Day 32

56:1-58:4

Today, I'm starting the chapter on Marriage. There is the obvious moral connection between a husband and wife but I apply aspects of this chapter to all relationships since that's really what it is about. So if I mention something that seems beyond the bounds of a traditional marriage, that's what I mean, any kind of relationship between two people.

So on to what stuck out to me. The word 'happy' seemed to pop out several times in two pages. MBE makes a connection between marriage and happiness. Again, I think of it as relationships and happiness.

So here is what stuck out for me:

Chastity is the cement of civilization and progress.

Since I'm reading to progress on my spiritual path, the word progress struck me. Chastity as a way to progress seems obvious for someone not married, but as I am married, I want to see how this definition applies to any relationship. Chastity signifies purity. In a existing relationship, I think of that as honesty and truth.What would you say is chastity between friends or even strangers?

Two quotes that seem to be linked are:

Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it.

To happify existence by constant intercourse [communication] with those adapted to elevate it, should be the motive of society.

One of the goals I've set for myself is to broaden my friendship horizons instead of being self-absorbed, and inverted.

As a stay-at-home mom, the women I meet are wrapped up in being moms themselves. A large part of them are focusing on the physical aspects: allergies, growth rates, balanced diets, skin care. This is just the beginning. Then there are opinions about what children should or should not do and how they should do it. There's a lot of negativity and looking for problems in this kind of thought so it makes looking for friends in my most obvious peer group difficult but not impossible. I seem to be gravitating to people who are best described as a shining light. Not necessarily the life of the party but the reason for going. These are the people that I think elevate my thinking. They are happy because that's what they want to be and they look for those bright moments and hold on to them and ignore or laugh at everything else.

That's were I'm trying to get to.