Walking the Red Road December 2

Some of you think an Indian is like a
wild animal. This is a great mistake.
CHIEF JOSEPH
(HIN-MAH-TOO-

YAH-LAT-KEKT) , NEZ PERCE, 1879,
ADDRESSING POLITICIANS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

On This Date in
Native American History

December 2, 1987: The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to
commemorate the centennial anniversary of the forced removal of the
Cherokees from their eastern home-lands-- an event that cost the lives of
approximately 4,000 people and is known as the Trail of Tears.


Meditation with Native American Elders- Dec. 2

“The smarter a man is the more he needs God to protect him from thinking he knows everything.”
George Webb, PIMA
A spiritual person needs to be careful. The more confident we are, the more likely our egos will
get us into trouble. It’s relatively easy to become self-righteous. We start to think we are
teachers and others are students. We start to judge others. We start, very subtlely at first, to
play God. After a while we really get good at it. This is very dangerous. We need to remind
ourselves, we are here to do God’s will. We need to pray every morning. Each day we need to check
in with God to see what He would have us do. At night we need to spend time with God and review
our day. By doing these things, we will stay on track.
My Creator, guide my path and show me how to correct my life.

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A Cherokee Feast Of Days Dec.2

The first touches of frigid air have cleared the sky and brought a stillness to the land. Long
ribbons of southbound geese break into several gaggles, their cries carrying over the valley. The
sound alerts us to stop and look with wonder at the changing season. Blue haze hangs in the cleft
of a distant hill. On sunlit days it changes to rose then beige and near white. Sunsets are vivid
and alive, streaking the sky with deep reds like hot embers that fall to the horizon and glow like
the hearth in evening. But a cool moon rises over the eastern hills with all the power in serenity
and peace that the sun has in riotous color. Just as that breathless moment between day and night,
a quail calls. It is the simple closing of another day, a time to settle in and enjoy the peace of
home.
Tell them how we loved all that was beautiful.
AMERICAN INDIAN

Everything is Relative

Every day we hear stories of personal suffering and loss that far exceed our own. When we compare our situations to those of people living in war-torn countries or those who have lost their homes and livelihoods to natural disasters, it is tempting to minimize our own experiences of suffering. We may feel that we don’t have a right to be upset about the breakup of a relationship, for example, because at least we have food to eat and a roof over our heads.

While awareness of the pain of others in the world can be a valuable way to keep our own struggles in perspective, it is not a legitimate reason to disregard our own pain. Disparaging your feelings as being less important than other people's emotions leads to denial and repression. Over time, an unwillingness to experience your own feelings leads to numbness. It is as if our internal systems become clogged with our unexpressed emotions. This in no way helps other people who are suffering in the world. In fact, it may do just the opposite because when we devalue our own sorrow, we become impervious to the sorrow in others.

Fully experiencing our own hurt is the gateway to compassion toward other human beings. Feelings of loss, abandonment, loneliness, and fear are universal, and, in that sense, all feelings are created equal. Regardless of what leads us to feel the way we do, our comprehension of what it means to be human is deepened by our own experiences. Our personal lives provide us with the material we need to become fully conscious. If we reject our emotions because we think our experiences are not dramatic or important enough, we are missing out on our own humanity. We honor and value the human condition when we fully inhabit our bodies so we can experience and feel life fully. Accepting our emotions and allowing ourselves to feel them connects us to all human beings. Then, when we hear the stories of other people’s suffering, our hearts can resonate with understanding and compassion—for all of us.
Daily OM