Mitka had a lovely comment in one of our Ango threads, quoting the Insight Meditation teacher, Jack Kornfield. I just feel it lovely and wise, so will post it here so that it is not missed ...
I had a week this week with some broken strings and other problems. I am sure that you did too. So, nice wisdom about playing on, and making beautiful, what life hands us. 
Gassho, J
STLah
He [Jack Kornfield] was talking about how we all have problems, mortgages, people who don't understand us, unfinished business in the past, trauma, not a lot of time to do the things we want, etc. And then he said "You know, we often think of our problems as these huge unbeatable giants, but actually they are more like encouraging friends. You see it is because of our problems that we recognize the basic truth of Buddha's first noble truth about suffering. And it is because of our problems that we are able to raise bodhichitta, or the intent to practice. If we didn't have any problems, if we were completely content, we would not practice. We would not see that life offers so much more than the objects we can perceive with our gross senses. We would not see that we are in bondage. We would not see the possibility of liberation. Our problems are like friends who come to us in jail and encourage us to break out."
I love this idea of our problems being friends, and I think it is a helpful reframing of our lives that can create some space and allow us to breathe. Thanks for sharing you both.
Story: One day Itzhak Perlman, an internationally celebrated violinist, was playing at the New York Philharmonic before a large crowd on his 1714 Stradivarius. He was playing a violin solo for the piece. Because he had polio when he was a kid, he was sitting in his chair wearing leg braces to help him walk. As he was playing suddenly there was a loud popping sound. One of the strings on his violin had broken. The orchestra stopped, and the audience waited breathlessly to see what would happen. Would he limp offstage to change out his violin? Would someone come onto stage to restring his violin? Itzhak sat in silence for several moment, closed his eyes, then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra started up, and Itzhak, using only the three strings left to him, modulated, changied, and recomposed the piece so he could play it on three strings. He played with such passion and power and purity that at the end of the piece, the crowd erupted into applause. Everyone was on their feet cheering wildly. Humbly, Itzhak motioned with his bowstring for silence. Then he said "You know, sometimes it is an artist's job to find out how much music you can still play with what you have left."
Our lives are incredibly beautiful gifts, and lets continue making beautiful music with these broken instruments.
I love this idea of our problems being friends, and I think it is a helpful reframing of our lives that can create some space and allow us to breathe. Thanks for sharing you both.
Story: One day Itzhak Perlman, an internationally celebrated violinist, was playing at the New York Philharmonic before a large crowd on his 1714 Stradivarius. He was playing a violin solo for the piece. Because he had polio when he was a kid, he was sitting in his chair wearing leg braces to help him walk. As he was playing suddenly there was a loud popping sound. One of the strings on his violin had broken. The orchestra stopped, and the audience waited breathlessly to see what would happen. Would he limp offstage to change out his violin? Would someone come onto stage to restring his violin? Itzhak sat in silence for several moment, closed his eyes, then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra started up, and Itzhak, using only the three strings left to him, modulated, changied, and recomposed the piece so he could play it on three strings. He played with such passion and power and purity that at the end of the piece, the crowd erupted into applause. Everyone was on their feet cheering wildly. Humbly, Itzhak motioned with his bowstring for silence. Then he said "You know, sometimes it is an artist's job to find out how much music you can still play with what you have left."
Our lives are incredibly beautiful gifts, and lets continue making beautiful music with these broken instruments.
Gassho, J
STLah
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