Trust

Looking at what is going on in our world this week I can see that trust has gone in many circumstances. Trust is something that we need to have to live a fair and decent life. Trust is our belief that people are honest and good or that something is reliable and safe. We trust our friends until something happens so that we no longer trust them. We trust others to do a good job, to deliver goods properly, to keep our secrets and to be there for us when we need them.

Animals trust us too. They trust us to feed them and care for them in the proper way. We trust them to look out for us too, those that can like dogs. The birds trust us to feed them when there is no food around.

We trust those in charge to be fair in their dealings with us and we trust them to make sure that we have what we need. Sadly there are many people in power who cannot be trusted to do these things. So what can we do about it? How can they restore that trust?

Do you trust others? What makes you lose that trust in others? What do you think we can do?

Home, real and spiritual

Home is where the heart is so they say. But there are other sayings about home. Wherever I lay my hat, that is my home is another one. We also say ‘going home’ when someone leaves us for the spirit world. So what is home? Earlier this week, a friend took me to visit the place where I had spent around half of my life. We went to see the house where I was born, the two primary schools I attended, the various churches and other buildings as well as the large open spaces which are still large open spaces with many more trees. We walked in the tiny park which dates back to the some time in the late 1800s when it was part of the grounds of a large house. The park still has its charm and was beautiful when the sun shone, the trees providing reflections on the water. It was a place of peace yet it was a place I took my children for walks to learn about nature. But is it home? In one way it did feel like home and it was good to be back but there are other places I feel that are home, the mountains of Wales for one. I know that where I am now is not where I should be but moving is not easy these days. So do I keep these places in my memory as places that I feel at home? Or do I make the effort to move? Why is home important? What are your thoughts on home? I often think of the Welsh mountains as my spiritual home. Do you have a spiritual home?

New growth

Although my week has been a bit fraught with a visit to the dentist and the removal of a wisdom tooth, there have been some lovely moments. The baby starlings are making a lot of noise in their nest in the eaves as their parents fly back and forth with food. The plants are growing strongly and many are flowering now. The willow has lots of leaves too.

This cycle of growth gives me hope for our world but we need to fight hard to keep our world safe and fertile. We need to look at our values, what do we really need and how do we keep these things? Is the material world more important that our natural world? How can we work together to keep our world the way we would like to see it?

I can see that many people will have a lot of soul searching to do! It is no good saying that we won’t live much longer if we are old, we need to think of the generations to come after us. What kind of legacy are we leaving them?

A short blog this week but one that I hope will make you think and after that, take action.

Gathering strength

This week has brought a deep shock to many in the UK. Now is the time to regroup, to look at past mistakes and to plan for a fairer world where the old, the poor, the disabled and all in need are cared for. Respect for others points of view is essential but if we all had that then the vitriol of the press would not occur and that would help all of us.

Our land is at threat by fracking and major road and rail building which will go through ancient woodlands and nature reserves. It can take many years for these to recover properly and it is important that we try to stop the desecration of our land. Recent research has proved that spending time in nature can keep you healthy in mind, body and spirit. Think about this.

We also need a fairer voting system too. Over hundreds of years those at the bottom of the heap have fought for improvements in their lives. It has taken until after the Second World War to develop some of the things we should treasure like the NHS. Are we moving backwards to the years of Lords and serfs? Or can we stand united to get what is needed for all of us, not just here but in other parts of the world.

I have been watching the VE commemoration events. I remember the war vaguely. I was 4 when it ended.  I remember the deprivation caused by rationing and the derelict areas where bombs had fallen. Many lost their lives in the war so we could have freedom, justice and peace. Are you ready to fight now for a fairer world? Reflect and think about what you can do. Stand up and be counted!

Forgiving or letting go?

What is forgiveness? According to the free dictionary it is;

 – To give up resentment against or stop wanting to punish (someone) for an offense or    fault; pardon.

 – To relent in being angry or in wishing to exact punishment for (an offense or fault).

So is it easy to forgive and can you forgive people who hurt you? Or can you let it go but not forgive? The first definition states that forgiveness is about giving up resentment or stopping wanting to punish someone for something that have done. Some things are easier to forgive than others and there are some things that would be very hard to forgive. But let’s just think about forgiving others such as friends or relatives who have hurt us. If we don’t forgive then we can build up resentment so much that it makes us ill. Is this a good thing? Some times it may be easy to let hurts go but not quite forgive in the sense that we lose .trust in that person who hurt us and keep a distance between us so that they can’t hurt us again. Is this a good thing to do?

This brings me to the second part of the definition – stopping wanting to punish some one for an offence or fault. Tit for tat does not work. Gandhi stated that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. So wanting punishment for someone who said nasty things about you is not really a good idea. I’m rather tired today and in a lot of pain, physical pain not pain caused by hurts. But I would love to read your comments and thoughts on forgiving others.