When I was learning to ride a bike as a child one of the most difficult things to learn was to remember to use the brakes. I recall forgetting how to stop the bike and use the brakes. I crashed a couple times until I started to get it.

I think that many times in life we don't know when to stop as well. If we don't know how to stop we will suffer the consequences in various ways. For instance, if we do not know how to say "no" to others we will burn out or become resentful. We may even develop more stress and health problems.

A beautiful poem I am meditating on...

My beloved child,

break your heart no longer.

Each time you judge yourself

you break your own heart.

Be an Active Bystander
This quote reminds me of how important it is do the right thing (that which serves life). No matter how hard it may be to do the right thing, we bring enrichment, peace, safety, care, and justice to the world when we do.

It is alarming that many times people do not do something to help others when others are in danger. Much research has been done to prove this point: that for some reason people do not help others in times of need. One famous case is the Catherine Genovese case.

Two weeks ago my son, Andrew, started playing little league baseball. I was so proud of him. Yet, when he got up to the plate in his first official game he did not get a hit. A matter of fact he did not get a hit in the whole game. Every time he went up to bat my heart seemed liked it was going to pop out of my chest. 

I was worried he might be disappointed. He wasn't. He just had fun playing in the game and was happy that his team won. I was so happy that he did not get caught up in evaluating his performance. He seemed oblivious to doing that and just enjoyed the game and being able to play and participate.

This Easter weekend I enjoyed visiting with family, watching the boys hunt for eggs, and reconnecting with my spiritual roots.

I attended a Good Friday service at my church that reminded me of the gift of grace. So many times we may judge ourselves or others and forget to offer grace to ourselves and others. It was refreshing to reminisce on the reality that we all can have access to grace.

An Amazing Recovery
Twins Brielle and Kyrie Jackson of Westminster, Massachusetts, made national headlines five years ago due to the rapid recovery of one of the twins. Brielle, not yet a month old and weighing only two pounds at birth, was slowing getting weaker and in danger of dying. Nothing seemed to be working to help her recovery.

Her twin Kyrie, three ounces heavier, was doing much better. As Brielle's condition got worse, nurse Gayle Kasparian remembered a technique she had heard about called "double bedding" where in multiple births the babies are put in the same crib. She placed Kyrie in the same incubator and the recovery of her twin amazed doctors and everyone. Kyrie snuggled next to her and the improvement was instant. The two went on to thrive and do well. Stories like these remind us of the beauty of life and the importance of human touch for our development and needs.