{"id":10286,"date":"2015-04-26T17:16:20","date_gmt":"2015-04-26T21:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/?p=10286"},"modified":"2015-04-26T17:16:20","modified_gmt":"2015-04-26T21:16:20","slug":"sick-leave-or-big-sky-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beginnersheart\/2015\/04\/sick-leave-or-big-sky-mind.html","title":{"rendered":"sick leave, or, big sky mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"salmonella<\/a>Food poisoning is the pits. Actually, I can’t think of a publicly permissible word that truly describes the experience. Suffice to say? Horrible.<\/p>\n

It sneaks up on you, after what seemed like a normal meal, and suddenly you’re sicker than you can remember being. Fever, cold sweats, all the other less-talked-about elements.\u00a0Miserable<\/em>.<\/p>\n

But here’s the deal: it’s kind of an exercise in beginner’s mind, if not heart: it\u00a0does<\/em> pass. It just takes far longer than you’d like. I came down sick sick sick Friday evening, and am only today feeling quasi-human.<\/p>\n

Ugh.<\/p>\n

And was it salmonella? I have no clue. It might have been listeria. Or campylobacteri. Or who knows what?? It wasn’t anticipated — like most bad things. And it wasn’t welcomed. And it took forever to pass. But? It did.<\/p>\n

And that’s the point to most of the trials — and even the bigger tribulations — in my life: they\u00a0do\u00a0<\/em>pass. It just sometimes takes them forever, and the process is pretty painful in the meantime.<\/p>\n

\"via<\/a>
via google<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still, big sky mind is the rule:\u00a0the clouds come, the clouds go. Only the sky remains.<\/em><\/p>\n

The next time pain intrudes — whether the physical ache & nausea of food poisoning, or the wrenching tears of grief, or the sharp pangs of unwanted loneliness, remember: they’re all clouds. Like salmonella, they will pass. Treat them w\/ proper attention — rest, rehydration. And then get back up, and prepare to watch the sky. That lovely clear\u00a0sky (sometimes blue, sometimes black with night) that is always there for us, just beyond\u00a0the clouds & storms we obsess over…<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Food poisoning is the pits. Actually, I can’t think of a publicly permissible word that truly describes the experience. Suffice to say? Horrible. It sneaks up on you, after what seemed like a normal meal, and suddenly you’re sicker than you can remember being. Fever, cold sweats, all the other less-talked-about elements.\u00a0Miserable. 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