...this is my symphony

For my birthday, my Aunt Alice gave me a very special gift - a one-year subscription to O Magazine (Oprah). For awhile I thought I was pretty lucky to be getting O magazine without paying for it. It was really such a thoughtful and splendid gift. This month, Oprah interviewed the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, whom Martin Luther King Jr. called 'an apostle of peace.' I re-read the interview about 5x because I thought his words were so profound & I was deeply touched by the depth of his being. Everyone knows the Dalai Lama of Tibet but Thich Nhat Hanh is equally an instrument of peace. He has been exiled from Vietnam since the 1960's, having spoken out against the Vietnam War. If I have some time, I would like to read a few books he has written, and he is also known to be a wonderful poet too.

Another highlight in the O magazine is the Live Your Best Life section where a poem is featured every month. I thought I include this month's poem here. I like it a lot! It just keeps me grounded when I feel like sometimes it's so easy to sway, and lose touch with what's real and a path that brings the most joy and happiness. Hope y'all find it meaningful too.

To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable; and
wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think
quietly, talk gently, act frankly...
to listen to stars and buds, to babes and
sages, with open heart; await occasions,
hurry never....this is my symphony.
- WILLIAM HENRY CHANNING