ObDisclaimer: I want to be clear: whether you identify with a religious tradition or whether you do not, this diary is for everyone.
As a child and young adult, I followed the religious tradition of my family- Christianity, Roman Catholic flavor. I left that faith tradition and eventually found my way to Unitarian Universalism. I don’t believe in an orthodoxy of thought, nor do I believe there is any one right way to be a good person. Depending on phase of moon, time of day, or season of year my “what do I believe” will vary.
I do believe, however, that no matter who you are a periodic time of introspection and reflection does a person good. Please join me below the story break and after a word from our sponsor for a look at how I am doing so this year...
Here at Top Comments we welcome longtime as well as brand new Daily Kos readers to join us at 10pm Eastern. We strive to nourish community by rounding up some of the site's best, funniest, most mojo'd & most informative commentary, and we depend on your help!! If you see a comment by another Kossack that deserves wider recognition, please send it either to topcomments at gmail or to the Top Comments group mailbox by 9:30pm Eastern. Please please please include a few words about why you sent it in as well as your user name (even if you think we know it already :-)), so we can credit you with the find!
Before February 14, 2018 became forever known as the day seventeen people were murdered at a Parkland, FL school it was Ash Wednesday, the first day of the forty day Christian liturgical season of Lent culminating in Easter Sunday. For Christians it is intended (short form, we can discuss religious quibbles in the comments :-)) to be a season of fasting, repentance and prayer. We likely all know someone who “Gave up [something] for Lent” such as chocolate, lattes or Facebook.
When I was a child, that’s what I did too. It’s been decades since I’ve done anything of the sort. But last week I began seeing a hashtag in my social media feeds: #UULent. Curious, I went to go see what this was all about.
Useful to know at this point is that for the past six months or so, I’ve been in a very introspective place. A series of events has had me thinking about who I am, who I want to be, and how my past has led to my present. (Yes, I’m in my early 50s. I suspect I am not alone in pondering “Who Am I? What Have I Done? What’s Left?” during my 6th decade!)
What I found intrigued me — an invitation to consider a word a day, reflect on it, and share a verbal or visual image of what that word means to you on social media. I thought it might give me a focus, much like that “Seven Day Black-and-White Photo Challenge” exercise that went all over social media last year did!
The calendar looks like this:
One word per day, 47 words (including Sundays, which don’t count as ‘Lent days’ in Christian counting but this is not a Christian calendar)
So far I’ve thought about five words, and it’s been a useful exercise. My brain didn’t always end up at the place I initially assumed I’d go for each word, which has been interesting. I’ve posted images for each on personal social media but briefly:
Love — my family
Focus — the date November 6 2018, aka Election Day
Recovery — how I recovered my physical and emotional health
Pain — my @#$%ing bursitis-plagued shoulder
Mercy — I have yet to figure out how to visually show this one. I have a few hours :)
My hope is that by the end of this, I’ll have learned things about myself that I might not otherwise have discovered, and I think that’s a good goal. Have you ever done any sort of exercise like this, be it one of those yearly writing or art journals with a word or topic at the top of each page, or a daily meditation, or something? I’d love to hear more about the ways we engage in learning about ourselves.
Please join us now for brings us together each night, the trio of Top Comments, Mojo and Pictures that are the backbone of this longrunning community diary series. I am glad to collaborate tonight with my dear friend BeninSC!
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
Note: Please remember that comment inclusion in Top Comments does not constitute support or endorsement by diarist, formatter, Top Comments writers or DailyKos. Questions, complaints or comments? Contact brillig.
Highlighted by AKALib:
Is this comment by jjohnjj, explaining the astro-observatory TESS in terms any Trekkie could understand!
Highlighted by SlidingHome:
Is this comment by Elwood Dowd, emphasizing the as yet unexpressed statements of the Mueller investigation.
Highlighted by kishik:
Is this comment with stunning nature photography by MEL in PGH.
Highlighted by Skookum:
Is this comment by Mogolori, taking the political debate into the realm of cheers. Hey hey!
Highlighted by J Graham:
Is this comment by polliwonk, describing some of the more insidious aspects of the patriarchy, and their cowardly political strategy.
From yours truly, brillig:
Agreeing with BoiseBlue's comment in Hunter's diary that the teenaged survivors of this week's school shooting tragedy are giving us hope for the future.
Top Mojo ala mik!
For Saturday, February 17, 2018, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on the subject.
Top Pictures
2018-02-18, courtesy of jotter!
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