Wisdom of the World - week 118

A grandfather and granddaughter travelled and made their living performing balancing acts. They asked a wise man what was the best way to safeguard and care for each other. The grandfather suggested that each should care for the other, that he should care for his granddaughter in the balancing and she should take care of him. That way they would protect each other. The granddaughter asked the wise man if this was not backward. “Would it not be better for each of us to care for ourselves, and in that way we best safeguard each other, and our acrobatics will prosper?” After listening to the little girl, the wise man replied, “Though she is young, she is wise. If you as a grandfather guard yourself with care and pay attention to what you do, you will also guard the safety of your grandchild; and if you as a child guard yourself with awareness, with care, with respect, then you both guard both yourself and those around you.

Wisdom of the World - week 117

Normal Day

Let me be aware of the treasure you are.
Let me learn from you,
Love you, savour you, bless you,
Before you depart.

Let me not pass you by
In a quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.
Let me hold you while I may,
For it will not always be so.

One day I shall dig my fingers
Into the earth,
Or bury my face in the pillow,
Or stretch myself taut.
Or raise my hands to the sky,
And want more than all the world:
Your return.

Mary Jean Irion

Harvest feast

Wisdom of the World - Week 116

Be Yourself

The world would like to change you,
There are pressures all around,
You must decide just who you are,
Then firmly stand your ground.

You have an image of yourself,
An ideal sense of you;
And to this vision you must always
Struggle to be true.

You know what you are good at,
And you know where your talents lie;
But it you’re ruled by others,
Your uniqueness could pass by.

Remember, there’s much to learn;
But all new things aren’t good.
Wisdom lies in what you’ve learned
And what you have withstood.

Armagh Planatarium

Wisdom of the World - Week 115

Thank You

To those of you who laughed at me, thank you.

Without you I wouldn’t have cried.

To those of you who just couldn’t love me, thank you.

Without you I wouldn’t have known real love.

To those of you who hurt my feelings, thank you.

Without you I wouldn’t have felt them.

To those of you that left me lonely, thank you.

Without you I wouldn’t have discovered myself.

But it is those of you that thought I couldn’t do it;

It is you I thank the most,

Because without you I wouldn’t have tried.