Failing, Forgiving, & Toddling On

My mother has a blog called Mystic Musings, and in a recent post said "When we fail our most treasured steps on the way, and we all will, immediately forgive yourself and others, make amends if called for, and go on your way, free."

I like what she said about failing...just as we would give respect and understanding to our most beloved and their struggles, so must we be understanding of ourselves and our wanderings. It is wonderful to be on the path that is most advanced for us...and seemingly so easy once our feet are planted there. But then, in awhile, we get distracted by the physical walk itself...or by the pretty things on the side of the road.

I am seeing that we must be as gentle and loving with ourselves as we would be if we took a walk with a toddler. Their attention is all over the place and they constantly must be brought back to the path. But we are not frustrated, nor angry...we lovingly guide...patiently again and again. For that toddler in us will continue to stray. To chase the shiny things and to cry about the physicalness of being entrapped in flesh. And so we get caught up in things of the world and must re-awaken yet again and again.