Chopping apples became a meditation for me today. The kitchen was set up with various cutting boards, colanders and stainless steel bowls, and a large pot in the sink held water to wash the apples. I started this morning by sharpening two of my favorite knives. Porch to kitchen. Wash and drain. Chopchopchop. Refuse to the compost tub. Chops into bags. Repeat.
It gave me time to clear the noise of this past couple of weeks out of my head. Chopchopchop. I was standing at my kitchen work station and began to wiggle my feet and sway as I chopped. A little tune came into my head and I hummed as I worked.
Chopchopchop
And because I was standing, I took time to do a good deep and grounding and check in with the good Earth. A cool breeze–and damp–drifted in the open window. I let the feel of it cool my back and my soul a bit, too. These are complicated days to try to think through and impossible days to try to sort out feelings in. So I let my heart drift, too–I left Charleston behind and Sudan and Greece and the red wolves and the damaged Gulf. I felt it flow down into the good Earth to become compost for this new world we’re building.
I think about–too much about–resilience these days. As all these systems collapse, as we learn to navigate by the stars and the Sun in Tower Time, what does it mean to love the land while looking askance at the people–my species–who inhabit it. Resilience, survival. Community and food and caring and love.
Chopchopchop
There is so much visible pain, so many angry fearful people–and I have been angry and frustrated and fearful myself in these days. But this day of simple, monotonous work and the gift of grounding have brought me some healing, I think. And some re-membering of who I am and where I am.
As we approach this flawed nation’s birthday, what are you re-membering? How are you healing yourself, your community and the souls you hold dear.
Chopchopchop
May we all re-member well, friends. Even those of us who have named it are not immune to the stresses and chaos of Tower Time.
Bless you, dearie! I too have been sorting and cleaning and organizing and getting back to the work that needs to be done regardless of calamity and sorrow. Personal and world tragedy aside, I still shed tears, but I can do it while I work. I am grateful for the ability to do just that. Blessed, blessed be.
And to you, my dear, dear friend. Did you two get out of PSG okay?