Mudita

Beach Promenade this morning

I bought some conditioner for my hair the other week and got into conversation soon after with a gay friend who chuckled loudly at the fact!
"You and conditioner?" he laughed "Yeah right!"
I stood my corner
"I like the way my hair feels after I use it" I countered and I meant
I may wear unfashionable walking dead T shirts but I do have lovely soft hair!

I enjoy watching others take pleasure out of things.
The senile patient who will smile gently like a child when you tuck the duvet under their chin like a mother will do with their child.
A dinner guest who will soak up all of the gravy from their plate with a chunk of bread
A hall full of geeks reacting to Arya killing the Night King from GOT [Click here] (this has to be seen to be believed)

I once taught a nurse how to wash a  spinal injury patient's hair. The patient had skull traction in situ and could only be moved by experienced nursing staff and in such a precise way so that the neck fractures were not misaligned. It was a potentially stressful procedure for everyone involved.
I was good at this job,for I was a careful and knowledgeable spinal nurse .
I also loved the fact that some warm soapy water and gentle hands on care could have such a positive therapeutic effect on someone who was paralysed from the neck down.
The nurse who was watching the procedure was a Buddhist.
That fact only came out after the procedure had taken place as he told me about the meditation of Mudita
"You practice this in your work" he told me and went on to explain that Mudita is the Buddhist notion of obtaining joy from the well being of others

I think we all should take some time for Mudita meditation
I don't mean the bells and whistles and that chanting thing
I think we all should just watch and observe and take in the pleasure of others as well as we all seem to do with our  own.

Today was  a case in point . I met a friend for brunch
We had a lovely time and when it was over I stopped the car on the Promenade on the way home so the dogs could stretch legs and necks and bums.

A scruffy man stopped next to Winnie as she scrutinised him for a possible kind word and he asked if it was ok to pet her.
"Help Yourself!" I told him "Rub her bum she loves that!"
The man did and Winnie closed her eyes and went weak at the knees
The man laughed and dug his nails in a bit more which made Winnie spasm in her hind legs and lick her lips like a tart
The man was delighted and showed a wide toothless but oh so genuine smile
Bloody Mudita !
A cheap gift eh?....a bloody cheap gift!