Seeing Clearly in Difficult Times

I’m finding that right now, practice can be challenging.It’s hard to get up an hour early in the dark.But that’s often the case. The bigger challenge right now is not the early dark mornings.It’s the lack of clarity that arises when anger, impatience, and fear take over my sit, or my day. That’s why right now, I’m understanding a little bit betterthe wisdom of all the great teachers, who counsel us to befriend these difficult states of mind.I’m noticing that befriending anger helps me to occasionally, see the pain underneath;that making friends with impatience helps me tosometimes, remember to take a breath;and that letting fear be a beloved companion points to one day,possibly, with plenty of practice, letting it go.