Friday Blessings

May there always be work for your hands to do.

May your purse always hold a coin or two.

May the sun always shine upon your window pane.

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near to you and

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Traditional Irish Blessing

I'll be in the kitchen this weekend.  Can't believe that two weeks has passed already. Seems like I just spent yesterday in the kitchen. I guess that's because there is always so much to do, and when one's life is full, time passes too quickly.  I only wish the 'fullness' included less work and more leisure. But, hey, one has to work to survive. The following Zen Buddhist story tells us just how important work should be for us.  

Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labor with his pupils even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds, and pruning the trees.The pupils felt sorry to see the old teacher working so hard, but they knew he would not listen to their advice to stop, so they hid away his tools.

That day the master did not eat. 

He did not eat the next day, nor the one after. The students thought, "Perhaps the master is angry at missing his tools, and so the students returned them to their proper place.

That day the master worked and ate his food as always. In the evening, he gave a simple teaching: "No work, no food."

Wishing you a weekend filled with love, laughter, and lots of leisure.