I found this image on a blog friend's site and instantly knew I had to snatch it up. I had another friend who lives in the Netherlands give me a real hand-carved Weeping Buddha as a spiritual gift. She told me that when my troubles started to overwhelm me I was to hold the Buddha and close my eyes and meditate. I then was to think of all my troubles as going into the weeping Buddha and let him bear them and weep for me just as he weeps for the troubles of the whole world. I have done this many times and my weeping Buddha is now worn very smooth from the rubbing and shines from my oils soaking and polishing its wood.

I know some will say this is ridiculous and some staunch Christians will claim I should cast my cares on Jesus, but I say whatever works, Dude (or Dudette, whichever case may apply), just do it! Find what works for you to relieve stress and cope with the insanity of this world and DO IT. Don't let it pile up inside you like a stinking pile of crap or fester like an infected wound. Get it out anyway you can and purge yourself of the disease of stress and worry.

I am writing to myself. My weeping Buddha hasn't been getting the job done lately and I feel my Muse gently tugging at the corners of my mind to get on with what really works for me. Writing. Writing honestly from the depths of my soul and letting the words take on their own life as they draw out what was locked within me. Locked but not forgotten. Give the words life and let them bring light to what was unspoken and hidden in the inner darkness of my secret places.

See, it's already working and I have yet to begin in earnest.