“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”
― Dalai Lama XIV, The Dalai Lama: A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings By and About the Dalai Lama
Waking up in the morning to find it is my birthday today. Reflecting on my life in the past so far to the current year. Not quite a significant 6 and 0 age yet like my sister – Beth turned 60 last year.
Some days had been better than others had been annoyed or disappointed.
Today the world has gone mad, terrible with fighting over politics, bringing war between Ukraine and Russia, and the list of events happening daily in our lives. There are few happy events to celebrate anywhere in the world. It would be a pity if the world was better in the past, for example, cheap cost of products and foods in the supermarket, housing for families to buy a house or no technology such as iPad or mobile.
But there is something to understand how things changing, such as technology for people with disabilities, D/deaf people even D/deaf with disabilities today for example, communication, improving social media/televisions with using interpreters in the corner of the screen or standing behind the person who was speaking to many journalists. Nothing like this in the past as we depended on our partners, family, friends, flatmates etc.
I found technology excellent, but it is a hard habit to let go and do activities outside like gardening, chatting with my partner, and taking a break from my computer/laptop for my health issues – chronic C3-7 degenerative disc disease radiculopathy. Gardening, reading and other activities with dogs and my partner are great and separate from work. My partner and I were fortunate to have our skills from the past to today, for example, throwing food scraps into the compost as recycling, using recycling scraps from the garden or the old house into something new. With my health issues – some days are better than some, other days are worst, and the better is to learn to sit back, do light gardening, and relax my mind away from work.
The best part of my journeys was a hot air balloon ride a day before my 50th birthday nearly 10 years ago, travelling around the world and three times a staff weekend retreat break at Flaxmill Bay, Coromandel. Yes, of course, the constantly changing garden project each year and the delight of how much the garden grew from little scratch to efficiently display throughout seasons. My partner often says, “Mum, no more plants where ever we go.” But deep down inside his heart, he learned more about our beautiful plants and trees grew big and usually made the mistake of cutting a couple plants while he thought it was weeds. Our dogs gave our lives fun, enjoyment and compassion throughout our times.
“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” Confucius
Where ever I travel to Hamilton and many other places, I constantly see everything changing, rebuilding new buildings, mowing down farmlands into housing estates, and yes, the world is changing too fast. It is not like our childhoods when we go farming, to beaches, and playing on the road after a flash storm flood.
But here our home is perfect for us away from the city! Nothing stopping us from doing anything and our age.
My disabilities do not prevent me from doing any activities, for I always find a way to succeed throughout my life.
“One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don’t throw it away.”
― Stephen Hawking
Life in Eureka 