“Oh, YES!” and “Oh, NO!”

Today brought an irritating challenge.  The Home Serve service agreement I bought in 2014 and have continued each year was challenged because my mail now comes home instead of to the post office; each of the three apartments in this old house has their very own mailbox. It took several hours to explain that I have a small house with one water line and one sewage line and that it met the requirements of the agreement.

As they continued to put me on hold, consulting with each other, I flashed on an article I wrote and posted June 2, 2011, “Oh, YES! and Oh, NO!”  The following are excerpts from that post about perspective and judgments.

“Oh, YES! and “Oh, NO!”

A headline in the Durango Herald this morning reads, “Colorado braces for floods as snow melts,” but walking the River Trail just now, I laughed out loud because the River guides’ boats were full and they were obviously digging it.

The contrast reminded me of the “Oh YES!/Oh, NO!” story.  You’ve probably come across it in one or more of its forms. Essentially, it goes something like this:

A farmer’s horse runs away, and his neighbors respond, “You’ve lost your horse. How unlucky!” (“Oh, NO!”) Then the horse returns with a stunning stallion, and they say, “How fortunate you are!” (“Oh, YES!”)  When the man’s son rides the new horse, he falls off and breaks his leg, and the neighbors say, “That’s really unfortunate!” (“Oh, NO!”)   But when the army comes to enlist every able-bodied man, the son can’t go, and the neighbors say, “How wonderful for you! Truly a blessing!”  (“Oh, YES!”) …

The way I understand this little jewel is that no matter what happens, we can’t know for certain whether the event is a blessing or a curse…until we do. It’s our habit of labeling—of judging—that creates our unhappiness.

I didn’t actually read the paper until after my walk. I had gone out early this morning hoping to avoid the 45+ mph winds predicted for today, especially because those winds will be carrying more of the acrid smoke from that wildfire over 300 miles away in Arizona that burned my eyes and made breathing so hard yesterday…

I noticed how fast the river was running.  It was going so fast I couldn’t keep pace with it despite my brisk walking style. My first thought was, “Look how high that water is!” I quickly figured the distance to my house, the difference in elevation, and wondered if I needed to buy flood insurance because the snow caps have only just begun melting, and the river’s already overflowing its banks.

Then I remembered how dry it had been for the past nearly ten years of drought and felt thankful for the abundant water and recalled that it wasn’t only for us, but for communities down the road as well.

I flashed on the view from the bridge in my imagination and hurried to see if my vision was true.  Would the river be the gigantic flow of opportunity I imagined? In the winter, when I had stopped in the middle of the bridge for my releasing and embracing ritual, the flow had been so much slower, so much less water involved. What would it feel like to release all my limitations, all my negative thinking in a torrent of water like this?

Fabulous! My meditation took much less time as “that which no longer serves me” was carried away.  I moved to the other side and felt the power of the river thundering towards me.  In my ritual, facing this side is being open to all the blessings coming my way, and I could not believe the rush I felt. WOW!

So here’s this powerful river, overflowing its banks, being viewed by different parties as either “Oh, YES!” or “Oh, NO!” The guys who monitor that flow have their perspective. The boatsmen have theirs. But I like mine best of all!

Till next time, kindly notice how you perceive and respond to whatever happens in your life…

____

So what does that have to do with my challenge?  I had decided only this morning that I was ready to leave my home of forty-four years and try something new in a different state.  Everything was moving forward for relocation.

A pile of packed boxes lines the wall in the living room.  A friend offered to help me move.  The new tenant said he’d paint my apartment.  A neighbor will give it a good cleaning and then replace the carpet; he has two businesses.  When it’s ready, the new tenant (a certified contractor) said he’d be the property manager and take care of the house maintenance if he could have my apartment.  I’ve spoken with three realtors and chosen the one I want.  Everything was perfect!

And then this ridiculous challenge was presented.

It gave me pause, wondering if I’m moving too fast.  Maybe I should unpack those boxes and wait to see if the house sells before I pack.  I can still continue my “clear clutter with Feng Shui” project.  And I can enjoy the beauty all around me and feel grateful that I get to live here.  Some part of me wants to enjoy every minute of every day, even if I am going through a colossal change.  And I remembered:

It’s the journey, not the destination, that brings us joy!

In times like this, it is all too easy to set aside all the ways we take care of ourselves.  Mine include early morning yoga and meditation. I skimped on both today.  Taking life as it comes and being fully present slows time and enables us to be happy most of the time.

The incident reminded me Who I AM and to take better care of myself.  It also alerted me to put together a file for the property manager.  I’ve been doing this so long I forgot about little details like Service Line Warranties through Home Serve.  Thank you for the Cosmic Thump!

Till next time,

Please be kind to everyone you meet, for we all have our hidden sorrows. ~Tzaddi