find that i am much more at peace with myself and with the world in general. i've lengthened my meditation time by about five minutes each day and am surprised each time i complete a session at how quickly the time has passed. i took a break from walking during meditation yesterday and today, doing seated meditation instead, and find that i look forward to resuming walking as i meditate. one more thought on my practice: i have devoted a special time to meditation every day for almost 300 days now, and i find that it has become part of my life, just as essential as food and sleep. i can't imagine not setting aside time for meditation.
now, enough of my scattered thoughts, especially after writing about focusing my mind. may each of us find time to stop and let our minds settle this day. may we have compassion for ourselves, those we love, and all sentient beings. may we never stop crying out for the human spirit to be free of suffering. may we elect leaders who inspire the best in us rather than the basest self-promotion and greed. may each of us be well and happy. shalom.
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