Riverbed Through the salt mouth of the river They come past the dangling mesh of gillnets And the purse-mouthed seines, past the fisherman’s last strands By quarter-light where the beheaded herring Spiral against the tide, seeing the shadowy others Hold still, then slash, then rise to the surface, racked And disappearing—now deepening slowly In the …
“For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible, nothing secret except to come to light.” – Mark 4:22 To discern is to be free enough to make a next best step from every possibility. Daily we give ourselves to relationships, work, service, play and leisure, the commitments we make. For some of us, …
Today I will savor in my heart … When I let go, I am simultaneously holding onto myself, and giving permission for life to flow. The first half of our life is a journey spent acquiring, and holding on. We long for security, safety, assurances he or she will be faithful, our life will be …
Be still and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10 To cultivate every healthy relationship we need periods of stillness and silence. Historically, and in the world today, both women and men experience being silenced. You, like me, may remember old scripts: do not speak until spoken to; be quiet in the presence of …
Some days, sorting marbles sheds light on essential questions. Smooth handfuls of glass slipped firmly against each other in my hands. Water streamed from the kitchen faucet. I washed and rinsed my favorite colors in a stainless steel strainer, playing with texture and light. The marbles had been supporting stalks of lucky bamboo in clear …
I sit facing my computer screen, inches from a large window. My heart thunks. Outside a shadow moves. A moose peers at me. Vividly tall, she is furry, sturdy, six feet away, eyes glued in stillness. Her nose twitches. I catch my breath, meet her gaze. Seconds pass. Does she comprehend glass? Does it matter? …
Do you know how to fracture the cycle of domestic violence? It starts when we break the silence. Abusers keep secrets, are controlling, and manipulate our perceptions and reality. They don’t often begin that way at the start of a relationship, or we’d likely recognize it and run. Or confront with a response to crazy-making behavior … Continue reading
Happy birthday Justin. I’m missing you so much tonight. Wish I could bake you a cake… In the grocery store tonight I found myself in the bake aisle–I don’t eat sugar or flour anymore, you wouldn’t like that–and it sliced me that I wanted to make you a birthday cake, and add all the candles… … Continue reading
I recalled a story I’d written that I knew contained insight. It was 2010, and about being stuck, holding on, and letting go – lessons from my birch tree. Continue reading
This is hilarious, in an odd sense. I arrived to my #zenhouseinthewoods after a long work day [story:another time]. Singing along to Lifehouse on the 12+ mile AK907 drive home, anticipation is to enliven my blog [it’s been a long while] about what a special young lady is evoking in me. Home arrival, take care … Continue reading
Last night I remembered something important: the necessity to float when I feel sink. I learned to swim about the time I began to walk. Floating on my back, buoyant, I’m a water baby, a lover of fluidity. It’s a life value for me to live engaged, active, and simultaneously in flow or sync with … Continue reading
It was my long week of anniversaries: an adoption date, a wedding anniversary for a marriage that ended in divorce, and the eighth anniversary of my teenage son’s death by suicide. Annually, when this week cycles, I have learned to lean-in and ride the emotional wave, taking care of my tenderized heart. I do not … Continue reading
When the student is ready the teacher will come. I appreciate the writers and thinkers who generate inquiry into their authenticity and passion. I began to learn about the human energetic field nearly twenty years ago. The inquiry arose from necessity—which is another story—and it was hard to find grounded teachers that I could trust. … Continue reading
I’m not sure how I encountered Seth Godin. I think it was something to do with his book, Tribes. I do know Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?arrived in March 2010, and I spent the next two months digesting his brilliant guidance. Godin, “writes about the post-industrial revolution, the way ideas spread, marketing, quitting, leadership and most … Continue reading
No juice to write Inked tonight after two full days of work and meetings. Dinner consisted of popcorn cooked in coconut oil (that’s healthy, right?), red wine, and a simple salad of greens and avocado. Then I remembered, there’s this book that really inspired me when former John XXIII students on a retreat planning team … Continue reading
“Love is the only light that can truly read the secret signature of the other person’s individuality and soul. Love alone is literate in the world of origin; it can decipher identity and destiny. –John O’Donohue, Anam Cara I met John O’Donohue in Anaheim, California, at a workshop. He spoke eloquently, with an Irish brogue, … Continue reading
New Fields 