EASY DOES IT BUT DO IT

"He who hesitates is lost." 

~ Joseph Addison ~

If we drag our feet indecisively for too long

Trying to save ourselves from every potential pitfall in advance,

Then it's likely someone else may come along

And take what we've been after

In a flash-

Leaving us "holding the bag" so to speak:

Full of all our thoughts and worries and visions...

With nowhere now 

to spend them.

I deliberate briefly, and then take action. 

THE RIGHT CHOICE

"Instinct selects the best method first."

~ James Lendall Basford ~

Often, we know our choice intuitively right away,

But then we second guess ourselves, and check,

And re-check,

Until we have tried out all the possible options,

And thoroughly convinced ourselves,

That the first choice 

remains

the right one. 

I trust my spontaneous intuitive knowing. 

OVER WHEN IT'S OVER

"The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too."

~ Teresa of Avila ~

Sometimes we're ready to be done with a project,

But it's not ready to be done with us. 

There's a process that has to play out,

Steps to be taken,

Emotions felt.

It's not for us always

To say when we're ready 

Or complete.

It's over when it's over,

And not 

a second 

before. 

Whether I like it or not, I'm a part of the process. 

GRUFF'S BACK

"Duck! Here comes another day!"

~ Charles Schulz ~

Four years ago at this time, we were anticipating my husband's total spinal reconstruction surgery.

His Doctor called me personally and spoke to me for 20 minutes to be sure I understood

That this was a big deal-

A 12 hour surgery, with multiple blood transfusions and an uncertain result.

The recovery would be long.

The physical limitations permanent.

We needed to prepare ourselves.

And then we got through it with more grace than seemed possible...

And then we moved to Montana,

And then we moved to New Mexico,

And then we moved back to Virginia and took on the recovery and renovation

Of this unbelievably beautiful farm,

And then we discovered it was too much,

So now it's for sale,

And here we are-

Carried somehow all the way through this grand adventure,

And nonetheless lacking in trust 

For whatever may lie ahead.

I have faith in life's surprising blessings. 

HOW MUCH DO WE OWE?

"Dare to be honest."

~ Robert Burns 

It pays to be fresh and authentic.

And it costs dearly to piggy back on someone else's dream.

I follow my own True North. 

MEANING MAKING MACHINES

"If we refuse to pray until we can elucidate the mystery of prayer, we are as foolish as a man would be who would shut off the rain from his garden until he understands the balancing of clouds."

~ Will Rogers ~

Why is it that we seem driven to make sense of things?

We want to know, "Why?"

And, "Why not?"

And, "What happened?"

And, "What does it mean?"

We are meaning making machines,

Expending endless effort trying to "figure things out"

When no amount of figuring will solve the problem

Because fundamentally, there is no problem-

Only mystery,

And experience,

And an inability to trust what we cannot understand. 

I am rich with the mysteries of ongoing daily experience.

BUGS IN NUMBERS

 "We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics."

~ Bill Vaughn ~

Around here, tis the season of Stinkbugs and Ladybugs-

"Stinky Bugs" as my friend called them earlier today...

And much as they are an annoyance,

They also command a certain respect,

For their tenacity,

And resilience,

And toughness,

And strategy,

And strength in numbers approach to life.

Nature teaches me great things and small things too, so I've learned to pay attention. 

BURNOUT

 "Slow and steady wins the race."

~ Hans Christian Anderson ~

The other day, someone described me as being "hyper-productive"

And I am not that all the time

but I have been on a roll lately.

What happens to me when I'm in that mode is that I burn out,

And lose patience

For everyone else 

Who is pleasantly productive.

I want to ramp them up to speed.

The point is,

This hyper productive mode is actually a trick.

It seems effective.

I get a lot done and feel proud,

But I'm isolated in it,

Seeking recognition for my accomplishments as if they define my worth,

And quick to irritation with all the things I can't control...

Which is almost everything.

It would be ok, and preferable even, to savor the experience I'm about 

Instead of choking it down in violent gulps.

I stop before I've gone too far. 

BIG AND LITTLE

"That's the way that it goes."

~ Gillian Welch ~

Small things have an easier time turning than big things.

Think of the difference between a Mini Cooper and an 18 wheeler,

Or a kayak and a cruise ship.

There's labor and procedure and care required for big things to turn.

It takes planning

 and preparedness.

Little things, on the other hand,

Can turn on a dime,

Instantaneously,

Quick as a flash.

So which is better?

There's no better,

Just acknowledgement,

And appreciation,

That conditions are what they are. 

I accept the intrinsic characteristics of whatever I am trying to turn. 

MEETING PEOPLE

 "What is a human being but a private soul hiding behind a public mask, asking for a little understanding."

~ Robert Brault ~

"What do you do?" seems rather a weak question.

And it's not much fun to answer either.

Surely we can think of something better to ask when we meet people for the first time.

I am curious about who you are more than what occupies your time. 

SOMETIMES

"A new broom sweeps clean but the old broom knows the corners."

~ Irish Saying ~

Sometimes life requires that we tidy up after other people,

And sometimes it requires that we tidy up after ourselves.  

And neat alone is not enough. 

It needs to be clean as well. 

Without that,

Things in the environment go to chaos pretty quickly,

And feel rather a mess.

I keep things neat and clean. 

NEW CHAPTERS

"To decide is to walk facing forward with nary a crick in your neck from looking back at the crossroads."

~ Betsy Garmon ~

When we choose something, we don't have to explain our choice,

or justify it to ourselves or others,

Or feel guilt.

Choice is simple:

We choose what we choose because

That's what we choose. 

And others may understand and approve,

Or they may not. 

I live by my choices, and experience what I choose.

HANDKERCHIEFS

"Love and fear. Everything the father of a family says inspires one or the other."

~ Joseph Joubert ~

My Dad never really seemed to approve of me,

And some of my choices made him angry

And withdraw.

Over and over we missed each other, basically,

But even as a girl, I felt a kind of intimacy with him when I explored his

Drawer of handkerchiefs and cufflinks,

And when he died,

They became mine.

The handkerchiefs are soft and white, and have his initials embroidered on them,

And through this pandemic,

their soft cotton has soothed me,

serving as my mask. 

The exchange of love we experience is both subtle and profound. 

SACRED SPACE

"The Salvation Army always stands ready to relieve us of superfluous effects."

~ Emily Tolman ~

What is sacred space?

It's space that's internal as well as external,

Space that's honored,

And revered,

With no junk,

I stay mindful of the beautiful nature of who I am. 

IT IS WHAT IT IS

"It's ok to be who you are."

~ Ann Kite ~

Sometimes all we can do is show up.

Our best effort on any given day is good enough. 

THE DIVINE DESIGN

"Fate laughs at probabilities."

~  Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton ~

Ever had a plan that didn't play out?

That's what's supposed to happen.

And it will happen again.

We are carried through life far more than we realize,

Moved by inspiration more than intention,

Always knowing what we need to know exactly when we need to know it.

And being re-directed and shifted as divinely designed.

I trust the universal flow.

PLENTY TO DO

"To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart."

~ Thomas Watson Sr ~

There's plenty to do in life.

Maintenance. Maintenance. Maintenance.

And creativity, and work, and exercise, and relaxation, and meals, and fun.

And whenever we are at a loss,

And not sure what to do,

As my friend's grandmother used to tell her,

We can always 

Clean up our room. 

I enjoy the never ending action of living life.

THE TENDENCY TO OVER-FILL

"Freedom is hiding under the clutter."

~ Terri Guillemets ~

It's likely that we under-value spaciousness in our lives.

We cram things into drawers and closets.

We over-fill our bellies, and 

We stuff our minds with information

And fearful thoughts.

In spaciousness is ease,

And relief,

And breathing room.

Whether in our homes or in our bodies,

Let's make an effort

To clear out some space!

I appreciate the benefits of spaciousness.

THIS AND THAT

"Life's messy. Clean it up"

~ Bissell Inc Trademark ~

I like things in order- 

Clear,

Delineated,

This,

or

That.

But so often- maybe even most of the time,

It's this and that,

Everything all mixed up together,

And the only way out

Is through.

I accept chaos when it comes.