Winter Solstice

For several days there was a very large fly in our house, and it was always buzzing strongly, whizzing by me day after day, in every room that I was in.  I got out the fly swatter and wanted to smash it, it was so annoying, but it always eluded my crazed swing.  On the morning of Winter Solstice, the light was just breaking the horizon when I got out of bed and rather than turning on lights in my kitchen I went to the window to see if Venus was visible.  This is one of my morning gifts to myself, looking at the sky through my kitchen window.  Venus was indeed twinkling at me but that big fly was a silhouette as well... Ah!  An opportunity!  But instead of the swatter, I chose my little bug catcher and was able to box him up and release him into the cold morning.  What a good feeling that was.

I'm now seeing that fly as a missionary.  It gave me the opportunity to pay attention to my rising anger, but it also gave me the opportunity to be aware of how a small "thing" can bring a message.  That fly made me happy because I could let it go instead of smashing it.  Maybe the "ills" that we have, the ones that bug us and bother us beyond what one would expect are the very ones we need to pay attention to and then "release."  Now when something begins to irritate me I can't help asking myself, "another fly?"

The Winter Solstice is said to be a time for regeneration and renewal.  I am renewing my determination to be aware, to be kind and to be grateful.