Icons

Whether you are religious, or not, religious icons can have meaning in your life.

I have a lovely Quan Yin statue that is holding an infant. To a Buddhist she is a sort of female Buddha, a mother figure. To a Christian she appears to be an Asian looking mother and child. To me she is the embodiment of love and compassion.

I also have a small gold Hotei that was given to me by my nephew. Many people call him the laughing Buddha. He is the fat one who looks almost hedonistic. To me he is a symbol of contentment and happiness.

I have a Tara who is a female Bodhisattva representing liberation and success in work and achievements, but to me, first and foremost, she represents the hours of work my son put in gluing her back together when I knocked her off the wall. I did not ask him to do that, nor did I ask him to send her to me, but he did both out of love. 

Mostly the "things" in my life remind me to be mindful and aware of all the beauty that surrounds me. They remind me to allow the emptiness to fill from a place of joy and love and not fear.