Wu Wei

It has been a super long time since I have written a post.  Life has been busy as usual and in it's own unique way.  Both my father and mother have been showing their age as of late.  My dad has had several strokes both large and small and has been living in a nursing home for a couple of months.  My mom is still living at their organic farm but now needs assistance to maintain her lifestyle.  This has been a huge transition for my siblings and I.  Both my siblings live out of town and are not able to help with the day to day issues of care, so I and a handful of dedicated caretakers are on the job.  This has meant a big shift in life style for me and my family.  

I am now in rural Pennsylvania two days per week on a rustic organic farm that my parents have owned since I was 10.  When I was growing up my folks used the farm as a weekend and summer spot but about 15 years ago they retired there.  The farm has been a constant source of engagement for both of them.  They have done most of the work by hand and have really loved it.  Unfortunately working the farm has become harder and harder for them as they have grown older.  Now dad is totally off the farm and mom still works one of the gardens and collects eggs but the heavy work is eluding her. Luckily we have a wonderful man who helps out on the farm and keeps the place going for us.  

The farm is a beautiful place which has always required a large amount of work.  As a kid it was about weeding, painting fences and managing animals.  Now it is more about maintaining a life for my mom, being witness for her of what is happening and helping to support her through this transition in her life, some gardening and quite a few household chores.  I also am making time when I am there to appreciate my surroundings and really get more in tune with how those surrounding can affect a life. As I said the farm is a rustic place with very few modern conveniences and as such daily activities are more driven by nature then they are in my home in the city.  There is no air conditioning or even fans so during all of the recent heat the days become much more slow.  We wake with the sun and do as much outside as we can before the heat of the day hits.  As the hit overwhelms us  we slow down and find shady spots to sit and observe.  We watch the cows on their daily migration through the fields and back to the barn and then out to the fields again.  One of my moms favorite pass times is to count them as they come into view and then disappear again over the hill.  We observe the birds and their behavior in the heat and have noticed that in the morning and evening they move from place to place but during the heat of the day they can be heard but not seen.  We watch the chickens as they move to shade and then back out with the waxing and waning of the sun.  

All the life on the farm is moved by the way the day presents itself.  None of this movement it based on what should be done or emotions but just by what is. It has given me a lot of time to think about how driven my own life is not by nature but by made up necessities. When I allow myself to just be in the moment I find a sense of peace that supports my life.  When I concentrate on all that has happened and all that I know will happen in the future I get overwhelmed.  I know I am in the sandwich place in my life where immediate family needs and the needs of my parents squeeze me hard.  Still when I find a way to just allow the day to be just what it is and work at an easy pace I find I get all of the essentials done. It takes practice and patience to stay in the moment and when done well, it is a wonder.  Somehow life flows more easily, those things that need to be attended to today get done with little effort, I am happier and so are all those who depend on me.  There is a Taoist philosophy in Chinese medicine call Wu Wei " the action of non-action" which means to do without effort.  I finally think I am getting to a place where I understand and can practice this very important philosophy.
So on this beautiful summer day I wish that you too find your wu wei.
I love you all
Idalee