ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

"Never ruin an apology with an excuse."

~ Kimberly Johnson ~

When someone shares with us that something we have done has

Hurt their feelings, 

or

Created some other kind of hardship,

Or suffering,

Or inconvenience,

Generally, 

We are

Quick

To defend ourselves

And make excuses,

And explain away our behavior,

When what they really want

(And what's most needed)

Is an acknowledgement of the truth for them of what they've shared,

And a simple and sincere 

Apology

From

Us.

I own my part in the unfolding drama of life. 

BEYOND THE BEYOND

"Don't worry about anything at all.

You are not here by accident."

~ Mooji ~

We are simultaneously

the ground behind our experiencing,

The experience itself with all of its

Emotions and physicality,

And the witness of both.

I am more than my conditioning.

RICH APPRECIATION

"Too often too late comes too soon."

~ Dr SunWolf ~

One year ago today, our beloved German Shepherd, Boss, was still alive,

And so was my cousin's son, Max,

And so were all those like them who have died unexpectedly.

We want to know, but the only thing certain is our not knowing.

Living in rich appreciation of what each day brings seems an advisable strategy,

As does kindness,

And compassion,

And love. 

I stop insisting on the future and wake up to the day I'm in. 

GRATEFUL AND LONGING

"On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence."

~William Jennings Bryan ~

Thanksgiving again.

Another turkey and stuffing, 

Sweet potatoes,

Pumpkin pie.

But a bit of a different world this year,

And so, 

As always,

the mix-

Of old and new,

Familiar and strange,

Together and apart,

Hungry and full,

Grateful and longing,

And all of the above

And none of the above.

It's the unpredictable mix and side by side opposites that keep us engaged in the journey of life.

AGING

"Go securely... a harbor opens where you feared a shipwreck."

~ Francesco Petrarca ~

I am grateful for the aging process 

And all the subtle

And not so subtle

Wisdom

That comes with it.

Life experience is a good thing. 

TRANSCENDENCE

"And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair."

~ Khalil Gibran ~

I am grateful when the sun shines

After dense clouds and rain.

I am grateful for hot showers and soap

After a long day of working in the dirt.

I am grateful for the joy of forgiveness

After a fight.

And I am grateful for energy moving

After energy that has 

sluggishly

stalled.

One thing comes through the other again and again and again. 

PRAISE FOR LIVING

"The struggle ends when gratitude begins."

~ Neale Donald Walsch ~

In spite of the Corona Virus and everything else going on in the broad world,

and in my world,

I am grateful.

I am grateful to be alive,

To feel fresh air on my face.

To smell wood smoke,

To be entertained by the uniqueness of people,

And to recognize our similarities;

To have friends,

To have children,

To have a lovely home.

I am grateful for Art,

For Nature,

For God,

And for the 5 rhythms of life.

I am grateful to know presence,

And the beauty of the heart.

From all around and up and down, 

I am blessed.

APPROACHING THANKSGIVING 2020

"Conversations will not be cancelled.

Relationships will not be cancelled.

Love will not be cancelled.

Songs will not be cancelled...

May we lean into the good stuff that remains."

~ Jamie Tworkowski ~

Our strange year continues-

Discouraged to gather for the annual gathering holiday

Banned from travel

Isolated from elders

Afraid to shake hands and hug.

It's a sadness,

And a journey of acceptance,

And great blind faith. 

I trust God.

CURIOUS CONVENIENCE

"Thank God we're living in a country where the sky's the limit, the stores are open late and you can shop in bed."

~ Joan Rivers ~

Shopping online is both convenient and tricky.

The images we see on the screen create a vision in our mind,

And sometimes what arrives in the mail doesn't measure up-

Sometimes not at all.

And other times, we are pleasantly delighted by what we receive.

I enjoy life's surprises. 

OPEN HEARTED SHARING

"In the normal state of the soul, when life is oppressed, when the vastest issues break like angry oceans in the spirit- then thoughts seem bent on uttering themselves."

~ William A Quayle ~

The best cure I know 

for what ails us emotionally 

is to speak our hearts and minds out loud

in a calm and honest way,

And be heard by someone 

Who cares about us enough

To listen quietly

And not judge.

I am healed by communication. 

RIDUCULOUSNESS

"I ask you to ignore the buzzing and jigging and vibration of small interests and excitements that form the tissue of our ordinary consciousness, and instead turn your attention to the profounder bass-note of life."

~ William James ~

Let's skip the "petty" across the board, and get on to the broader view.

I stop nitpicking and open to the largesse of the living experience.

SUPER-SOFT

"May brooks and trees and singing hills join in the chorus too. 

And every gentle wind that blows send happiness to you.'

~ Irish Blessing ~

I went to the dentist the other day for a teeth cleaning, and was told that I brush too hard, so the hygienist gave me a tiny, super-soft brush to use with great care, and it's been interesting. My mind tells me that it's impossible to clean my teeth in such a gentle fashion, and yet there's something about it that feels right on, and even nurturing. 

     Through this process, I've realized that I tend to wash my face in a somewhat over the top aggressive manner as well, so the question that has arisen is why? And the answer seems to be linked to the more is better concept, and the generalized urge I seem to have to force and push and grab at life as if it needs my urgent help, which, of course, it does not.

     When I can loosen the reins in any fashion, my experience becomes soothing instead of exhausting, and the ride a pleasure instead of a chore. 

I trust what's easy and graceful, and understand that everything doesn't have to be hard.

WHEN?

"You can't reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday's junk."

~ Louise Smith ~

The time to take on challenges and new ventures is not when we're tired,

But when we're fresh.

I save the projects that need my mental brightness for the morning hours.

JOURNEY OF TIME

"The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder."

~ Ralph W. Sockman 

What energizes us?

And what exhausts us?

What fills us with faith?

And what makes us fearful?

When do we go to sleep?

And how do we wake up?

I ponder the patterns of life experience. 

COLLECTIVE UNITY

"To each his own."

 ~ Shakespeare ~

Recently, I have recognized in myself a desire for collective unity,

Which doesn't mean that everyone has to agree on everything,

Only that everyone be on the same page

That in the big picture,

We are in this together.

I understand the value of that kind of unity-

The cocoon that holds us all-

And valuing that,

I have come up against single-mindedness,

And individual process,

And lack of interest in the collective whole,

Which makes me sad,

And also teaches me new levels of compassion,

And appreciation,

For everybody being exactly where they are.

I understand that we're not all there yet. 

FARE THEE WELL

"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning."

~ Ivy Baker Priest ~

Goodbyes are cleansing and necessary.

They open up space for the next hello.

I am easy with the comings and goings of life. 

NOT KNOWING

"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties."

~ Oswald Chambers ~

If we ask for something from the depths of our heart, 

Our next job is to let go of the outcome,

And to trust that 

Though we may not know how,

Or who, 

Or what,

Our prayers can still be answered.

I surrender and trust. 

2020

"Let it be."

~ The Beatles~ 

From where I sit,

If 2020 had a theme,

It would be something along the lines of

Resistance and disbelief.

Over and over again this year I have found myself

Seriously questioning what appears to be happening,

On both the personal and the global scale,

And feeling like it can't really be happening that way,

And yet, 

It is.

So, what's to be done?

A sigh?

A shrug?

A bit of radical acceptance?

It's the final quarter of the year now,

And perhaps the theme will continue into 2021,

And perhaps it won't,

But for now,

And for always really,

Oh, well, and there it is.

Whatever is happening is happening, and maybe it has deep and broad implications and significance, and maybe it doesn't. 

STRANGE

"The music beat on among youthful leaves, into the darkness, beneath the gold and mute cacophony of stars..."

~ William Faulkner ~

It's incredible how easily we can take things for granted,

And make assumptions about how it's going to be,

When the truth is-

The TRUE truth...

Is that we just never know. 

I keep an open mind and remain curious. 

CLEAN AND CRISP

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

~ Leonardo Da Vinci ~

Complicated situations weigh us down like chains.

They are heavy with human concerns and fears.

Simplicity, on the other hand, feels light and breezy,

Clean, and

Crisp, and

Supremely divine. 

I deeply appreciate what is simple, direct, and to the point. 

SURPRISE

"Logic: The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding."

~ Ambrose Bierce ~

Our knowing about things seems to come naturally-

We "have a feeling"

And that makes us certain that we're right.

And yet, our certainty does not guarantee our correctness.

As my friend Matt likes to point out,

We can be 100% certain about something and 100% wrong about it at the same time.

So where does that leave us?

Not knowing, 

More than we'd like to admit.

And that's where faith comes in,

And curiosity,

And the delight of

Surprise.

I know less than I think I do. 

WHATEVER IS NEEDED

"Music is to the soul what a water bath is to the body."

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes ~

Music is a good friend.

It keeps us company,

Inspires us,

Distracts us,

Entertains us,

Calms us,

Moves us-

Whatever is needed. 

Music is a good friend.

I appreciate rhythm and lyrics and instruments and song!