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@marcitko said:

Maybe I'm driving at the Christian idea to 'carry our Cross'. Yes, there is this bodily problem, but mostly, it's all good. So, I can carry this bodily problem with dignity, acceptance, even peace. Yes, do what I can to heal and help the body, but otherwise not 'attend to the fault' too much or let that derail my state of mind or life.

When I had cancer last year I kept thinking about how everybody says you have to fight it. Fight, fight, fight. I thought, No. This is my body. This is who I am. I chose to accept that it was there for a reason, and try to feel what the reason was, and what was needed to put things back in order. I went through the cancer treatments, but chose to regard them as putting things the way they should be instead of beating and killing the cancer. When the treatments were over the cancer was gone.

I learned a lot about my own resilience and strength. Don't know if that was the purpose, but it is already helping me to face the challenges of aging and the changes that come with that.

I threw my low back out a couple days ago and the going has been rough. But I keep thinking of the people who have to deal with this sort of pain and immobility on a daily, ongoing basis. I've been doing physical work for over 30 years and my body has held up incredibly well. I'm very grateful for it.

Like charity, peace begins at home/within, but should not end there.

I am grateful for...
... my body's superb ability to excrete feces well and in a timely manner! 😂
I never realized that relatively young, healthy people could have problems in this area. Then, a friend's girlfriend, a 30-something very healthy woman, told our friend group she has severe problems in this area. Ever since, I've been grateful for not having that trouble.
I'm going through a stress-related poor sleep phase, so maybe some gratitude about something else that is going right is in order.
What are you grateful for today?

Peace is hard
War is easy
Peace is constant effort
Peace is dialogue
Peace is a slow, careful cultivation
Peace requires constant attention
To be tended to as a beautiful garden
Or a forest strong yet vulnerable
If neglected
Tended carelessly or lazily
Even a 100,000 acres of trees and grass
may be s destroyed by one glowing ember.
The ember of war
The ember if fear
The ember of hate
The ember of distrust
Be vigilant oh warriors of peace
Be diligent, envoys of compassion
Be strong, messengers of mercy
Carry your strength humbly
Tenders of the Garden

Peace to all

Me dog be shedding! Dogo hair everywhere! But she is such 70+ pounds of "Hi! Let's Play". And those eye! Oh those eyes!
But, on July 4, we found her hiding under the granddaughter's bed, in the shower stall, and, finally, way back in my closet. We don't fault her as both my daughter and I had problems with the highly illegal (in this city and county) fireworks until we reached an accord with our "wild monkeys". Commercial grade stuff 360.
Everyone here survived, but we did hear some emergency vehicles in the distance a few times.
Gotta go, that squirrel is looking at me kind of strangely there.....

It is a misunderstanding that the monks are "begging monks". Yes, they carry "begging bowls".
They are not truly begging. They are, uner the provisions of the Thervadic tradition, accepting offerings and thus allowing the individual to gain good fortune through the cause of supporting Buddha through the act offerings to monks who are the living representatives of the Buddha.
Granted, this is a simplified presentation. The Monks are also the teachers of Buddhist text, of course.
While I practice a different school of Buddhism, I respect these monks and support their message.

Peace to all

Every cause, no matter how large or insignificant, is a step closer to your goal. From such as the monks' long walk to a smile encouraging another.