July 4, 2012, Bob Fiske
Happy Birthday Independence Day
Happy Birthday AEAD.
It is July Fourth.
Your combined ages is 167 years.
I hope you are well.
I hope your spirit is lifted.
I hope your spirit knows it’s lifted.
I hope you know how to lift your spirit.
I hope your path is the journey of a lifted spirit
lifting spirits.
May you also experience peace and compassion.
May you and all living beings find connectedness and
compassion in the path ahead.
As I seem to see what lies on the path ahead I know
that calmness could be our greatest virtue.
As we awaken to what we have created, with a calm
spirit we could fully open our eyes and our minds.
From clear, calm seeing we could begin to accept the
truth of what we have done and grasp it without blame or remorse.
As friends we could begin to fully accept the state
of the world and the state of ourselves.
With a calm regard we could begin to accept the pain
of knowing and, from that, the peaceful release of responsibility.
As companions on our one ship earth we could know
each other warmly.
We could reside quietly as though in the restful
time of the setting sun.
We could be ourselves newly and be aware that, in
the new dawning, petty disputes and trivial concerns could be put aside.
We could accept the role of doing the greater work of
serving the harmonious welfare of all that is impermanent.
We could understand that we are imperfect knowers of
Good and embrace our limitations even while we strive to reflect It into the
world.
We could identify our inner selves, experiencing
that this is who we were all along.
We could realize that the struggle to be our
authentic selves was bound to lead us to this place.
And this place could allow us to live as ourselves,
in the deepest sense possible.
