“Look, fish, you’re already in the ocean”

This morning in my journal I was reflecting on watching a documentary called The Last Repair Shop, a lovely film about a shop that repairs instruments for the Los Angeles Unified School District. It’s one of the last of its kind.

One of the repair people was a woman from Mexico. She talked about coming here for the American Dream, and how hard it was to find. She went through some really tough stuff, and was crying. 

I almost turned it off.

But then I heard the voice inside me say: Stay with her. Don’t run from her suffering. Be one with it.

And I’m so grateful I did. The film was uplifting and I couldn’t stop smiling when it was over.

I was glad I took the step to practice once again how to be in the moment even when it’s uncomfortable. It was interesting to see how I processed through it. And it was worth it.

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I read a poem called “The Self We Share” by Rumi, and it fit right in. He speaks of little quarrels people have, but that they forget they are part of something larger. He caught my attention with this line:

But look, fish, you are already in the ocean:

just swimming there makes you friends with glory.

What are these grudges about?

As I return to work today after a wonderful break, I take this idea with me, as well as this prayer Rumi ended with:

You are the source of my life.

You separate essence from mud.

You honor my soul.

You bring rivers from mountain streams.

You brighten my eyes.

The wine you offer takes me out of myself

into the self we share.

Doing this is religion.