I’ve been getting lots of practice in embracing what is. Simply accepting, this is what is happening now. Just day to day mundane things that make up our lives: a loved one is in the hospital. A greenway being laid just behind our backyard. Another ER visit. Having to give up how it has been. Opening to how it is now. Being aware of being angry, and struggling with processing the anger and then letting it go. Feeling my heart close, then finally, open. A dear friend is stressed and my heart goes out to her. There’s no fixing anything, just loving. The declining health of a dear person; the pain people I care about are feeling not to mention the pain of the world in general. Everyone has their own present issues . . . issues that we often want to resist instead of embrace.

No matter what the issue, the question is, how much kindness can we offer to ourselves when it is difficult to be with just what is happening. Can we allow that kindness fill us and then spill over and flow to all people and situations? Can we be gentle to ourselves and others?

In discussing this with an insightful and loving person who is very dear to me, she pointed out that the phrase: It is what it is can be very dismissive, or it can embrace that state of accepting – not resigning – to what is showing up in our present. Whatever shows up in the present is always where our work is. When we trust that of course we will be supported and guided through whatever is, whatever is showing up in this moment, we can handle the “Is-ness” of the moment. It may be painful, difficult, challenging; it may take our breath away with the immensity of the fear of the unknown. And still we can trust that we will get through this Is-ness, whatever it is.

And, it is what life has brought us in this moment. And this moment will pass, like every other moment. And we can breathe and meet the Is-ness of whatever the next moment brings us.