My 6 year old Ruthie bobs at the surface of my awareness this week. A friend left their school very suddenly and Ruthie had no chance to say goodbye.

I am grateful for the presence of childhood as she retains her signature lightness at home flitting from thing to thing on twinkle toes and with the barely there brush of a joyful touch. And yet in the immediacy of her friend’s absence at school, there is weight aplenty. There are tears around lunchtime. There is overwhelm in Letterland prior to lunch. There are Big Things to Feel.

Even secondhand from her teacher, Ruthie’s suffering during these discrete periods is palpable to me as a mother. It vice grips around the thud of my heart.

Meanwhile, her awareness of the many layers at 6 years old is arresting. It expands my Being.

She says she feels sad when lunch approaches.
She says she feels afraid when the sadness moves in.
She says sadness feels like going down a hill in her belly.
She says afraid starts in her head and goes down down down.
When she misses her friend, she begins to think of how she misses her cousin.
Of how she misses her neighbors who have moved.

Ru knows loss.
We learn it early.
We learn it often.

Which is also how we learn the precious Now.

It is a package deal this impermanence thing of living. Cycle after cycle after cycle.
Have and have not. Love and loss. Empty and full.
It is a package deal.

My heart swells with compassion for sweet Ruthie. I wish I could change this discomfort. I wish I could fix it. I wish I could take it away.

My heart swells with compassion for me. I wish I could not worry for her. I wish I could fully trust the moment. I wish I could completely remember that this is her story and not mine.

Compassion for her.
Compassion for me.
Compassion for us.

Compassion is a practice of broadening our experience.

Let’s talk more about it.
Let’s talk about what compassion is.
Let’s talk about what compassion is not.
Let’s talk about our own experiences with compassion.
Let’s talk about our experiences with self-compassion.
Let’s talk about when it is easier and when it is trickier.
Let’s sit and share.

Join me and my dear friend and co-teacher, Susan Jackson, for our second Share Session of the fall. This time we will discuss, reflect, and spend some time in meditation on the topics of compassion and self-compassion. I’ll bring my white board so don’t be surprised if I scribble a model or two from the compassion research to support our group inquiry. (Thus please come with compassion for my white board handwriting – it is almost as good as my stick figures.)

When: Thursday, November 14th, 6:30-8:30pm
Where: Shine Studio in Cary (Address provided to those who RSVP)
What to bring: Yourself and a favorite tea to sip upon
How much: Suggested $5 donation to Shine Studio which the owner, Diana Taggart, is passing on to an amazing organization, 321 Coffee. What a brilliant example of compassion and self-compassion in 321 Coffee. Several of Diana’s yoga students work for 321 Coffee and the group is currently raising funds to create a permanent store front to add to their indoor location at the State Farmer’s Market in Raleigh.

Please RSVP to me at Rachel@PureResilienceYoga.com . There is limited space for this authentic gathering. We would be honored to have your voice and your presence.

That which we give space to can move.
Let’s give some space to compassion.

Take good care,
Rachel