Compassion

Earlier this week I posted a question on Facebook. What has happened to compassion? But what is compassion? The free dictionary describes it as ‘Deep awareness of the suffering of another accompanied by the wish to relieve it.’

There are so many disasters in our current world and I wonder if that is why people have lost their compassion for others. Have we become immune to what is going on around us? I am not just thinking of earthquakes and mass drownings of refugees trying to escape death but also thinking about what is happening in our cities and towns. Have those of us with enough or more than enough forgotten how to share with those who don’t have enough? I am not rich moneywise but I try to help others in some way especially those in need.  Items I no longer need can be given to someone who can use them including those tins of food in the cupboard. I feel it is right to share and help those less fortunate. If they are begging on the street, there is a reason why this is happening? We need to look at the reasons behind poverty if we are going to do something about it. We cannot stop earthquakes but we can have compassion for those caught up in them and help in whatever way we can even though we are thousands of miles away. We can try to find solutions for countries that are in turmoil but while this is going on we can have compassion for those caught up in the turmoil.

Do you have compassion? If so, let your compassion grow like the plants in the garden.

Taking things for granted

My thoughts are a bit rambling this morning so I hope my readers can understand what I am getting at.

In our society we take many things for granted. We expect to have food to eat, clothes to wear and a roof over our head. We also take for granted our health, eyes, ears and physical well being. So what happens when one of these physical parts fails? It is then that we realise what we have taken for granted and can no longer have. For example, I was always an outdoors kind of person. I cycled, walked and climbed for many years appreciating the wonderful natural scenes around me. I no longer have the ability to do these things and spend many hours inside. But I do have the ability to see and hear so watching birds on my feeder is a wonderful thing to do. I have two goldfinches who visit at regular intervals during the day. They are beautiful little birds and so affectionate with each other. They always come together and yesterday they shared the same part of the feeder often nuzzling each other as well. What joy they bring!

What I am trying to say here, is that things change so don’t take for granted everything that you have now. Appreciate it and welcome it into your life. Make the most of today for tomorrow may be different. And also respect the changes that others have in their lives and help them to look forward and not regret what they missed earlier. Think about what you can give to those who no longer have the ability to have the same as you.

Here are my goldfinches taken on the camera from inside the house.

Thoughts this week

I have been having short discussions with friends this week over goddesses and gods. I do not ‘worship’ any gods or goddesses. For me the characteristics of all of them can be found inside me at different times. They wait to appear when it is their time to appear and for me it is like Spirit, there is a part of it inside me as there is in all things.

I hear people talk about Norse gods, Greek Gods, Roman Gods, Welsh gods, etc but are they not all the same albeit with a different name? Are they not a part of us too? There are times when I might ask Cerridwen for help but for me that is asking my inner self for help, the deep part of me that is Cerridwen. The answer will always be found inside me.

I suspect I will get some sharp comments on this blog but everyone has a different opinion and I respect that. For me, it is simple, I can find all I need to find deep inside me. I just have to find the stillness that brings the knowledge I need.

So what are your thoughts on this?

Weather Watching

I love the changing weather and I see the elements at work each day. This morning they are having a rest after a rather strange week. Some days it has been wild and windy as the element of Air chases things around having fun with the wheelie bins too. Then the element of Water has produced heavy rain and hail showers and even a bit of snow. Then along comes the element of Fire, the sun, to warm the earth and dry up the wet patches.

All of these combined together are an essential part of our world. Without them we could not live. Air cleanses and removes bad smells and debris from the atmosphere, water cleanses too and soaks into the earth allowing plants to grow and insects to live. It also provides us with drinking water from reservoirs and provides life for fish in streams and rivers. The sun warms the earth and us too and helps trees and small plants to grow.

The earth is always there for us too, to walk on, to sit on and to enjoy. Do you see the elements in the weather too? Do you see how they combine to give us life?