Tender

TENDER = soft, easily injured, delicate, young

QUESTION: Do you feel a tenderness in your heart?

STORY: When I approach my world with tenderness, I feel like a child. My five senses are alive: my eyes look and see; my ears hear and listen; my tongue and lips moisten and taste the flavor of the moment. My nose sniffs and smells. My skin relaxes and feels the temperature of the air. Tenderness in my body is when my stomach and shoulders relax. I feel connected with others rather than separate, different. My little dog, Clair, is a combination of a dachshund and a chihuahua. She loves it when I gently rub her neck and back. We used to have 6 chickens. Four of them just loved it when I played rooster and petted their tail feathers. They love to gobble up the mealworms I give them. It is so important for young people today to connect with the natural world. Hey! No matter how old we are, we can always consciously connect and feel the tenderness in our heart.

QUOTES

“A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.” ~Victor Hugo

“Real fearlessness is the product of tenderness. It comes from letting the world tickle your heart. You are willing to open up without resistance or shyness and face the world. You are willing to share your heart with others.” ~ Chogyam Trungpa; \\

“Care is a state in which something does matter; it is the source of human tenderness.” ~Rollo May

EXERCISE

STOP.

Sit quietly. Assume an erect posture.

Sense the breath. Sit calmly. Relax.

When ready, open your eyes & imagine that you’re looking at your world through your inner child’s eyes. The child looks at something and tenderly asks a question like: Why are you here? Where did you come from? What can I learn from you?

Get your pen and paper and write words or draw lines expressing your tender, child-like curiosity about things in your world.

Move forward into your day feeling tender and child-like.