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books, compassion, contemplation, creativity, gifts, good deeds, gratitude, imagination, inspiration, kindness, life, love, reading, service, simplicity
Week 15 my friends, one in which life has taken a deep breath and said – WOW! I notice there’s been much coming and going this week, so I’d like to share the lyrics of a song with you. I understand this originates from Plum Village, the community of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh in France:
No coming no going
No after no before
I hold you close to me
I release you to be so free
because I am in you, and you are in me
because I am in you, and you are in me
May I again appreciate my dear ‘Good Deed friend’, Rosie, the inspiration for all these posts. This feels like a very special and important journey…
http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/my-year-of-doing-good-deeds/
For other Good Deeds posts I’ve written, including the original, please check out:
Sunday 25th August
Got up early and dressed like I meant it, even wearing a little lip stick (I have a single colour, but I like it) and mascara (which I had to borrow from my mother) and forcing myself into some high heels I bought for and wore at a wedding two years ago. Why? Because I had some gorgeous donated clothes to sell for my Rwandan friend Beatha, so I dressed as if I had the passion for fashion I hoped others would have. Spent an hour or so setting up the clothes on a flimsy rail and the next 2.5 hours laughing, complimenting and saying, ‘ready steady go’ for two girls who were having a hopping race while their mothers tried on some clothes, not to mention talking a man I know into buying a yellow Paul Smith shirt, despite him saying he never wears yellow and anyway, who is this Paul Smith? It was A LOT of fun:-)
I also had a chat with a friend about what she could do to consciously complete her time with the community, as she only had two weeks left. I offered to hold a meditation in her honour, so she could invite people to wish her well and receive appreciations for all that she has been and done here. I will be sad to see her go.
AND good deeds received: Soooo…the sale made 187 pounds for Beatha and her boys, with people giving very generously and with much joy. I’m sure this was helped by the well wishes I received in the comments of last Sunday’s Good Deeds post, which I sent out just before leaving…so thanks for showering me with good luck dear friends:-)
Monday 26th August
Supported a dear, beloved friend in a games session we were holding together by doing the introduction and coming in with extra details as and where needed, as she wasn’t feeling 100%. Spontaneously offered to drive another friend to the garage where her car was waiting to be picked up. Agreed to pick up a friend from the airport the following Sunday as my Mum, who had planned to, was no longer available. Agreed to teach on the Wednesday morning, as my colleague texted saying she needed the morning off.
AND good deed(s) received:
I was paid three hours for a cleaning job I did that afternoon, when I’d only really done 2.5. This kind man always rounds it up:-) Hugs and appreciation from all directions, and a particularly celebratory hug from the woman who had donated the clothes. Driving my friend to pick up her car was more of a gift to me, because we chatted about creativity and she shared her love for, and appreciation of my writing in such an affirming way – bless you!!!
Tuesday 27th August
Drove to the nearest ‘big’ town to send the money to Beatha in Rwanda. Created and sent off an invoice for the cleaning I’ve done for one friend/client over the least three months, which he’d requested yesterday. Agreed to track down and print off some documentation on the computer which was needed for the English Course. Took time to catch up with one of my favourite bloggers:-)
AND good deed(s) received:
There was a postcard for me at the college from one of the students who did the English course in May this year, offering gratitude and sharing how much the month had gifted her, which was a wonderfully timed affirmation as this next course was still in its first week. A colleague from the care team I’m part of agreed to cover my Sunday shift so I could pick up a friend from the airport .
Wednesday 28th August
Wrote a brief article of gratitude for our weekly community magazine, thanking all those who bought clothes from the sale, and sent it off to meet the deadline before leaving to teach. Agreed to come by after dinner and help an ex English student prepare a meditation for the following day, which she had been invited to lead. Made a point of hugging and appreciating a man who’s been in the community at least as long as me, as he was leaving that day.
AND good deed(s) received:
Received a lovely text from a friend, asking to meet up in the next week. The students were so appreciative of the lesson I taught and were asking me when I’d be back (next Wednesday, I’ll teach them once a week) and why was this the last time I was teaching on this course? Hmmmm be strong, Harula, you know this is right…but I DO love what I do…and I want to stop doing it while I still love it…
Thursday 29th August
Sent an email to a dear friend to wish her a wonderful weekend away, as she was looking forward to a adventurous 25km hike! Took time to be with a colleague who’s teaching on the course for only the second time, and wanted some input on resources and lesson planning.
AND good deed(s) received:
I got another postcard from my friend’s seven year old son, who’s on a family road trip through Europe. Received a warm and almost instant email reply from my ‘hiking adventure’ friend:-)
Friday 30th August
Called Beatha with the details for picking up the money I’d sent. She was so happy, as she hadn’t expected that much at all, and was looking forward to putting most of it straight into the business she’s started, selling food. Sent an email to another friend in Rwanda, as I’d just read in the news that there is potential escalation of the conflict on the border between Rwanda and DRC Congo, and I wanted to know the reality.
AND good deed(s) received:
There was lots of warm appreciation of a poem I posted today. I also received an email from a colleague with details of what she’d like me to teach her class on my morning next week, so I can already start to plan – great!
Saturday 31st August
Well, this has been brewing for a while but, at last, I’ve launched…a week of letter writing (old fashioned pen and paper style), one a day, as a specially themed Good Deed week! Today I wrote four postcards to my friend’s son (in recognition of the four he has already sent me!) and a long letter to an old friend who worked in Rwanda at the same time as me. I’ve made my list of receivers and some of these letters are long overdue…
AND good deed(s) received:
Received the fourth postcard from my friend’s son, which prompted me to start a letter writing week:-)
Wishing you all a wonderful week dear friends:-)
Rosie Amber said:
I love the letter writing week, I know I use e-mail a lot now, but I do enjoy writing and receiving letters too! A lovely post Harula, so inspiring.
harulawordsthatserve said:
Thanks Rosie, glad you enjoyed it:-) Real letters just are different, aren’t they. Have a great week my friend! Blessings, H xxx
smilecalm said:
wonderful deeds, Harula. No coming, no going wonderfully captures our interbeing nature across time and space. my only letters this week were love letters to Obama and my senators to stop, breathe, and not war on Syria. wishing you happiness as a new week dawns.
harulawordsthatserve said:
Thank you my friend. Wow, may your love letters be heard and felt, and may war be averted, as all those who smile calmly in the centre of their being radiate that peace out into our world. Much happiness to you too:-) Blessings H xxx
Petra said:
Seems like a very blessed and rich week! I think I know which high heels you might have been wearing and you do look very, very fashionable in them. That must have inspired lots of people at the brunch sale 😉 So happy to read that it was a succes and that you raised that much money for Beatha.
Oh, and then the No Coming No Going song… That one is so special to me. You were the one who recommended that song for me to sing after Michaels death and I can’t thank you enough for it because it feels like a truly transformative song for me!
Blessings on your week of letter writing and a big hug from sunny Breda.
harulawordsthatserve said:
Hello dearest one! Yes, you D of course know the shoes – I took them off for a moment to give my feet a break and someone wanted to buy them! No. no, too many wonderful memories in those soles:-) Yes sweetheart, it is a powerful and transformative song, and I feel blessed that I was able to share it with you in such right timing. Lots of love to you dear one and I’m so looking forward to seeing you here again. December isn’t THAT far away:-) A big hug, H xxx
I HAVE A VOICE said:
What A Great joy to serve! BEAUTIFUL post dear! xo
harulawordsthatserve said:
Thank you:-) I’m so glad you enjoyed it and yes indeed, to serve is a great joy! Blessings, H xxx
journeyintopoetry said:
Busy as ever Harula!! And I wonder if those high heels slowed you down any!!!
LOVE the Paul Smith story!! Fun indeed 🙂
And as for the song, well this is simply wonderful. I love the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh. I only came across him 2 years ago when I read some of his teachings in a book that saved my sanity in regard to the MS diagnosis. So he has become a very good “friend” to me and whenever I see his name I know I must read whatever he has to say. He is the master of profound simplicity in my eyes.
I think after reading this song the term to end my xomment has to be
Namaste xxx