“C” is for Courtesy

Posted on November 30, 2011 by heatherfromthegrove

One evening a Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son, the battle is between 2 wolves inside of us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”
The Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
— Author Unknown

This is the time of year when it would behoove all of us to press the “Pause” button and take some time to contemplate how we treat others — which is, in essence — a direct reflection of who we really are.

I have a bee in my bonnet. And it’s buzzing around one word: Courtesy. Or lack thereof. A false sense of entitlement, perhaps.

Some examples:

he or she who texts while driving, completely disregarding the pedestrian crossing the street (who – fyi – has the right of way)
he or she who chats on the cell phone while driving (same scenario as above)
he or she who does not reply to an important email or telephone call
he or she who is consistently late for meetings, appointments, or events
he or she who eagerly accepts the fruit of one’s labor and, not only takes it for granted, but also refuses to honor their word
he or she who honks their car horn incessantly (this is really, really, annoying!!!)
he or she who wastes food (when others are starving)
he or she who looks right through you – not at you
he or she who listens, but does not really hear
he or she who judges others, making assumptions (because they are, after all, assumptions) that are usually erroneous

The list goes on and on….

So, here’s a shout out to all of us in this, the season of light, love and thanks: feed the Good wolf.

Image via oneheartbeatdrums.com.

Giving Thanks …

Posted on November 24, 2011 by heatherfromthegrove

Happy Thanksgiving!

heatherfromthegrove gives thanks for an abundance of tropical sea grapes…

Posted on November 21, 2011 by heatherfromthegrove

This is one of the twenty-five or so parrots that fly into the sea grape trees in our front garden. They are exuberant, colorful birds that squawk loudly — as they happily nibble on the grapes (their boisterous behaviour is probably a direct consequence of inebriation — from the grape juice!). When I look at these two beautiful trees, which form a welcoming canopy over the front of the house, and the abundance of ripe grapes and tipsy parrots — I feel happy and grateful for these gifts of nature, gifts that can’t be bought in the Mall – or anywhere else, for that matter.

To my family and friends who know of my weakness for “the Grape,” it is no surprise that I would have a house with a yard that smells like a vineyard — crushed grapes everywhere (you can’t avoid stepping on them!).

Although we haven’t honed our wine making skills as yet, we are feeding some of the people in our neighborhood. The trees have large branches that flow over the front fence to the street, providing shade on the sidewalk and tasty bounty for passers-by. Often, I go out to the front gate, and give them paper bags to gather the ripened grapes. Sharing a harvest of grapes with neighbors. It just doesn’t get better than that.

” Thanksgiving is the holiday of peace, the celebration of work and the simple life… a true folk-festival that speaks the poetry of the turn of the seasons, the beauty of seed time and harvest, the ripe product of the year – and the deep, deep connection of all these things with God. “ ~ Ray Stannard Baker (David Grayson)

Exhilaration

Posted on November 19, 2011 by heatherfromthegrove

This past week, I worked 14-hour days – to complete a book draft for a very unique client of mine. Down to the crunch … and with very little sleep. When I did sleep, I dreamt of leopards … leopard spots, leopards grazing, leopards roaring, leopards everywhere. You’re probably wondering, “what’s the deal with the leopards?” What can I say? I like cats. They’re independent, somewhat eccentric, and always finicky.

I am exhilarated that this phase in the project is over. But now, time to get some zzzzzzzzzzz’s. “To sleep, perchance to dream…”