This Too Shall Pass Away

A king ordered his wise men to come up with
a single sentence that would never be false.

Their solution covered all possible contingencies:
"And this, too, shall pass away."

~Abraham Lincoln


Of Note: We usually think of "passing away" as dying and fight its inevitability every step of the way. In reality, "passing away" is simply a change of form. I watched as this streptocarpus plant created buds which ever so slowly opened last fall, bloomed for a few glorious days, then passed on--leaving its purple carcasses on the wooden floor. Teeny seeds soon appeared where the showy flowers once stood guaranteeing that future streptocarpus plants will live another day. The beauty was transitory like so much else in life. And thank heavens for that. Without the passing away, we would never have the freshening rebirth which affirms evolutionary progress.

Today's Weather Report: The predictions of below zero temps were certainly accurate for last night. Upon arising this morning, it was 18 degrees below zero. Again. We have not had a break from this extreme cold since the end of November. However, "This too will pass away" reassures us that the spring follows winter every year without fail. For some reason that is difficult to recall this time of year.

Watch For Change Snippet: President Obama said this week, "There are times when you can afford to redecorate your house, and there are times when you have to focus on rebuilding its foundation." His recently introduced budget if successful would carry the nation in a new direction, one in which spiritual values could play a central role. What better foundation than that built on serve to the common good, personal responsibility for the whole, a recognition of the rights and needs of all, a spirit of cooperation and a love of truth. A wise man once said, "As truth surpassed imagination, so is the future beyond dreams."