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The twins had a fight this morning over which of them 'owns' the blue cup. We have two blue cups. In the car I did what I've started doing on hard mornings: the loving-kindness phrases. May you be safe. May you be at peace. First for me (hardest). Then for each twin (easier, they were finally quiet). Then for the dad in the silver SUV who honked at me in the drop-off loop (hardest again, round three). By the end I was laughing a little. He was probably late too. His kids probably also own the same cup. Nam mô A Di Đà Phật, and may we all make it through this week.

Amitabha in the pickup line

The school pickup line is twenty-two minutes of idling, so that's where I chant now. Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật, quietly, prayer beads looped over the gearshift. Yesterday the twins climbed in mid-chant and my son asked if I was talking to the car. My daughter, very seriously: 'No, she's calling the Buddha of Infinite Light so he knows where we are.' I couldn't have explained Pure Land practice better myself. She's seven.