SENSES DULLED
Finding Joy In Simple Things As teenagers, our chaotic lives dulled our senses until we needed a big jolt of adrenaline to feel alive. The more risks we took, the less these risks moved us. We needed progressively more and more excitement to get high. We couldn't feel any rush unless our lives at stake. We craved danger and excitement like an alcoholic craves alcohol. We were addicted to speed and intensity. For some of us this meant fast cars, fast boats, and fast motorcycles. For others it was the drama and energy of sex. We were clearly on a path to self-destruction. Our feelings were so deadened that we had no sense of danger. It has taken us a long time, but we're recovering our ability to feel life around us without creating chaos and crisis. Our feelings have gradually re-awakened. First, we regained our ability to feel our own physical sensations. Then we began to feel our emotions, and finally we were able to feel empathy for others. This re-awakening of feelings changes our relationships with our children. We lost our connection with them, or never developed it in the first place, because we were so out of touch with feelings. Now we are learning what it means to get high on life, to feel a warm rush from simple things, such as a quiet, intimate conversation with one of our children. I am learning to get high on life and find joy in simple things.Click here to listen to this meditation.
This excerpt is from Daily Meditations for Parenting Our Kids by Thomas Wright. Click below for more information. Back To Meditations
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