Your Social Tab is Empty – so. . .?
This message popped up on the phone, and caused me to take a moment to consider the meaning. What exactly does it mean, the fact that “my social tab is empty”?
After a bunch of thinking about this, I decided there is no reason to care if my social tab is not completely booked. In fact, it doesn’t matter if my social tab is totally empty.
Instead, it seems that the more important issue is whether my spiritual tab is healthy.
How do I live as a human being? Do I pay attention to my spiritual health? Do I remember to appreciate my life? Do I express thankfulness and live with gratitude? How do I treat others? Am I grateful to the ancestors who paved the way to the present? What traditions do I honor out of respect for the gift of being alive? Am I a good relative; a good child of my ancestors? Am I a good steward of this earth? Do I live with compassion and kindness? These questions help me realize how to live; how to be.
A couple of months ago, I was fortunate to find this lovely poem by Tanaya Winder. Tanaya graciously gave permission to common-woman to post her poem, Being.
Being
BY TANAYA WINDER
Wake up, greet the sun, and pray.
Burn cedar, sweet grass, sage—
sacred herbs to honor the lives we’ve been given,
for we have been gifted these ways since the beginning of time.
Remember, when you step into the arena of your life,
think about those who stand beside you, next to, and with you.
Your ancestors are always in your corner, along with your people.
When we enter this world we are born hungry,
our spirits long for us to live out our traditions
that have been passed down for generations.
Prayer, ceremony, dance, language—our ways of being.
Never forget you were put on this earth for a reason—
honor your ancestors.
Be a good relative.
To enjoy more writing by Tanaya Winder, please visit her website HERE
Thanks again to Tanaya Winder. And thanks to you for taking the time to read common-woman. You make this world a better place, no matter what the social tab may indicate. You being you is the best. You belong. Know you are of value and appreciated. Thank you.
Comments