Orangutan - Stay Close

The Orangutan recognized her offspring’s first attempts to be independent in a world that she was not quite ready for.  An older orangutan rebuffed the friendship, and threw in a few slaps and growls.  The young lady was devastated! She did not want to return to Mom, but neither did she want to venture farther.

Mom solved the problem.  She ambled slowly up to daughter, and mumbled something, and then gathered daughter in her arms.  

The moral of the story – even when you are out on your own, it is okay to stay close to those that love you, and that you love.  Give someone you love a call today.

Blessings,

Judy

Tiger on Black And White

Not only is this picture very cute, it reminds me that Tiger has a lot to say about things being black and white. 

• The definition of black is defined by white, and the reverse is true.
• Wearing both colours shows that both colours fade to grey.  Grey then, is the combination of the colours, and the place where mixing of the colours happens.
• Being black and white and grey allows one to blend with many landscapes.  Therefore, it is the colour of harmony, if it is allowed to be.
• Spirit cultivates black for grounding with the Earth, and cultivates white for connecting with the Celestial.  There is harmony in this like the harmony found in black and white piano keys.

Often, we humans think that everything is black and white, that is, everything is either right or wrong or a truth or a falsehood.  We tend not to see the grey.  And yet the grey is so important to balance.  Most of us live in the grey.  

Blessings,

Judy

Eagle Flies In Dream Time

On Monday, I was walking in Fish Creek Park with my friends when we saw this huge eagle sitting in a tree by the Bow River.  It made me remember a dream.

I believe that the Eagle is the Guardian Teacher of the East.  I believe that Eagle flies where it needs to fly.  I believe that Eagle flies in my dreams to teach me.  

One of these dreams that I remember began with Eagle sitting in a tree in a deserted farm yard across the road from the farm that I grew up on.  Eagle began to chase the birds out of the tree.  Then, its mate joined it, and they both swooped about the tree, scaring the birds.  Suddenly, one Eagle flew off and landed in our field that was south of the farm yard.  The other Eagle looked at me, and then flew to the ground.  It began to walk.  As it walked, it grew bigger until it was so large that it could step over the fence, into our field.  

I was so excited.  I pulled out my camera. I ran to the fence and crawled through it to take pictures of these huge Eagles.  As I was getting focused, a herd of white and pale brown and palomino horses came galloping up.  My two large Eagles faced the herd and morphed into two very large white horses.  Two of the smaller white horses trotted up to them and I realized that the small horses were the Eagle’s offspring.  I grew even more excited and thought “no one will believe this”.  Just as I started to snap pictures, I woke up!

I was so upset that I didn’t have a camera, that I was not out on the field, and that my Eagles had disappeared.

Blessings,

Judy 

Koala Bears And Touch

  

Snuggling!  One of the greatest joys in life for all beings!  These two Kola Bears tell us that touch is a much needed in the world.  Hugging, snuggling, keeping one safe, are all parts of this.  Kola, a spirit animal, also tells us that a big part of touching is trust.  Keeping one’s eyes closed while another watches over you is the greatest form of trust.

We humans, in the decade beyond 2010, have lost much trust in our selves, in our community, and certainly in our leaders.  We are in a place where we need to find a safe place to learn to trust.  Kola shows us that being at the top of a tree, with no place else to go, gives you a space to learn to trust. 

Perhaps we need to climb a mountain, or trek a long way from our safe environment to meet ourselves and others that we can trust.

Blessings,

Judy

Pain Passes

                          

You can’t go preventing pleasure and pain, you can’t keep the mind from labeling things and forming thoughts, but you can put these things to a new use. If the mind labels a pain, saying, 'I hurt,' you have to examine the label carefully, contemplate it until you see that it’s wrong: the pain isn’t really yours. It’s simply a sensation that arises and passes away, that’s all.

- Upasika Kee Nanayon, "Tough Teachings To Ease The Mind" 

I read this quote from Buddhist teachings and thought about living in the present moment.  When a person is present, pain has a harder time being present.  It is like trying to have two beings inhabit the same space.  It is not possible.  Pain does pass.

Blessings,

Judy 

Sacred Nature of Life

"Remember the sacred nature of life; connect to it; let it guide you."

When I look at this picture, I am reminded that there is so much more out in the world than we can comprehend.  We could spend all our lifetime studying and not know everything there is to know about this amazing planet of ours.  Without knowing, we move through a state of willful blindness, where we do as we are told by politics, religion, tribal values, and family beliefs.  We are crippled in our quest for knowledge by those that do not want us to be educated.  Are you going to change this for you and your family?

Blessings,

Judy

Nurturing Lessons From A Chimpanzee

This young chimpanzee reminds all of us that nurturing is cross species.  The care of the young is the number one priority.  This means that humans should fight against other humans exploiting, or harming, or killing, or otherwise damaging children.  The child is malleable.  Those who crave power will start with children because of their malleability.  

Our Ancestors raised children as a village.  It seems that we have forgotten how to do this.  We blame – parents, teachers, the government, and even the children themselves for the wrongs that are done to children.  

Today, take a step to nurturing your children, your neighbour’s children, and the global tribe of children.  

Are you able to do this?

 

Blessings,

Judy

Happiness Is Spiritual

 

The poster says:  Happiness cannot e travelled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.  Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.  -  Denis Waitley

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This quote from Denis Waitley will resonate for some of us but not for all of us.  Where we are on the happiness scale is so individual that I do not believe it can be quantified precisely.  

Over the past years on this blog, I have written posts about happiness or how others view and describe happiness.  You can see from the postings below that it is a topic with various interpretations.  Yet, they are all valid because we are all different.

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2024/11/be-happiness-engineer.html

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2025/08/finding-happiness.html

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2023/07/on-being-happy.html

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2023/02/on-being-happy-buddhist-story.html

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2025/11/you-want-directions.html

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2022/12/christmas-thoughts-happiness.html

https://www.lightstationwisdom.com/2024/10/from-buddha-may-all-beings-be-filled.html

Many blessings,

Judy

Miracle of Life

Picture of the fountain at The Saskatoon Farm in Alberta - taken by J Hirst

‘Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive.’ ~Thich Nhat Hanh

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I read this quote several times.  It triggered so many questions in my mind. Why would we not touch the miracle of being alive?

As I contemplated and quested in my mind, I realized that several things come in to play in each of our lives.

• Some of us come with a contract to Earth to do the bare minimum of living.
• Some come to experience a variety of things - drugs, alcoholism, debilitating disease, rejection, becoming a cleric or monk, being a hero, and the list goes on.
• Some come with the ability to enjoy Nature and the little miracles that happen each day but are ignored by many.
• Some come to change the world.

Some are on a continuum of the above that lets them see the miracle of life as they become seniors.  How we live is perfect for why we are here.

Blessings,

Judy

On Taking A Deep Breath

Drawing on the Well of Breath. 

~ Matt O’Dwyer 

It starts with a breath 

Just one good breath 

The calm begins to wash over 

The energy starts to flow 

I feel it’s warmth move through my body 

I feel it move though my heart and my soul 

I drift away 

My body left behind 

I float 

Today to a beautiful pine forest 

It smells sweet and a little damp 

It’s late, but a little sun is left 

I walk to a well 

The stars come out 

They twinkle and dance in my eyes 

I sit on the well and gaze down 

Within myself 

It’s clear and calm

I’m here 

I’m centered 

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Thank you to Matt O’Dwyer for this beautiful writing about breath.  I am so happy that I found this.  Check out the site for Elephant Journal http://www.elephantjournal.com/.

Blessings,

Judy 

About Breath

Mindfulness of breathing is a practice of learning to harmonize your attention with what is, in this moment. Short, long, deep, shallow are all fine breaths. Trust your body; it knows what is needed.   - Christina Feldman, "Meditation Q&A"

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I read this quote and was reminded of a time where I forgot to breathe. 

 I was working on a large project in Las Vegas as both a coder and consultant.  Because of electricity glitches at the time and because of a network with old security constructs stuck in places that stopped the program in testing, I was getting a little bit concerned about meeting the time deadline for the project.  I was sitting in the IT control center, working, when one of the young men got up and came over to my chair and slapped me on the back. I turned to him, shocked.  

“Breathe.” He said.  “You stopped breathing! You get so focused that you forget to breathe.”

I drew in a deep breath and realized he was correct.  My lungs were empty and my body was starting to shake.  I thanked him for noticing.  I sat quietly for a few minutes and closed my eyes and just counted one breath after another until I reached sixty.  My shoulders relaxed.  My body relaxed.  My mind became clearer.  I had the answer to fix my testing system.

Sometimes, to keep going, one just needs to breathe. 

Blessings, 

Judy

Take Your Time

‘Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.’ ~Thich Nhat Hanh

This wonderful quote reminded me that I often drink my tea on the run.  Tea, food, friends, and family, are some of the things and people that we need to take more time with.   

Blessings,

Judy

Happy New Year 2026!

 

As we push 2025 out the door, we open the possibilities available to us in 2026!

We can do anything that we decide that we need to do and that we create a discipline to ensure that “thing” happens.  I am not blowing smoke past your eyes and into your head.

I believe that each of us can choose what happens next.  We have that power because we can think and create.  We can picture and vision what we want to happen, and live it happening in our vision.  We make it true!

I wish that each of you find:

-peace within yourself

-happiness where ever you are 

-abundance that shows up silently and quickly as you need it

-faith that your life will work out.

Many blessings,

Judy