Adventure 502: Day One of the International Gift Sale

Hey, Alice-Any joy down there?

Not much for me to do today but contemplate, one of my favorite past times. This week I've been walking to and from town, a distance of 4.5 miles. The fresh air, the roar of field trucks, the lowing of cattle, the barking of dogs, the gentle sway of breeze, the waft of farm aroma, the rustle of dried corn stalks, and the time to be alone with myself helps me find my center. Master Wong Chung-yua wrote in the year c. 1600 C. E. that Tai Chi is born out of infinity. It is the origin of the positive and the negative. When Tai Chi is in motion, the positive and the negative separate; When Tai Chi stops, the positive and negative integrate. So it follows that we can't have darkness without light, love without hate, heat without cold, up without down, and truth without lies. This we must accept. In our Christian context we call it faith, and that faith brings me to Loey Hooley. She has a fondness, when asking for help, to say, "Tim, would you enjoy peeling the potatoes?", or "Gary, would you enjoy giving the blessing?" It's the idea of joy that I'm focused on today. Yesterday, when I was walking into town, Lisa, Andy Hooley's bride, rolled by and asked, "Are you enjoying the walk, or would you like a ride to the church?" I declined the ride, but it sent me quivering as I approached the idea of joy. What do I enjoy? What contents me? How can I capture joy? What defines satisfaction? Because of course, the other side of satisfaction is dissatisfaction. The other side of joy is misery. The other side of contentment is frustration, and so on. I'm fond of responding to someone asking me how I's doing by saying, "I can't get any better, but that doesn't mean i can't improve." It's the Yin and Yang of life. The trick is finding balance: too much is just as bad as too little.  Last Sunday when we I arrived, I had a chance to talk a little bit with Andy Hooley, an event I very much enjoy. I asked him how he was adjusting to married life. As reserved as always, he replied, "I've never done it before, but so far so good, and then he went on (Demonstrating the compassion and depth I enjoy most about him) to say, "It's Lisa whose had to make the biggest adjustment. She left everything she knew to come here." I know many people joke that the matrimony vine is also called boxthorn, but for me I very much enjoy sharing the briar patch with my Bunny. After nearly thirty years, we're still finding ways to enjoy each other. I suspect the same will be true for Andy and Lisa as they approach the end of year one. And hearing Loey refer to "her Gary" speaks to the joy the two of them share. But it's finding the acceptance that I find interesting. Andy says he lives in his little bubble, away from the maddening crowd. Like his parents and his sister, Sarah, they exist within the rhythm the farm demands. It's the yoke of acceptance that provides their joy, and I'm sure it's the satisfaction of jobs well done. Sarah said something interesting this morning after helping make a dozen pies, six pans of sweet rolls, and six loaves of bread for the sale (And completing her morning chores, too). "This is what we've been able to do, and it will have to be enough." There it is again: satisfaction. How can we as humans accept the joy of our efforts? What is enough? What determines when the cup is full? I think each of us must find our own rhythm, our own center, our own simple truth, and when we do, we come to realize that life is good, especially today.

 One step at a time.

 More than one hundred years of keeping to the straight and narrow here at Stoneybrook.

 And the babble continues, some of it told by idiots. But for those centered in joy, the river of life provides solace.

 And who wouldn't want the life of a well fed cow.

 Moo!