hoedl's haven - May 2, 2006

Tuesday, May 2, 2006

Just desserts. We all deserve them. And most likely, it's what we'll eventually get. The expression stems from the old adage, "You reap what you sow." That never ending circle of actions and consequences, actions and consequences... spiraling onward into a life adventure.

I particularly like this expression as it has come to mean two different concepts to me. Allow me to explain...

My wife Di is one who, when eating out, lives by the philosphy of "Let me see the dessert menu first, so I know how much room to leave in my stomach." Do you know of others like that? Are you like that? I just love people with this personality style; they seem to always search out what I call the "yummy " aspect of Life's situations first. Test my theory and see if it applies to your "dessert first" person.

In stark contrast to my wife Di, I'm a person where dessert really isn't an option. I like spicy and garlic- or cajun-laced food items - not many dessert items fall into this category. So dessert doesn't really appeal to me and my actual meal sometimes becomes my "dessert." It's a reality that doesn't compute with my wife. For me, it's "just dessert." Now, if you talk to my children, it's a different situation altogether. Like all children, dinner is what you eat through in order to arrive to the destination called "dessert."

Three different perspectives (Di's, my children and mine) on the same concept. Life's journey can take on the same feel. There are those that seek out the silver lining througout all of Life's adventures. There are those that live Life's adventure in order to arrive to those far-and-few-between silver linings. And then there are those whose Life adventure is an ever-emerging silver lining. One approach is probably no better than the other; it's just a particular vision of walking through this Life. In any of these practices and perspectives, however, one reality still remains true: what we reap, what we plant, what we nurture and advance, is what we actually sow.

If we only nurture and advance hatred and anger, we will sow that very same condition within ourselves. We feed ourselves all these experiences and habits and actions and we do become "what we eat." If we only nurture and advance understanding and compassion, we will sow that very same condition within ourselves. It becomes our "daily bread," our diet and our dessert.

Either way, we will eventually each receive our just desserts... even if we think of them as "just dessert."



Tuesday, May 2, 2006 Just desserts. We all deserve them. And most likely, it's what we'll eventually get. The expression stems from the old adage, "You reap what you sow." That never ending circle of actions and consequences, actions and consequences... spiraling onward into a life adventure. I particularly like this expression as it has come to mean two different concepts to me. Allow me to explain... My wife Di is one who, when eating out, lives by the philosphy of "Let me see the dessert menu first, so I know how much room to leave in my stomach." Do you know of others like that? Are you like that? I just love people with this personality style; they seem to always search out what I call the "yummy " aspect of Life's situations first. Test my theory and see if it applies to your "dessert first" person. In stark contrast to my wife Di, I'm a person where dessert really isn't an option. I like spicy and garlic- or cajun-laced food items - not many dessert items fall into this category. So dessert doesn't really appeal to me and my actual meal sometimes becomes my "dessert." It's a reality that doesn't compute with my wife. For me, it's "just dessert." Now, if you talk to my children, it's a different situation altogether. Like all children, dinner is what you eat through in order to arrive to the destination called "dessert." Three different perspectives (Di's, my children and mine) on the same concept. Life's journey can take on the same feel. There are those that seek out the silver lining througout all of Life's adventures. There are those that live Life's adventure in order to arrive to those far-and-few-between silver linings. And then there are those whose Life adventure is an ever-emerging silver lining. One approach is probably no better than the other; it's just a particular vision of walking through this Life. In any of these practices and perspectives, however, one reality still remains true: what we reap, what we plant, what we nurture and advance, is what we actually sow. If we only nurture and advance hatred and anger, we will sow that very same condition within ourselves. We feed ourselves all these experiences and habits and actions and we do become "what we eat." If we only nurture and advance understanding and compassion, we will sow that very same condition within ourselves. It becomes our "daily bread," our diet and our dessert. Either way, we will eventually each receive our just desserts... even if we think of them as "just dessert."