Chatting with Queen Elizabeth

Dream right before I woke up: While taking a break at some sort of event, people were outdoors chatting. I sat down on the grass near Queen Elizabeth II, then got closer to her so I could hear her better. She didn't mind my company and was comfortable to be with. I asked her if she had her own garden to take care of, and she enjoyed telling me about it. We also talked about feeling sorry for celebrities when they went out in public, and people would constantly approach them asking to take a selfie. Some photographer for the event passing by stopped to take our photo. I wished I had worn something nicer. It's not every day that one gets to chat with the queen.

Walk for Peace

I've followed the monks nearly every day on the Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C.  They completed it in exactly 108 days, through conditions of all sorts.  

I'm one of the many fans of Aloka, the dog who accompanied them until he required surgery on a leg.  At first he seemed frustrated about having to ride in the van when he rejoined the monks, but he gradually adapted to it.  He was admirably well-behaved on the journey and at the ceremonies in Washington.

I watched the service inside Washington Cathedral, and was especially inspired by the talk given by the venerable Bikkhu Bodhi.  It was truly moving to see members of the clergy of all faiths joining together in mindfulness.  

 

 

#1 in DuoLinguo Amethyst League

I had to get a screen shot because it didn't last very long! That was yesterday.  Before today's lesson I was at 15 and 7 at the end. 

Heating Pad Not Working 😟

 

I'm having the same problem as this guy. It's frustrating! I really need the heating pad in the morning for pain in my right hip which lasts an hour or two but is alleviated by heat.

Shall I give up and spend money on a new heating pad?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_Z8euDI9Yog

Forgiveness

 

This is copied from the Walk for Peace Facebook page:

The Weight We Were Never Meant to Carry

 

We often carry so much in our hearts that was never meant to be held forever. There are the echoes of mistakes made years ago, or the words spoken in heat that we replay endlessly. Then, there are the wounds others have given us—the betrayals that still sting and the disappointments that changed how we see ourselves.

 

All of this becomes a heavy, unnecessary suffering. It weighs us down, making it so much harder to walk freely through the lives we are meant to live. 

 

But there is a gentle way to release this weight: Forgiveness.

 

Forgiveness is not about pretending harm didn't happen. It is simply a choice of the heart that says: “I will no longer let this define me. I choose to set this burden down because carrying it is only hurting me now.”

 

• Forgiving ourselves for being imperfect frees us from the silent prison of shame.

 

• Forgiving others for their own struggles frees us from the poison of resentment.

 

When we let go of the story that we must continue to suffer, space opens up inside us. The tightness in our breath eases. Inner peace is not something we have to build; it is the natural light of the heart that reveals itself the moment we set our heavy burdens down.

 

You deserve to forgive yourself for being human, and to forgive others for being human, too. Let it go—gently, with great compassion to others and to yourself. As you release what you do not need to carry, you will find a quiet, steady peace waiting there to shine.

 

May you and all beings be well, happy and at peace.