If we look into negativity more deeply, it has a very juicy smell and is very alive.  It is living, precise, and connected with reality. – Pema Chodron

On a Sunday morning in Cohasset, at the historic Beechwood Meeting House, you might be hard-pressed to find negativity.  Sunlight pours through tall windows, casting shadows and giving warmth.  Live music (this week, double-bassist Becca Pasley) catches the ears as light catches our eyes, an invitation to sit and listen.  Sunday Reflection is a chance to rest easy in the company of others…to be present, aware, and grounded in the moment.   This is mindfulness practice:  self-care for our minds, bodies, relationships with others.  It’s not easy to take good care in a world with so much noise, so much pain.  We need opportunities to pause and collect ourselves, to connect in supportive community, to share how it’s going as we try to take good care of ourselves and each other.

This week, I’ll share how it went for me last week, as I spent a couple of days in Manhattan with my 16-year old son.  Hell’s Kitchen in Midtown:  whole city blocks with very juicy smells, very much alive and connected with reality!  It’s not easy for parents and teens to hold steady for long stretches.  Good intentions don’t simply lead to positive outcomes.  A bite of a bagel gave me a taste of something painful, a “negative” experience own self.  With my son’s help, I had a chance to consider Pema’s teachings about neurosis (my own!), the possibility of hanging in when you’re in the wrong and feeling bad.  Is there deeper wisdom hiding in plain sight, alongside our painful and negative experiences?  How can tapping into this wisdom help us take good care in our hardest-to manage relationships? 

Come and consider these questions for yourself, in the supportive company of others doing the same.  Invite a friend!

See you soon.

- Jonathan