One of the projects that I am working on right now involves the concept of "Social Justice". As a starting place I am doing some research to figure out what the heck people mean when they say the words "Social Justice" and what kind of work is being done on the "social Justice" front. What I am finding is exciting and frustrating completely simultaneously.

Since time began, there have always been people who have devoted their lives to loving the people in their communities by working to alleviate violence, hunger, homelessness & illness. Sure it is a testament to the human spirit that this work gets done, but really to me it is really not surprising - at our core, we are made of love. So it is actually not all that astounding to me that we express it - it is what we are made to do.

What I do wonder about is why it seems that we have never stopped to really think about WHY these things are happening in the first place. So I get excited when I learn that there is this buzz around examining and addressing the "root causes" of these things. The frustrating part is that saying we are going to look at "root causes" actually means something to me and as far as I can see, addressing "root causes" is not something that needs yet another initiative with a 5 year plan, another campaign or another set of policies.

By my calculations, there is one "root cause". It is the crux of our suffering. Fear. It manifests in countless ways, violence, greed, people being so knotted up that they dont listen to one another, people being so frightened that they dont express love for one another. And until we decide to stop holding on for dear life to everything around us, we will be choosing to allow fear to become the very fabric of our experience, blinding us, harming us, causing us to harm each other.

Well it's not a surprise that I have not sent out a "Kate's thought for the Day" in a while. I was busy happily falling asleep. Funny how happiness will lull us to sleep if we are not mindful, if we are not rooted in a set of rituals that remind us of who and what we are. I have a pattern of allowing myself to get so cozy that I stop paying attention and I become lost somewhere under that warm blanket. Before I know it I am all twisted up in it, too hot and wanting to throw it off me - get some air. I have awoken this time, with a start yes, but also with a new clarity and eagerness to sharpen my ability to stay awake while enjoying warmth and happiness. To learn how to cover myself with the blanket, but not become lost in its folds. I am excited to learn this the same way I am excited to learn the piano in January. It is something I already know, I just have to practice.

Here is my thought for right now:

In the midst of chaos and struggle, I am going beyond the wall of what I dont like, what does not feel comfortable. Fear and anger have served to awaken me but I know they will not sustain me. I will keep my heart open. I will engage in life, not as the idea, not as something I invent, but as the thing I am discovering.