Humility

Humility does not mean believing oneself to be inferior, but to be freed from self-importance. It is a state of natural simplicity which is in harmony with our true nature and allows us to taste the freshness of the present moment.

- Matthieu Ricard

I do really try to be a humble person and practice humility daily. It doesn't always work that way, but if for some reason I forget, the universe is the first to remind me. And if the universe forgets or is distracted at the moment, then my family and friends will certainly step right up.

As if enough things haven't been haplessly yelled out the windows or open doors into the close proximity of our condo-dwellings for our neighbors to hear lately (please visit April 2006 Archives for: Cinderella Man and Things I've Said (or Yelled) in the Last 12 Hours), yet another. I don't really think that they're surprised anymore.

Our close friend Heather was visiting this past weekend, home from graduate school in Boston. We miss her like crazy, but were thrilled to be able to have her and the gang over for dinner on Saturday night. Will out-did himself as usual with tri-tip that he marinated and gorgeous crab legs with melted butter (of course), corn-on-the-cob and cole slaw. Heather and Jason (her boyfriend) had just come back from a week on Maui, so Will was sticking with the whole Hawaiian theme - tiki-head lights strung in the dining room, a mix of Hawaiian/Surf music playing on the stereo and tropical foliage and fruit adorning the dinner table. We had a great time and it reminds me how much we miss her. Anyway, when we were preparing the feast, as I was taking the steaming tri-tip out of the oven and replacing it with the crab legs that Will had prepared, Kaelen (Rave Dog) yells for the hearing impaired, not realizing she's right at the open kitchen window; "EVERYONE! KEVIN HAS CRABS!!!"

And I did "taste the freshness of the present moment",

and the list of unfortunate proclamations grows...as does the humility...