Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

Late yesterday afternoon my friend and I met to walk around our neighborhood.  We sat on a bench six feet apart first.  We are discouraged and irritated, as is everyone, and grumbling to each other helps a bit, or seems to.  We are both struggling with a bit too much togetherness with our partners.  Little things show up.  Petty things.  And yet.  Little things see us through.  My husband and I went to a nearby canyon, following our younger daughter and her two little ones, and we reveled in the abundance of wildflowers and the cows.  The cows were great.  They ignored us as much as possible, but when we got too near their water tank, they herded us away to drink.  But gently.  Last night my older daughter called and we had a nice talk.  She was frustrated not about the cancer but her daughter's teenage like behavior.  I was supportive, because this is the stage where everything your mother does irritates you, and you absolutely, positively don't listen to your parents.  My daughter wants this last time with her daughter to be loving and empathetic, but hormones have gotten in the way.  So, a lot yesterday about irritation.  And sheltering, and how that frays patience.  Hanging in there can be hard.