Zen and the Rhythm of Being
It begins the moment I open my eyes — a silent thank you to my Maker for another day in this body, on this earth. I ask for guidance, for clarity, for the strength to walk rightly through whatever lies ahead. Then I sit — Zazen-style — letting breath return to breath, thought dissolve into presence.
Stretching follows, a ritual I’ve come to cherish more and more as I grow older. It’s as though my body is teaching me how to soften into the day. Sometimes I move through slow Tai Chi forms, like water finding its course. Then comes the shower — a cleansing, both physical and spiritual.
And then: the rhythm of care. Feed the birds. Wash the dishes. Tend to the cat. A trip to the store. A meal shared with my daughter. House cleaning. Laundry. Simple things — and yet they carry deep meaning when done with attention.
There’s a Zen saying I often quote:
"Eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are sleepy, sit and watch the grass grow."
And, perhaps even more grounded:
"After you have eaten, do your dishes."
These are not just quaint old words. They are lifelines to presence. They remind me that the sacred is always right here — in what we overlook, in the mundane, in the very heart of our routine.
People often ask me, “How do you keep it together at 75?” And I tell them the same thing I tell myself:
Keep it simple. Keep a routine. And whatever you do, do it with full attention — especially if there's something you are aiming for.
Whether the goal is spiritual clarity, artistic expression, or simply peace — the rhythm of daily life, done with intention, becomes the quiet pathway toward it.
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