Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #119 - All life is precious - Aikido

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #119 - All life is precious - Aikido

Hi Mom,

Liesel and I have a ritual each week of watching The Walking Dead on Sunday nights. But sometimes (most times), we're too exhausted, so we either start watching and fall asleep (Liesel almost always falls asleep first) or we just decide not to watch until the next day. I proposed this plan with last night's episode because it was 90 minutes long and we had just changed times for daylight savings, so a 10:30 end time would feel like 11:30, and we are rarely (almost never) awake at 11:30 p.m. Initially, Liesel rejected my idea, but by about 8:30, she was done in, turned out her light, and promptly fell asleep. She's been working non-stop lately between hours on GSU and in her clinicals, so the poor sweetie was totally whipped. As a result, I watched some of the World Series, but even so, I could not stay awake much past 9:30.

I know this is not really your kind of show, Mom, but I am going to tell you about it anyway. Though it strikes me that, from where you are in the after-life, you know that this zombie thing as depicted in The Walking Dead could not actually happen.

When we watched the episode Monday, I was struck by one central theme: "all life is precious." It was repeated throughout the episode like a mantra, and the main character, Morgan, had to learn how to stop killing just to satisfy his need to "clear," meaning to clear his area of threats, which is how he stayed alive, or so he thought.

The episode, which is name "Here's Not Here,' (season 6, episode 4 **spoilers ahead**), sidetracked from the story line of our favorite characters in peril and revealed the journey of another character who recently joined the cast, Morgan, and exactly how he "found" himself.

As Morgan made his way from where Rick met him in season one to rejoin the cast, he encountered a man by the name of Eastman. Eastman taught Morgan the practice of "Aikido." Aikido is a Japanese form of self-defense and a martial art that uses locks, holds, throws, and the opponent's own movements to "re-direct" aggression or hostility.

In Eastman's handwritten words, as found in book titled The Art of Peace book that he offered to Morgan, "Aikido means not to kill. Although nearly all creeds have a commandment against taking life, most of them justify killing for one reason or another. In Aikido, however, we try to completely avoid killing, even the most evil person."

It's all about being "tapped into the Source," which is something that Liesel and I talk about all the time, as she is "tapped in." You are in union with the Source now, Mom, I know.

Recently, something happened close to me, an evil thing, a terrible betrayal, a mean thing, a heartless thing, and I felt rage. I wanted to lash out. I wanted to return evil for evil. I wanted to protect the one targeted by the evil. But I did not lash out. I did not return the evil. I sheltered and gave positive energy to the one wronged by the evil, and then I took the higher road. No good would have come from me lashing out. No benefit for anyone. And by doing so, I would have sunk to the evil person's level. Better to take the high road because all life IS precious, and such a motto has never been more apparent to me than now in these months since your death, Mom. Never have those words from the Benediction always used in our Presbyterian church been more true and resonated more profoundly with me:

"Go forth into the world in peace;
hold fast that which is good;
do not return evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honour all people and things;
love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen."
                                 - Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:13-22

I know you are proud of me, Mom. I rewrote most of that from memory but checked the text online to make sure I had the text right. I am not sure this is EXACTLY as it was always recited in our church, but it's close and the important parts are there.

As you taught me, Mom, I will continue to go forth into the world in peace and re-direct evil.

Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.
Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.

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- Days ago = 121 days ago


- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1511.02 - 20:21
and again 1511.06 - 6:59