The last two days my wife had been away assisting a woman in labor as a doula so I have been responsible for all of the child care. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that I have kept my cool and have resorted to a lot of voice raising and threats of various forms of punishment. Suffice it to say that I can and must do better but that really isn’t the point of today’s post.
What I wanted to post about today is a ritual I would like to start in my home in order to assuage the pain we cause each other simply by living together. In short, every night before we go to bed I would like for each of us to ask and give forgiveness of one another for the harm we have done by speech or deed. I know that the Bhikkhu/ni Sangha has a formal forgiveness ceremony they use when parting company and I have been inspired by this but also by the feeling that I want to make amends, if only in words, for hurting those I love.
Cattāri Brahmavihārā 
An excellent idea, my friend!
By: benoloughlin on 01/14/2015
at 9:41 pm
Thanks Ben!
By: Upāsaka on 01/14/2015
at 11:01 pm
I know how hard it can be to be thrust in the role of single parent, even if it is for a day or two–it’s incredibly challenging to get your own basic needs met when you are the sole person responsible for meeting the children’s needs. And when our own needs aren’t met, that can lead very quickly to feeling overwhelmed and becoming reactive. The ritual sounds like a beautiful idea.
By: Lorien on 01/17/2015
at 3:28 am