Peace after turmoil

On those lonely days, it's nice to see

another being steaming by, even from a distance --

but it's also kind of refreshing, 

after the turmoil of the holidays,

to have the whole landscape to yourself... 

It's all one

There may be two kinds of people in the world,

two different ways of doing things,

two sides to every story, 

but from a distance, it's all part of the same picture.

Challenges of consumption

It's easy to get love backwards

when we get too caught up in Christmas shopping...

Dream a bit

As winter's chill begins to settle in our bones,

the memories of summer travels keep us warm.

Close your eyes, and dream a bit

of warmer times gone by, and those to come...

Last hurrah

Wandering round an island far from home,

Searching for coffee in an all-island power outage 

after a fierce November storm,

I found this lovely straggler --

A last fading reminder

Of a summer now long gone...

Appreciating beauty

There are so many different ways of being beautiful in this world.

I hope someone appreciates yours.

The light that calls you home

In following the light that draws you inward, and onward,

may you find that it is also the light that calls you home.

Thanksgiving for the bad stuff

Thanksgiving is a little different this year: because our daughters have other plans, we're spending it alone; just the two of us, no cooking, no shopping, just... gratitude.

So I thought I'd take some time to talk about the blessings that have been brought into my life as a result of bad stuff that's happened. I know -- it's an odd approach to take, but it's where my brain went this morning.

We are so much more than the stories we tell ourselves, the losses we regret and the mistakes we have made, the pride we take in our accomplishments and the many ways we set ourselves apart. This being human is both a challenge and an opportunity to learn, and so today I want to remember how grateful I am for everything -- both good and bad -- that brought me to this moment.

So here's the bad stuff I'm thankful for:

1. Being raised by a narcissistic mom, which taught me both humility and empathy: fastest way I know of to develop those vital mirror neurons!

2. Early heart problems, which have made me both less fearful of death and more able to reassure my daughter as she deals with similar challenges.

3. A painful first marriage and divorce, which taught me to look beyond surface beauty to the heart that lies beneath, introduced me to meditation and Buddhism, and helped me to discover my own resilience; that I could go to the roots of my pain and still survive.

4. The challenges of raising a child on the spectrum, which helped me to uncover my own capacity to love.

5. The hard work and subsequent betrayal of working for the Church, which helped me to discover a deeper faith that goes beyond what I found in the pews.

6. The death, abandonment and betrayal of my father, which freed me to reinvent myself apart from what I imagined to be his expectations.

7. The financial ups and downs of life, which have taught me to be frugal, to be grateful, to be willing to let go, to be generous with what I do have, and to trust that what I have will be enough.

But what about the good stuff, you ask? Oh, my -- too numerous to mention: my husband, my health, my daughters, my home, my friends, my community, all the opportunities to serve and to create that come my way, and all the blessings of this amazing life -- including you, dear readers. Thank you for your continued presence, your willingness to listen and return for more, and for the grace you carry out into your own lives. Happy Thanksgiving!

Running around in circles

Ah, the wisdom contained in a simple road sign --

If you find you're running around in circles,

maybe it's time to slow down!

Identity

Isn't it amazing, how easy it is for us

to get caught up in our identity?

Who are you, really, underneath?

Islands in the sea of life

We are, each of us, islands in the sea of life.

There's the popular side that the tourists know and love,

and the dense, dark, private side

that even the natives fear to explore...

The illusion of safety

We work so hard to create the illusion of safety --

retreating to our caves at the end of the day,

building fences to define our territory

and keep the world at bay, hoping against hope

that the water won't rise, the sky won't fall,

the earth won't tremble, and illness, pain, and loss

will walk some other shore, just not our own...

A grand adventure

Life's a grand adventure

when someone you trust 

is very much in charge and keeping you safe.

So if, then, we believe in Something Else

that's in charge and keeping us safe,

doesn't life become a grand adventure?

Trapped in our fears

It's all too easy to get trapped in our assumptions;

to assume the world is black and white,

and that all the fears our mind projects in relentless iterations

will ever be released or solved by worrying about them.

When life intervenes...

Life has a way of intruding upon our reflections.

Don't think of it as a distraction,

but rather -- a completion.

Our hope for years to come

"They fly, forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day..."

It's curious, isn't it -- the way those old familiar lyrics

keep popping into our heads...

Beautiful day

Sunrise over the mountains:

A beautiful way to start the day. Enjoy!

Gathering in gratitude

I see these boats and hear that old familiar hymn:

"We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing..."

Thanksgiving must be on its way --

what are you grateful for today?

Holy Ordinary

When we open our eyes and really see

the beauty that surrounds us,

we begin at last to realize

how irresistibly holy the ordinary can be.

Veterans Day

Aching today for all who served

and never quite recovered from the trauma...

Build up your stores of patience

Each year, the golden Autumn with its falling leaves reminds us

that losses will inevitably occur, 

and yet -- each loss has its potential to bring new opportunities,

if only we build up our stores of patience and trust

and quietly await the replenishment of Spring.

Deep within

This is what it feels like at the depths of your being:

the peace, the warmth and color, the sound of your heart beating

like the pounding of the waves against the sand --

it's always there, waiting, deep inside you...

Wandering attention

Why, in Autumn, do we already find ourselves

dreaming of spring?

What will it take to place our attention

back on the beauty that is here, and now?

Getting along

It's true. Our skin may be a different color,

we may choose a different way to propel ourselves through life,

but we're sharing the same space,

and the waves that knock you about upset me, too.

Couldn't we at least try to get along?

Standing in the balance

It's all part of the picture, isn't it --

the dark parts and the light, 

the colorful and the gray,

the wild waves and the stillness,

the standing up and the lying down...

It's the balance of them all that makes life pleasing.

Darkening shadows

It seems to grow more difficult with every passing day

to ignore the darkening shadows above our amber waves of grain...

The glory of a foggy day

The glory of a foggy day --

it makes it so much easier

to sit without distractions...

Snow in the night

Icy white crystals 

weighting my hydrangeas:

Winter has arrived...

Many paths to wonder

So many different -- and glorious -- paths 

to reach a single destination...

Pondering the arc of being

Everywhere I look

there are reminders of the arc of being:

what rises falls to rise again;

what ends will soon begin again;

what's lost lives on, if only in reflections...