Girl Without a Season

Every see that movie called The Happening? Where the trees start giving off some kind of pheromone that kills off the human race? Thats my life right now. Except its grass and trees and anything green thats trying to kill me.

The only benefit so far is that I'm awake at some cursed hour and can get some things done before my day starts. Dishes done, laundry in, desk cleaned off, caught up on blogs, second cup of coffee. Oh, and working on my own blog.

I'm looking for the bright side of this and having some troubles. Spending more time with Chuck as the poor guy has the same affliction. He and I are popping Benadryl like candy. Who would have thought a dog could have seasonal allergies? Glad my vet told me Benadryl is safe for pups.

How is this related to my IHC? I have no idea.

Fields of Scruffy

You may or may not have noticed that there are always fresh flowers on the altar. Right now, there is a bouquet of scruffy white daisies. Once or twice a year when my daisies are in bloom I have the chance to provide the flowers for the altar right from my own garden. I kinda puff with pride when I see them as I know I'm contributing, even if in a small, unnoticeable way.

Ever since Sifu Brinker decided to always have fresh flowers I've been doing my best to ensure they are there. It warms my heart to do this small thing. I feel pride when I look around the kwoon and I can see where I've left my mark. Literally and figuratively.

Taking ownership in the kwoon has helped my own training tremendously. When you take pride in something you have you tend to take better care of it; when you take pride in what you do you tend to try and do it well. As it is mentioned, we are family and the kwoon is our home. I am proud and humbled to be a part of your life and training, and I want the best for us. So, I try to take care of our home.

I encourage all of you to find some daily part of the kwoon that you can take ownership of. The grass, the grounds, the plants, the planters. Or just round up the dust bunnies when they appear. Something tangible that helps you feel like it is a home you can be proud knowing you're a part of. The school will be only a school to you until you make it your home. When it becomes your home it becomes a part of you and I promise you the returns are a thousand fold.

Wage Peace

I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world. -Sadako Sasaki

Today there are countless children in this country alone who have not known a time of peace. The wars in the world may not physically reach our borders but we are all affected. Every life that is lost in result of a bomb dropped or a missile launched, distant or not, is a loss to humanity for the potential of those lives will never be fulfilled and the knowledge, progress and lessons this world may have benefitted from is lost with them. Compassion has to start with those who have the ability to be merciless, for those people also hold the power to be empathetic.

Several weeks ago the childrens classes participated in folding cranes for peace. I have a box of cranes folded by these kids waiting to be strung together and eventually shipped to Hiroshima. I am humbled every time I look at it. My hope is to instill the value of empathy and compassion into these kids, to teach them that these are the qualities that give people the ability to change the world. Making intelligent, informed and compassionate decisions will ultimately create a more compassionate world to live in. Ignorance breeds fear and resentment which leads to indifference and violence.

I do not know how reach every individual in the world. However I intend to reach as many as I can in hope that they will someday reach others. And I know that this school is the best vessel I know of. The cranes we fold are an invaluable means, a tangible symbol of compassion and empathy.

One little girl was able to reach across the world with her plea for peace. Imagine if a whole generation did the same.

This is our Cry. This is our Prayer. Peace in the world.

Friends

I've been thinking hard and working on one requirement specifically- mending a relationship. I find this requirement has been a very powerful one in the past years, with a huge impact and far reaching implications. There are always going to be changes in your life, people choose different paths that lead them to different places. Sometimes drifting apart is for the better but there are a couple of my friends that I've found I've grown distant from and I want to change that.

Actually, I recently had one friend who reached out to me. That action alone meant a lot to me, told me that she was thinking about me as much as I thought about her. It gave me warm fuzzies, knowing that she still wanted me in her life and that she valued the friendship we once had. I've never had many female friends and she was one of the best ones. We have plans on getting together again after nearly seven years and the idea is both exciting and terrifying. Will it be awkward? Will we have anything in common after so long? Has she changed? Will she accept the changes in me?

One way to find out. She was my best friend though college and we had spent so much time together. The fact that the distance between us had grown so large was a shock when I thought about it.

Here's to finding out.