littlesoul

Rilke says in Letters to a Young Poet: If it was possible to see further than our knowledge reaches, maybe we could bear our sadness with greater trust than we have in our joys. For they are the moments when something new has entered us, something unknown, our feelings grow mute in shy embarrassment , everything in us withdraws, a silence arises and the new experience, which knows no one, stands in the midst of it all and says nothing... We have no reason to harbor any mistrust against our world, for it is not against us. If it has terrors they are our terrors; if it has abysses, these abysses belong to us, if there are dangers, we must try to love them. We must always trust the difficult. Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.

I try to have gratitude for my struggles with alcoholism. I know the patience, humility and compassion that I have cultivated in my life would never have happened without it.

suki44883

I absolutely feed birds in winter. This is similar to the feeder I use...

Leana

No I don't only because bird feeders bring squirrels and I have 3 dogs who go INSANE when they see squirrels. So no bird feeders in this yard.

FourSeasons

I love this post!!! Thank-you

littlesoul

I really mean to say do we feed ourselves in metaphorically speaking winter, when food is scarce. Although, I always feed the birds (and squirrels) in winter.

Hevyn

littlesoul - Thank you for an uplifting post - especially the last paragraph. It is very helpful to me. I try to remember to look at it that way.

littlesoul

It can be so incredibly lonely. And thank you for responding.