Today Dale went free. I took off her bandage and let her out in the yard for the day. Her foot looks good. Here is a  picture or her getting ready to walk out the door, with one less toe but she’s walking just fine. As I write this I can hear her cooing noises over by the carport. Her favorite place this time of day.

One of our other chickens Diablo died yesterday and we planted a gardenia on her grave. Today she is blooming and the flowers smell so good. Life is certainly an incredible process. Change is the only constant and it is definitely best savored in the moment.

Here is an article I wrote a while ago. It seemed appropriate given the day.

Freedom’s Just Another Word For Nothing Left To Lose

One day as I was meditating, I heard Janice Joplin’s raspy voice singing “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” My first thought was, “What a negative idea.” But as I thought about it I realized it did have valid applications in my life. Over the years I have found that the harder I try to hold on to physical things the more rapidly they seem to dissolve. I have come to realize that the feelings of desperation or fear destroy our personal freedom.

When we desperately try to cling to things in life we push them away. It is similar to chasing a beach ball in a pool. If you lunge for it, the ball stays just out of reach and moves away from us. If we approach the ball gently it is easily retrieved. Fear and desperation have the same effect in our lives, as we lunge at things in our life, they move away from us.

For me, freedom comes when I have an attitude of detachment. I define freedom as a way of being in the world in which we experience joy, happiness, peace, and abundance in all areas of our lives. When I am trying to cling to someone or something I experience none of these states, instead I usually experience fear and unhappiness.

When I first began releasing fear and desperation in my life I began to view myself as the sky. The sky is always changing yet always perfect. I remembered flying out of New York City on a gray, dark, and dismal winter day. Suddenly the plane broke through the clouds and we were bathed in sunlight, surrounded by the beautiful blue sky.

I began to view the people, situations, and emotions in my life as clouds. The clouds sometimes block our view and we forget our own perfection and the perfection of those around us. This exercise allowed me to develop a sense of detachment. The sky never tries to control the clouds or the sun; it just exists and experiences the changes effortlessly.

As I developed that sense of detachment I also began to experience life in an effortless fashion. Each day became an adventure. Children often awaken with a sense of excitement and anticipation for a new day. Our desperate need to control our lives as adults robs us of that sense of joy.

It sounds rather simplistic but try it for a week or two. Remind yourself that each event is just a cloud passing by and look for the gift it is bringing you. Remember you are an energy as vast and perfect as the sky, you are perfection, you are not the people, places, and things in your life. As a situation arises, detach, remind yourself it is just a cloud and remind yourself of your perfection.

I started this process by doing a simple meditation. I imagined myself as the sky. I allowed my energy to grow and expand until I could really sense myself encompassing the earth. I then allowed myself to experience events happening around me and imagined them as clouds. I allowed them to effortlessly flow by while I remained detached. I continued practicing this meditation until I could create that feeling of detachment in my everyday life. I watch the clouds often now and remind myself of my perfection.

Everything in our lives is temporary, it is only here for a time. As we develop that sense of detachment and release our fear of losing things, we can enjoy everything more fully. Freedom really is just another word for nothing left to lose.

With love and aloha,
Susan