A Buddhist Christmas

sitting on the bed with my old blind dog... breathing in, breathing out... breathing in suffering, all the suffering of the hungry, the homeless, those in prison.... those ravaged by war.... of the lonely, those filled with despair, the angry, the fearful, the lost.... breathing in deeply, wrapping it all in snowlike stillness... and then breathing out.... breathing out compassion, total, unconditional, free compassion... the oneness that feels every feeling, hurts with every hurt, prays with every need.... not judging, not holding back, asking for nothing in return... just breathing out.... and listening with gratitude to the heartbeat of my faithful dog... to the heartbeats of all that live... lost inside life itself!