Present – August 2020 Update

Today I’m joining Honoré at Morning Glory Studio with her One Little Word link up. We gather on the last Tuesday of each month to share a few thoughts about our word of the year. My 2020 word is Present and here are a few links to catch you up on my progress so far:

• Intro Post
• January Update: in which you see pictures of the real state of my house.
• February Update: I considered the pros of removing Instagram from my phone.
• March Update: My recovery from an awful illness that threw me for quite a loop.
• April Update: I had a positive experience asking for help.
• May Update: In which a woodpecker reminds me that I don’t have the whole picture. (Yes. A Woodpecker.)
• June Update: I shared a daily meditation that has been helpful with staying present.
• July Update: When I realized I was internalizing that daily prayer and it was helping me.

And you’re not going to believe this, but I’m here to talk about Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community by Pádraig Ó Tuama again. Sorry to be so repetitive, but this stuff is taking root.

First, a quick reminder about the book I’m discussing:

I discovered Pádraig Ó Tuama while listening to On Being. Here’s his bio pulled from their website:

Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet, theologian, and conflict mediator. He is the inaugural poet laureate of The On Being Project and was the former leader of Corrymeela, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation organization. His books include two volumes of poetry, a daily prayer book, and a memoir, In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World.

On Being

I’ve continued to meditate with the words in this book most days. Today I want to talk about two passages. The first is pulled from the morning prayer, which is found on page 3:

We begin our day with trust,
knowing we are created for loving encounter.

The second passage is from the prayer included for Day 15, which is on page 23:

May we face our
selves,
in the wilderness and the world,
and recognize
the forces that drive us,
so that they do not always drive
us.

---

I get frustrated a lot.

I want things to go a certain way. I want toys to go in a certain spot. I want the floors to be clean and the counters to be cleared of clutter. I want everyone to sleep until a certain point in the morning and then for them all to miraculously awaken exactly when I see fit (not too early and not too late). I want everyone to be in a good mood all of the time and no tantrums or meltdowns (this includes children and adults). I want everyone to know what I want and to act accordingly. I want everyone to know that I’m not asking for too much.

So you can see why I get frustrated. A lot.

Before I go upstairs to get the kids moving around each morning, I remind myself that I’m capable of loving encounters. When the children don’t move as quickly as I’d like them to, I think about this. When their personalities shine through and they focus on what they want and not what I want, I think about this. Connection over correction.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the forces that drive me. Whatever those forces are, I’m certain they’re what’s keeping me from staying present throughout the day. But these reminders about being capable of loving encounters and connection over correction? They’re reminding me to stay present, no matter how strong those forces are. Maybe one day I’ll be able to identify them and find ways to control them… until then, I’ll keep looking for these little mantras to pull me back into the present and focus on what’s in front of me.

Do you have a mantra that helps you stay grounded and focused on what’s important? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!