A friend sent me this. I thought it was apropos.
The Buddha and the Onion
Take this onion, said the Buddha.
Discard the wan green stalks.
Remove the parchment husks.
Then peel it carefully,
One translucent layer at a time.
Be patient. Work slowly. Keep peeling.
Find out what's inside.
Years pass. So many layers,
so wan and translucent.
Until nothing at all.
No fruit, no core, no kernel.
Just tears.
~ Anonymous
and another...
"Life moves on, whether we act as
cowards or heroes.
Life has no other impose,
if we would but realize it,
than to accept life unquestioningly.
Everything we shut our eyes to,
everything we run away from,
everything we despise,
serves to defeat us in the end.
What seems nasty, painful, evil,
can become a source of beauty, joy,
and strength,
if faced with an open mind.
Every moment is a golden one
for him who has the vision
to recognize it as such."
~ Henry Miller