[Oe List ...] Earthrise at 80

[Janet Sanders]

Celebrating the sweetest of life with you John!

Sent from my iPhone

> On May 17, 2019, at 10:51 PM, Nancy Trask via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for the birthday witness, John, very helpful to me these days.
> 
> Nancy Trask
> 515-505-0456
> nancy50273 at centurylink.net
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: John Epps via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
> To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe at wedgeblade.net>
> Cc: John Epps <jlepps39 at gmail.com>
> Sent: Fri, 17 May 2019 11:13:25 -0400 (EDT)
> Subject: [Oe List ...] Earthrise at 80
> 
> *Earthrise at 80*
> 
> At previous decade markers, I have posted a series of humorous quotes that
> have marked my journey (Like *“**Regular naps prevent old age, especially
> if you take them while driving.”*) This time, the quote is a bit longer and
> one we used in the LENS culture lecture taken from a Zen myth:
> *There was once a man who was being chased by a ferocious tiger across a
> field. At the edge of the field there was a cliff. In order to escape the
> jaws of the tiger, the man caught hold of a vine and swung himself over the
> edge of the cliff. Dangling down, he saw, to his dismay, there were more
> tigers on the ground below him! And, furthermore, two little mice were
> gnawing on the vine to which he clung. He knew that at any moment he would
> fall to certain death. That's when he noticed a wild strawberry growing on
> the cliff wall. Clutching the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry
> with the other and put it in his mouth. How sweet it tasted*
> 
> At 80, the tigers seem to be growling more vigorously and the mice gnawing
> with renewed energy. But the strawberries are sweeter than ever. Here’s an
> example:
> 
> Aspen trees are abundantly scattered through the higher elevations of
> Colorado, and they provide visible markings of the season. In summertime,
> their tiny leaves vibrate with a shimmering effect that celebrates the
> slightest zephyr of a breeze. In the autumn, those same leaves provide a
> yellow and gold contrast to the glum and foreboding forest. In the spring,
> their green buds provide an aroma of freshness heralding wonder to come.
> 
> But winter is their season of artistry. Barren of leaves with naked limbs
> protruding in all directions, they stand tall with trunks displaying a
> visual language of indecipherable script. Each trunk is unique as though
> possessing its own hieroglyphics. Were the language audible it would be
> cacophonous, but in silence it is art, with each trunk determined to
> display its own message.
> 
> 
> [image: image.png]  [image: image.png]
> 
> 
> There are no smooth white barks among the aspens. They all seem to have
> stories to tell, and their language is graphic art.
> 
> Wonder seems to be present wherever I look; it just takes paying attention.
> The strawberries are sweeter than ever.
> 
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