Mariner’s wife has traveled west to visit our children and grandchildren. Mariner is left in a quiet home. Cold weather has shut down outside activity. Still, there are chores to be done, Amaryllis to be forced and some apples to process. Later there will be repair to outside furniture and garden trellises.

But Thanksgiving approaches, spirits will be lifted as we celebrate the humanness within us via our families and friends. Then there’s Christmas and New Year. It truly is a time to huddle and martial our awareness to important spiritual strengths and to restore common civility – feelings that have been bruised by our society.

There are certain physical tasks that we must perform to assure wellness in a time when wellness is hard to come by. Each of us must physically in person perform a charitable act, not just one but as many as we can muster. There is a vast number of poor and destitute who are forgotten by government, by the income-secure among us and by those of us claiming a successful life. Many thousands of US citizens don’t know where the next meal will occur and many of those have dependent children. Do some research to help target your affirmation as a civil human being. Meet their need. Be the Good Samaritan.

In these days of turmoil across all facets of our society, it is important to strengthen our sense of self. We must organize our positive civil abilities to be centered and strong as we struggle with an unstable society. Nothing speaks to personal confidence and security more than sharing.

Ancient Mariner