Hello to you, and I hope this finds you well. Welcome to Season 2, Episode 10 of Something Like Love. My theme this week is Boy, and I’m reaching far back into the library to bring you a story from my short fiction collection, Orchestra of the Lost Steps. This book took me 10 years to write – well, I had a lot of other things on the go back then, like being a mom, getting a university degree, and working at part-time jobs. 

Orchestra of the Lost Steps was published by Thistledown Press in 2004 and it’s been out of print for many years now, but of all my books, it’s one of the ones I’m proudest of. The story I’ll be reading is called "Baby, Please Don’t Go," and the music I've included is my take "The House of the Rising Sun." 

Folks, I feeling like I’ve been playing catch-up for a little while now, so I’m going to take a six week-sabbatical from this podcast and nourish my body and spirit with loads of hiking, reading, running, and yoga - and perhaps I’ll even get into my sea kayak . I’ll be back here on St. Patrick’s Day to share something fresh - and possibly “green” - with you. I’ll be changing the format of the show for Season 3 as well. If you want to reach out with any ideas for this podcast, I'm all ears at shelleyaleedahl@gmail.com.

To help you get refreshed and relaxed, I've added  a Metta meditation this week. Metta meditation is also called Loving Kindness Meditation. It’s the practice of directing well wishes toward others by reciting specific words and phrases meant to evoke warm-hearted feelings. (This is also commonly found in Mindfulness and Vipassana meditation.)

Metta Mediation is typically practiced while sitting in a comfortable, relaxed position. I find that soft lighting helps. Perhaps light and focus on a candle. After a few deep breaths, you repeat the following words slowly and steadily. “May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease.”

After a period of directing this loving kindness toward yourself, try to picture a family member or friend and repeat the mantra again, this time replacing “I” with “you.”

As you continue the meditation, you can add others in your life ... friends, family members, colleagues. Perhaps even a stranger you saw on your errands today, someone who looked like he or she could use some kindness. And here’s how this also works … you can even visualize a person you are currently having difficulty with. This kind of mental massaging may do you both wonders. When you’ve repeated the mantra naming yourself, then whomever else you’re focusing on, end the meditation with the universal mantra: “May all beings everywhere be happy.”  

I wish you peace and happiness. Be well, Friends.