A sense of self

Why do animals do this?
We've had horses and cats that delighted in a good roll on the ground,hooves and paws in the air!And the cats in our care love doing this.Why?
One reason is that they derive a very good all-round sense of themselves in direct contact with the ground or surface they're on;a holistic 360°view,if you will.
Another reason is that it just feels so good!
Remember rolling down grassy slopes as a child?It's fun!

As an adult,how do you strengthen your sense of self?    

Humankind

Bringing out the best in people isn't always simple. But It doesn't have to be hard work if we remember that what we all want is to love and be loved.
If our needs aren't being met,life becomes much more complicated.You can be sure that if you come across a tricky customer or client,(or anyone !)they're feeling unloved and unlovable.
So what to do?
Kindness is key,and so is making sure their basic needs are being met.
Aircrew understand this intrinsically.

Who do you know that needs more kindness today?

"If there is one person to sing,one to dance,one to talk and one to listen,life goes on." ~ Native American quote

Autumn

                                                 Ode To Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness
Close bosom friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel;to set budding more
And still more,later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease;
For summer has o'er brimm'd their clammy cells.

This is the first of 3 verses of a favourite poem by John Keats about autumn,or fall.

Long haul aircrew fly in all weathers and experience the seasons in a very different way from most people.But all of us in the human family have to adjust to the changing circumstances in which we find ourselves.This is what I love about nature;there's glory to be found at every turn.

What do you love about autumn?

Herb Hero

       
                                                    Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea)

Echinacea is known as the king of blood purifiers.
Originating from the prairies of the USA,seeds from the plant were given to Alfred Vogel by Black Elk,and he took them back to his home in Switzerland where they flourished.He made herbal tinctures from them which ,according to native wisdom,are excellent for purifying the blood and boosting the immune system.
Indeed,my children were very familiar with the sight of the echinacea bottle,and never suffered from childhood cuts and scrapes turning infectious.I always have a bottle of echinacea tincture in the first aid kit.
I've heard several horror stories about people I know having to be hospitalised for septicemia and blood poisoning,and it turns out they didn't know about the powerful properties of this wonderful plant.
So I'm spreading the word!