Geri deGruy's blog of art, musings, and inspiration

Remember how Redd Foxx, in "Sanford and Son," used to clutch his chest and dramatically declare, "It's the big one!"?

Well that was me, but I was seriously clutching my painful back where a disc had slipped, a week before my art open house!

The first 2 days, lying on my back in bed with a bowling ball of spasm on my right side, I grumped, resisted, complained in my head, went over and over the things I still needed to do before the open house. I made myself miserable.

Finally on the third day I woke up. And started laughing! I was resisting what I could not change. My body and mind had been tight tight tight. But clearly the solution was to simply let go, accept it, relax as much as possible and be present. 

The rest of the week was lovely. I spent time praying for people in pain, myself included. Smelled the air. Looked out at the changing colors in the yard. Breathed and practiced relaxing. I got clear that what I truly wanted at the open house was to bless people - with love and kindness, with food, with art, with my amazing family (who rallied to do a lot of the prep work.) It turned out to be a perfect preparation for the open house, and for me. 

As Longchenpa (a 14th century Buddhist teacher) said:

"Since everything is but an apparition,

Perfect in being what it is, 

Having nothing to do with good or bad, 

Acceptance or rejection

You might as well burst out laughing!"

I did!