Day 3: "I don't have to be anything."

This is a picture of Twinkel sleeping on my desk this morning.  Something in me wishes I could sleep as long and as often and as free as he does.  I slept in today... to 6:20 am.  Well that's not entirely the whole story.  After being awake a few hours after my 8:30 pm descent into bed, I was just trying to catch up.  It's been three days of interrupted sleep.  

My cat lives in the moment and I wish I had more access to that superpower.  I wish a lot of things didn't matter.  I wish humans had the freedom to just be in this world.  I wish, I wish, I wish.... But that is not who we are.  We have the blessing and curse of being aware of who and what we are.  I look at humanity and see billions of coping mechanisms to try to deal with that.  It's not easy.  Life isn't as easy as find food and shelter to stay alive long enough to procreate and then die.  

I found the following in my AL readings today.  

"Dad read the National Geographic and Mom read children's books to her children. So maybe all I had coming out of my childhood was an appreciation for nature and some bible stories. They couldn't give me the wisdom of great thinkers anymore than they could give me blonde hair and blue eyes. I guess I can forgive them both" Day 3 - 2022

After 4 years of trying to figure out who I am in forty five days, I am a little more envious of Twinkel because he doesn't have that burden.  He just is.  Maybe my approach to other humans needs to be a little more like that.  Just be.  No need to be right, no need to be philosophical, no need to be defensive, no need to be understood, no need to be liked in the moment... just BE as much as you can BE. 

 Maybe that is the lesson I can take forward from this season  of Authentic Lent reflection time.  I'll be 58 in a month and nine days. Why do I need to be anything other than who I am.  

Day 3 of 2024 gave me Abraham Piper.  I will leave with one more thought... (and a Youtube Link) 

"I don't have to be anything." Abraham Piper.