You've suffered enough, my child, for the heaven of heavens

<< You've suffered enough, my child, for the heaven of heavens,>>

a nun says to Sister Mary Bernard in The Song of Bernadette about the nun whose vision of the Blessed Virgin brought forth the miraculous healing springs at Lourdes. Bernadette suffered from skeletal tuberculosis, an excruciating disease, but no one knew it, she kept it a secret until the end. She responds,

<< No. I know about sick people. We all exaggerate a little. Our pains aren't so terrible.>>

I know the feelz each of us feelz when we feelz the deep feelz is incomprehensible, I know our sufferings are unique and experienced deeply, we can only imagine what other people are going through, even if we've been through a similar scenario.

I just wanted you to know, I could not bring you the hope I do that all is well and all will be well had I not gained that hope on my path through my little pains.

I just wanted you to know that I could not remind you to tap in to the joy eternal, the deep and abiding joy internal, had I not been reminded to muster that joy from its very source on my path through my little pains.

I just wanted you to know that I could not bring you the love, the deep and abiding love, I hold had I not been loved along the path through my little pains.

I read a bunch of Solzhenitsyn in high school, he sure could light up a room, and I have ALWAYS remembered this quote:

<< If you're reading this book then you can't possibly understand or empathize with my condition. Can a person who's warm understand one who's freezing?? The belly is an ungrateful wretch, it never remembers past favors, it always wants more tomorrow. >>

We must remember before we complain we're "freezing" that there are people who live on the street, like, that's where they live. We must remember before we say, "I'm STARVING," that there are people who could feed their entire village with what's rotting in our fridge, sitting in our pantry, or what we left on our plate at the restaurant the other night. We must remember before we complain that we're tired that there are people with three and four jobs who still don't have enough left over to buy a coffee that we'll sip and toss in the street before we jump on the train.

'Tis the season to take stock, to remember that although there are troubles in our life, HUGE life and death problems in our life, that we need to take big chunks of the day for ourselves in order to benefit the universe. Moments to breathe in life, breathe in love, breathe in refreshment, and exhale thanksgiving. Time to let our rib cage settle on our spirit like a hug from the universe, sponsoring that inward glow which reminds us, we're still good, we're still going, we're drowning in provision of all kinds, we CAN be strong, we CAN put another foot in front of the other ... and we're mindful that we are grateful for this one second, this one moment, shared with one another, shared with a loved one, shared by us sending light into the world. xoxo