Empathy

Empathy- "the ability to identify oneself mentally with, and so understand. a person or thing."

This word, Empathy, or I should say, Empath, has come up in my life a lot in the past two weeks. I think life is wanting to teach me another little lesson about myself. I have always been thought of as an oversensitive person. I can't stomach violence in movies or tv...even the news...sometimes things I see can shake me up for days or make me physically ill...for a long time I guess I thought that everyone else was right..that I needed to toughen up and face life as it is...but, it has never worked for me...I have had to get up and leave a movie that is disturbing to me while everyone else seems just fine...I have had to walk out of a room because of watching a news story that has made me cry while others sit and are not even phased...I have seen this in my own children in their own responses to how others are feeling. One of the things I remember growing up is the freedom to watch any kind of movie I wanted- pretty much any r rated horror movie of the 80's was fair game...now that I have my own 4 children- I can't even imagine letting them see movies like that..my boys are not allowed to see movies beyoned pg-13 (they are older) I have been told that I am shielding my kids from the world- says who? my kids will learn on their own I am sure of the terrors this world can offer but for now..I want to let them be children- they have enough with the boogey man they are afraid of at night...
anyways, enough of that rant...empaths are people who are very sensitve to the emotions and thoughts of others. I can't even at this stage say that I know a lot about this as I am learning myself, but, I see that I fit this role. I am hoping to learn more about setting up boundaries so when I am in huge crowds or around certain people who really send out a lot of energy, I will not feel so overwhelmed. I a looking forward to learning more about this trait and how to make it manifest more positively in my life.

A snowy wednesday...

Snow
I went and filled a bowl with snow this morning to let my two year old play with it inside
since then, I have made a couple more trips out doors to fill the bowl up...we both have enjoyed eating it and he has thrown more on the floor and at the cats than anything else...I am tired of snow, I wish it would get warm and spring would come but then, we get a beautiful coating of fresh snow and how can you not love it? Something I found out this year about snowflakes is that at the center of each snowflake is a speck of dust..without that, the snowflake can never form...then I read another article that said we shouldn't eat snow because of all the dirt in it...I am not talking about yellow, dirty snow we all know better than to eat, but the author said catching snowflakes on your tongue or picking up a handfull of fresh fallen snow and eating it...what would happen to winter childhood if we couldn't catch the snowflakes? I would rather have the speck of dust, thank you very much..now..my two year old and I have some more snow to eat....

In the beginning...

I haven't quite decided on which personality I am going to put forth on this web blog yet. I seem to wear many hats in my life- a single mother, an older college student, a wanna be philosopher, dreamer, homeschooling daredevil, rebel without a cause, spiritualist etc...every day it feels as if one of these personalities stands out the most..I just know that at this point in my life if I start writing a blog then maybe it will get me back into the habit of writing..even if I am the only one who reads this at least I will be writing to myself...so this morning has been a constant battle with my two yr old as I let him help me with the dishes two weeks ago and since then he keeps pushing our dining room table chairs to the kitchen sink to play in the water, now, normally I wouldn't mind but he likes to fill cups up with water and dump them on the floor...what kind of buddhist teaching cold there be on this? Or even what can I learn through the Spirit that would help so I don't lose my mind pulling my son away from the sink the 100th time in an hour while he kicks and screams? Sigh, well, I am not sure just yet and maybe in a couple years I will figure it out...so, what personality am I today? that of a mother (much cleaning to catch up on since I don't have class ) and student, which I have a lot of research to do is weekend...also, I feel spiritual today becaue we will be getting snow and I think I may take my boys out for a walk...something about softly falling snow makes me turn inward...

Here is my quote for the day:
"First I was dying to finish high school and start college;
then I was dying to finish college and start working;
then I was dying to marry and have children;
to grow old enough to work;
then I was dying to retire. And now, I am dying...
and suddenly realize I forgot to live."

Live in the present moment- it really is all we have -right now.