The Now

It is a rainy day (actually the forecast shows it is Noah weather for the next week) and I actually have the weekend off to putter about in my home. I attempted to go on a hike despite the weather with my pup but we got a half mile out, both of us bundled up appropriately and she turned around and pulled me home. Alas. I will listen to my dog, who is kind of my therapist/Buddhist/spirit animal, in that she reminds me to stay present and enjoy the here and now. Dogs are good for that. They don’t remember much of yesterday and later means nothing to them; it is only now. When I am living in the now, I usually am much less anxious and much more serene.

My wife and I just watched an amazing show on hulu “In and Of Itself”. Make sure you have 90 minutes to turn off your phone and be in the now to truly experience this lusciousness. It is truly an experience. It is also kid friendly for those of you who have kids, so I would recommend it for those in middle school and older. I then completed this amazing memoir The Argonauts that a student recommended to me when they found out I was doing this project. It was another experience. Truly beautiful and amazing. I’m having some imposter syndrome thinking about my own “manuscript” and the hope it could create such an experience for the reader.

Alas, what I have been told is that once the words have been written, they are no longer your own. People will interpret, experience the written word as their own interpretation, as their own context of the world. So I am powerless to create any sort of experience for anyone. I must turn it over and allow the experience to be exactly how it was always supposed to be all along… I know that sounds very meta, but it is still quite simple. As soon as I stop trying to orchestrate or control anything in my life, I release the stress and burden and allow the universe to unfold in front of me as it should. Thank you Nina and my recovery program for teaching me this. 

Enjoy the next letter. As we have a weekend of celebration of love, know that I love you so very much and appreciate you being on this journey with me.

Darling, Thursday 4:00pm

Your two letters of the 22nd arrived today, both of which made me happy. I am sorry that I have been unable to write letters all of the time- I hate postcards! We have really been extremely busy, and this afternoon has been more so.

Charles Thomas is now reporting on the 1947 Young Friends Conference. It promises to be a very very fine conference. He is doing a great deal of work in connection with it. I hope that he doesn’t work too much on it. He has asked Charles Hendricks to serve with Carolyn Cox as treasurer of the Conference. There will be a great deal to do, and it seems that some of us who have been asked to serve as leaders will have to come a little early.

We are going to West Richmond Meeting tonight for a banquet with all of the other boards which are meeting now- 

I will see Merle Davis at the meeting and give him your application. Your picture does not do you justice but am glad that you sent it. It and the letter make me homesick to be with you- You are so sweet! I think that I will get to meet with the Candidates Committee of the Mission Board before I leave.

I have to go to other meetings now so must close. Perhaps you will get this on Saturday morning before  I get home in the evening. I will go on the train to Winston and then on by [?] bus. I am anxious to see you.  

Love,

          Ted