My life has become much simpler the last few months. I realize travel is out of the question, as is doing anything that requires me to walk any distance. It is lucky for me that it is not hard to give up travel. I am happiest at home.

I never saw neuropathy coming because mine is idiopathic—no known cause. If I had to guess, it might be from the virus that put me in the hospital a couple of years ago. If I am lucky, it won’t progress a lot. Only time will tell.

I have more time to focus on my inner life now and I return to basics every day. All of the books have played a role in educating me, but I continue to get rid of them. Right now I have several boxes full of them ready to take to Good Will.

So I sit in silence off and on during the day, as Joel Goldsmith did, to reconnect with my Self. You cannot overdo this.

I watch TV in the evenings and work crossword puzzles. At night I listen to Leonard Cohen sing.

If you would like an exercise to do today, try this:

Sit down and breathe in the silence. Then deepen your breathing but keep it slow and conscious. After a minute or two, watch what happens now that you have slowed your breath down. Your thoughts have slowed down as well.

Then you may say the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” We are ancient beings trying to live in a fractured cosmos. We need higher help and in this way we make all things new.

Vicki Woodyard