Ganesh Chaturthi

Today I am practicing gratitude that the final death throes of my 31-year old washer-dryer simply means having to go through the expense and annoyance of getting a replacement.

I don’t have a thing for new technology.  I had my Blackberry for nearly five years.  I don’t like the learning curve for something that I want as a basic tool.  But the old phone wasn’t working well any more and, because of our societal emphasis on new toys, it had be one nearly obsolete.

This is my first attempt with the new tool. When I step back from my frustration with what I don’t yet know, I can marvel at the technology.

To study with Paul Muller-Ortega, to gather with fellow students, to meditate, and to chant (with reverence, sensitivity, and honor) the names of Shiva.

It is easy enough, on reading the news and experiencing some of the challenges of living, to get anxious or depressed. It is also possible to think with gratitude of what is good in my own life.

Thank you to all my friends who share with me and help remind me of all that for which I am grateful.