March 12, 2023- “There are no bad things that happen, only things that you like and things that you don’t like-but from which you have not drawn the lessons they offer.” Such was the position taken by a member of the Kaballah denomination of Judaism, in a Zoom session, this morning.
I tend to take a sunny view of many things that happen, and to soldier on through much of the rough stuff. It wasn’t always that way, and I have to own that a fair share of whining has come out of my mouth, over the years. I do draw the line at the slaughter of children, genocide and the greed of the powerful, yet Kaballah sees the Will of the Divine in those events as well.
The silver linings playbook offered by these mystics is arguably worth considering, and I have no idea about how the individual lives of Kaballists have played out-save one, who spent much of my brief encounter with her attacking my character and level of intelligence. I do not regard that individual as having been typical of the mystics.
The organizer of the discussion tends to regard my comments as rather banal, so I limit any responses to the highbrow commenters. Intellectual discourses, at a stellar level, are indeed above my own intellect, but the Kaballist grabbed my interest, with his provocative stances. Suffice it to say, that in the aftermath of a catastrophe, I tend to regard my own role as one of being full on in the cleanup crew. So, in the broader scheme, “soldiering on”, tends to be wont.
In the afternoon, after spending an hour or so with a pre-teen who showed how to do finger knitting (similar to Cat’s Cradle, for the uninitiated) and who tried his hand at origami (I’m no good at that, either), I went to Watson Woods Riparian Area, and hiked along the east bank of Granite Creek. The goal was to ascertain the water level of this creek that feeds into Watson Lake. The area walked was the southeast corner of the preserve, a segment in which I have spent little time in the past. It revealed that the creek is in good shape right now.
Across the creek lies Cottonwood Peninsula, about which more tomorrow. The trail does not distinguish between the intellectual and the raconteur.
A Sagittarian Seeker 
I tend to take a relatively positive attitude towards the ups and downs of life events — if there are too many at once, it’s difficult not to consider the accumulation as “bad” — the recent gas leak on top of rearranging my home somewhat for the painters and roofers, plus eye surgery plus MOHS surgery and plastic surgery reconstruction, and more recently the collapse of my cell phone carrier and some negative changes to my email (at my end) might be considered an example of a “bad” confluence of events. I do not, however, take a victimized attitude, so much as one of deciding how to climb out of all the pieces. Thus I discard those pieces that do not affect me directly, those that do not require my attention to resolve, and that leaves me the energy to deal with those issues that I must resolve or be involved in the resolution. It tends to simplify life, and to allow me to maintain my mostly positive attitude.
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I feel much the same way-regarding those matters that are up to me alone to resolve. Those which affect others, negatively, tend to rankle me-when they involve the innocent. Yet, according to Kaballah, the children and others are MEANT to suffer, that the “greater good” may be served, through the energy of their pure hearts.
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Gary it puts my hackles up when voices are silenced because what they say or how they say it isn’t considered erudite enough for an individual… I think all voices should be heard. I suppose I’m a little more sensitive because I’ve been discounted far too often because I’m female. As for the suffering in this world – I don’t assign blame or give credit to God. We are in a broken world and our goals should be to assist others, alleviate suffering, and do good in this world. Anything less would be selfish and cruel.
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As long as God has given us free will in this life, there is a measure of choice that each of us must make. For anyone to say, there is a silver lining to suffering, and therefore, we should just lay down and take it, is a gross misunderstanding of what free will means. I am with you on assisting others.
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