it's okay to have human emotions

life sometimes is so hard and sad

sometimes we hurt so much

and it's okay to be like that

because we are human beings who love

Piha, West Auckland Beach - a favourite happy place for Westies. I love going to any of the West Auckland beaches, balm for our mind and emotions. I'm so looking forward to resuming this when we are able to.

I was at a family funeral a few years ago, and the visiting pastor told us that grieving was not a sickness. Meaning that there is nothing wrong with grieving. I so agree. I tell my family, that when someone (and I'm definitely including our pets here) whom we love passes over, we are supposed to grieve, we are supposed to cry, to hurt, and to miss them. It is natural to do so. And I felt in that moment, at the funeral, that the pastor was reminding us: it is human to grieve, and it is okay to do so.

I am so lucky in that I've never experienced the passing over of a partner, nor a child, nor grandchildren. I cannot imagine how people can cope in these instances. 

But there definitely are some painful loses that I have never, ever, recovered from (and I won't be mentioning them here). I know that I shall be taking them to my grave, and I'm okay with being like that. Because I know that I am only human, and I am in this incarnation to experience a human life, and all that it entails. As we all are.

So why would a humble little blogger write about this? 

I am a bit "love, peace and happiness". Which could just be a Libran affliction. But I'm not like that all of the time. Gosh, no. Who is? Interestingly, during my yoga years (of many decades), emotions were frowned upon. It meant that one was not "detached" (from "stuff" ie emotions) (for goodness sake!). Then I go on to hear about "neutrality" (which was often interpreted the same as detachment) in another spiritual mode. Now, I do understand both, in their purity. But hey, I've never, ever met anyone who could do either 24/7. 

But basically, both detachment and neutrality in the (so-called) spiritual sense, are about being unaffected by our own and by others', fluctuations of mind and emotions. Which is a very tall order. 

Now the why of writing about this. With The Lockdown, it seems that things have been "so in our face". Memories that might not be so great, regrets, etc, things that we push our emotions down with, and carry on. Which, yes, is another human trait. Imagine how awful life would be for everyone if we all ran around screaming, tantruming, crying, instead of learning how to cope and have a good life?

the times they have been a-changing 

I mention all of this, because the times, they have a-changed. Very, very, quickly. I do not think that anything can ever be the same for almost everyone. Aside from the ever present lurgy of a killer virus re-emerging, scary world leaders (we all know who he is) making everything worse, millions losing jobs. Oh, gosh, the list just goes on. 

And one of the reasons that things can never be the same, is that most of us will have a-changed on differing levels.

Because with these changing times during this scary and otherwise unusal time, we did not have our usual diversions. Our ways of sidestepping things, of pushing them down inside us on an emotional level. So now they have had an opportunity to arise.  

Just saying. 

And it is this, I believe, that will make many of us make changes in our life, our outlook, our behaviour, associations. And this aspect of these strange times, is so positive for us all.

A bit like the phoenix arising from the ashes, effect. Rebirth, renewal.

and some lovely reflections too

And me, being a double Libran (my sun sign, and moon, so think 2x love, peace and happiness, and all things nice), always does look for the lovely. I have always found that it makes life, and my heart, more peaceful, and more hopeful:

• I love dawn, the start of a new day. Which always signals hope, to me. I sometimes wonder if Libra is the hope sun sign
• I love dusk. Where I am now living, the sunsets are simply majestic. I pause, gaze, and give thanks
• I am so grateful that Jacinda Adern is our Prime Minister
• I am so grateful that my family are all ok. This makes my heart sing with gratitude
• I have been relearning how to cook, and it's been enjoyable. Needs must, eh?
• birds have come into our suburban neighbourhood, which is such a wonderful thing
• whilst out on my morning constitutional (walk) the other day, I could smell an exquisite smell everywhere. As I walked I kept luxuriating in this scent. What was it? I kept pondering. Finally I realised that it was the smell of nature without petrol fumes (I was walking along a previously busy road). It was so amazing, this beautiful scent
• I have a lovely home which will be cosiness personified in winter

Have you had some reflections?