October 15, 2012 - Giving up Notions

"Beautiful Child in Naadam"
photo by Aaron Springston

A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #288

“Let me forget my brother's past today.”

I'm glad that we're forgetting the past today, as I've been in an email discussion with a friend where my last note stated that I tend to not remember much of anything! And now here I am being told to forget my brother's past. I think I can do that!! As I ponder these points, I listen to a person singing on the balcony of a nearby hotel/restaurant. To me, the performer sounds rather unmelodious and jarring in tone. To add to my chagrin, he's singing some of my favorite songs. I'm really trying not to blame him for this! And so I'm seeing him as innovative in the changes he's making to well-loved Beatles songs. I'm not attacking him, even though he's so loud I've had to turn off my jazzy piano music because the decibels can't compete! Now this exercise is getting easier. He's playing something I've never heard of, and it doesn't sound so bad! And so I'm forgetting that I don't like him. I'm not going to jump up on my high horse with a holier-than-thou attitude (which crossed my mind to the point of envisioning what I would say to the manager of the hotel!). I'm remembering that we are the same because our source is the same, and I'm not blaming him because he doesn't sing the way I'd like for him to. Now I'm singing along with the Eagles song he's currently butchering and it's become a lovely, comedic parenthesis in eternity. I am not blaming myself for these thoughts any more than I'm blaming him for his actions. It is what it is. Thank goodness!!

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"One infinite God, good, unifies men and constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, "Love thy neighbor as thyself;" annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,--whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed."

Science & Health Page 340:23:30