Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Glazing to Glaze or Glazing to Fill the Kiln


Last night I was working late glazing pieces, hoping to get my kiln loaded and fired.  What would these pieces look like in the morning all fired and shiny? Would the glazes I chose for the new flowers work out? How long would it be before I could open the kiln if I didn't get it started until 10pm? I was feeling pressured. Out of sorts. In a silly rush of my own making.


While glazing, I remembered the story by Thich Nhat Hanh, in The Miracle of Mindfulness, about there being a right way and a wrong way to do dishes. The right way to do the dishes is 'to do the dishes to do the dishes.' The wrong way is 'to do the dishes to get them clean.' The wrong way focusses on the future and misses the miracle of life happening right now, in this moment. My mind was focussing on the future. I was glazing the wrong way, to fill the kiln.


I've had a lot on my plate lately with my son deployed, the future of my mother's health uncertain. A lot of my life has been too focussed on the future. Will my son come home safely? How extensive is the recurrence of Mom's cancer? Will she be able to live at home again?


This morning I woke up to brilliant sunshine after a heavy rain and booming thunder last night. The kind of storm that sends my old dog off to hide in the closet and the young one to shake curled up by my side. Look at those flowers up there. The as yet unopened blooms on the trumpet vine survived the storm and are now at this very moment in full glorious bloom. And I was there in the moment to see this miracle and it made me smile.

10 comments:

mairedodd said...

absolutely, positively wonderful! those flowers are gorgeous... and i am sure your pieces will be too! your family is in my thoughts...

Silver Parrot said...

I'm just gonna be honest and say that there's a reason that I fled from philosophy classes in college and it's the same reason that I just wanna see what kinda beady goodness comes outta the kiln ;-)

Nice flower photos, tho! And I envy you the thunderstorms. We never get any hear and it's so boring without them.

Unknown said...

my prayers are with your mother as she works her way through this cancer. I have many cancer survivors in my family and know how difficult it is.

I enjoy loading up my kiln with beads. while I'm doing it, I live in the moment and enjoy making each bead. but once it is filled and I push it to the next cycle, I'm ready to pop the kiln and see how they all turned out. I don't want to wait until I wake up the next morning to see. I am not a good waiter.

mywifesstudio said...

My prayers for your mother and son. And please thank your son for me for his service.
Take care of yourself!!!

sharon said...

I keep sending prayers.

The beads will happen when it's right, don't rush, and don't feel guilty about not rushing. And, give yourself a break.

Judy said...

The miracles we find in everyday keep us moving...I am so glad you had one today. Hugs!

stregata said...

I understand about doing the glazing to do the glazing (the dishes - well, let's just say - let's just get them clean...). I do understand about being in the moment. But we also need a goal or perspective. Otherwise I would just sit in the garden and watch the birds and the flowers (except that it is still raining and much too chilly to be sitting there).
I hope your heart finds some ease.
And I am looking forward to seeing your amazing flowers when out of the kiln!
Hugs, my friend!

Marie Cramp said...

That's lovely :) I can't wait to see the flowers, no matter when you get them done. Enjoy yourself and give a little of your love to your work, we love it all the more when you do :)

Unknown said...

Okay. I think I was able to wrap my brain around this and take it to heart. I am right there with you and I need to break out of that. I will focus on the task at hand and stop trying to control the uncertain future.
Thank you for sharing.

The Joy of Nesting said...

Ahhhh Grasshopper you have firmly set your feet on the true path to contentness(is that a word??) Seriously little sis why are the requirements to a happy life so simple and yet we make the paths so complicated???

Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.