In Taoist and Buddhist philosophies there’s the idea of accepting both the ten thousand joys and the ten thousand sorrows in a life. We tend to seek after and cling to the pleasures, and try to avoid the inevitable sorrows. With equanimity, we can allow both joy and sorrow in our lives without unnecessary mental suffering. Today I experienced one significant sorrow and one memorable joy.
Our beautiful apricot tree was fairy dusted along with the rest of the landscape by yesterday’s snow. But sadly, the overnight temperature plunged to 13 degrees Fahrenheit, nipping in the bud any hope of future fruit. Oh, there may remain a few tight buds that weren’t destroyed and might ripen, but Neighbor Fred doesn’t think it’s likely. We’re both grateful we’re not professional fruit farmers, as he used to be. So that’s my personal sorrow for the day. I’m glad I savored the blossoms while I could. And grateful that I still have some 2023 apricots left in the freezer to savor this summer.
The joy, ah, the joy! Tonight was the 20th birthday celebration of the Bibliofillies! We had planned an afternoon in-person party at our Founding Mother’s house, but it was just too cold, so we met on zoom this evening. Diane emailed us all our full 20-year archive of books we’ve read to date; I baked lemon-blossom cupcakes with lemon-cream cheese frosting and delivered one to each Filly along with a candle provided by our Founding Mother. We reminisced about our very first discussion (Portrait of a Lady, Henry James), and newer members recalled their first Filly books. And we discussed and savored, swooned over and shared, our favorite characters, themes, and passages from this month’s book, Time of the Child by Niall Williams.
Of the many, one that resonated with several of us was this: “…not for the first or last time recalling his father’s adage that the central challenge of life was to accept that the world is a place of pain, And yet live. Yet live, Jack.” Which reminded me of the ten thousand joys and the ten thousand sorrows. The book itself is a humongous joy!