What the Wednesday

"Find friends who love the truth." The Dhammapada

"People who fight with other human beings out of anger, hatred, and strong emotion, even if they gain victory over their enemies in battle, are not in reality true heroes. What they are doing is slaying corpses, because human beings, being transient, will die. Whether or not these enemies die in the battle is another question, but they will die at some point. So, in reality they are slaying those already destined to die. The true hero is the one who gains victory over hatred and anger." Dalai Lama

I got a shock the other day when I started reading about the medicine that I had been taking off and on for my asthma. There has always been a doubt in my mind about the medicine and I haven't taken it as prescribed. I got off of it completely and after a couple months tried it again just to see if my suspicions were right. I had a feeling it was making my asthma worse. It was. After reading the literature on Advair I'm stopping it completely. This medicine isn't for asthma that is fairly under control like mine and it can cause asthma related death. Yikes! I have decided that from now on I read all literature before I take a medicine not after. I really have to wonder about the drug companies allowing something on the market and promoting it so heavily without making the consequences of using the medicine clearer from the start. Why didn't my doctor's warn me? Their have been three different doctors who ordered this.

I read Cindy Sheehan's letter the other day with a great deal of sadness. She typifies what I hate most about politics. She started out just wanting to know why her son died in Iraq. She has been vilified by one side and used by another and no one stopped to realize she was a mother in pain. I hope she can finally find some solace and peace.

I had never thought of anger before in the terms that the Dalai Lama used today. Anger is something that I struggle with and try to overcome on a daily basis. There are always little things during the day that can irk a person. The coffee wasn't ready this morning when I got up. Mom usually makes it for me the night before but she didn't last night. I was irked until I brought myself up short and reminded myself that I let her do it because she wants to set it up. It is her gift to me and I should be grateful when she does and if she doesn't remember I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. As long as I get my morning coffee it doesn't matter who makes it. So thanks Mom for all the mornings you do set the coffee up for me. I really appreciate it.

Today's quote made me realize that I still have animosity towards some people in my life that I need to let go of that animosity. Life is too short and too transient to keep up the anger. That is what I am going to work on.

The picture is called Flights of Fancy. I was playing around this weekend and wanted lots of color and felt like soaring.

The real counter is 5309.