The Ants and the Grasshopper
Good morning. Welcome to the Healing Reflection for today.
Intention
Set an intention to be compassionate and kind to yourself today no matter how those around you behave.
NOTICE
Notice what compassionate and kind thoughts do to you. Imagine closing your eyes and telling yourself kind words that you might say to a friend or hear from a friend. Take a moment and say to yourself something like, “I will get through this. I am doing the best I can.” Notice how saying these words feel in your body.
EMOTIONS
How are you feeling right now? How has your morning been? How does the wya your morning starts impact your mood for the day? If you are having a rough start, allow yourself to stop for a moment and take a deep breath. When you are ready, slowly exhale and let it out, and just be present. Ask yourself what one kind action you can do for yourself that will bring you some comfort. Try drinking a cup of hot tea and enjoy the moments sipping and pay attention to the flavor, details of the cup you are drinking it from, and choose a flavor that is pleasing to you.
ACTION
Today’s activity is to listen to this Aesop’s tale and notice what message this might have for you.
The Ants & the Grasshopper
One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"
"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."
The Ants shrugged their shoulders in disgust.
"Making music, were you?" they cried. "Very well; now dance!" And they turned their backs on the Grasshopper and went on with their work.
Moral: There's a time for work and a time for play.
Note: This story was shared from Library of Congress Aesop Fables (read.gov)
REFLECT
Sometimes during grief it might feel like people have turned their backs on you, even when you have asked for help. Reflect on what this means this lack of compassion shown by the ants to the grasshopper. How would you prefer the ants behave?
Sometimes with grief the unexpected happens and you may never have expected to be where you are in this moment. You are not alone. Grief can cause us to isolate, shut people out, and even stop asking for help. In an earlier episode I talked about the fact that sometimes people need us to tell them it is okay to call and reach out. People often want to do more and feel like they don’t want to bother a person who is experiencing grief.
As we wind up today, put your feet on the floor and feel the hard surface beneath your feet supporting you. Take a deep breath in … letting your belly rise. Then slow and controlled let your breath out. Now put your right hand on your right knee, then put your left hand on your left knee. Feel the pressure of your hands on your knees. Take another deep breath in . . . exhale when you are ready . . . and notice the chair that is supporting you. Is it soft, firm, or something in-between?
In this moment . . . just be. And even if you are alone right know that you are not alone. There are people that care and you matter. Be compassionate and kind to yourself and look for friends that are a little more compassionate than the ants. I hope you have a beautiful day. Thank you for reading.
Note: The audio's background music ("Our Beautiful Project") is provided by: https://www.purple-planet.com. Images provided by Canva.