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Posts from the ‘Dogs’ Category

Mar 18

Steadfastness

“Come with me into the woods where spring is
advancing, as it does, no matter what,
not being singular or particular, but one
of the forever gifts, and certainly visible.”
― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems

“Or maybe it’s about the wonderful things that may happen if you break the ropes that are holding you.”― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs

“Listen, whatever you see and love—
that’s where you are.”― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems

It was Sasha’s 6th birthday on Tuesday, March 14th, the day of Mom’s wake. So this birthday post is late, appropriately so. Kids, dogs, Mom. Sasha loves the kids, Abby and Mom, and other dogs too. Abby and Sasha have been sticking close to me the past few days. Our pack got smaller this week. Love remains. At some point, we carry on. We shift, adjust, and keep moving. And we never forget. A chair is empty and our hearts our full.

“We meet wonderful people, but lose them
in our busyness.
We’re, as the saying goes, all over the place.
Steadfastness, it seems,
is more about dogs than about us.
One of the reasons we love them so much.”
― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems

“Because of the dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as well as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would this world be like without dogs?”― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems

“You’re like a little wild thing
that was never sent to school.”
― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: Poems

Oct 19

Goofball Mode

“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.”- Orhan Pamuk

“The dog lives for the day, the hour, even the moment.” – Robert Falcon Scott

Abby loves chasing tennis balls. She’s diversifying her fun practices to include frisbee catching as well. When I went out to throw a few, she saw an opportunity to diversify further by grabbing my glove that was hanging out of my pocket and frolicking ensued. She must have sensed that I needed to lighten up and enter goofball mode, a place she and Sasha spend a lot of time in. Game on.

May we all enter goofball mode daily to lighten up, have fun, finding joy in the ordinary where it resides awaiting our attention, participation and engagement.

“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.”― Anne Lamott

Sep 28

2 Comments

Home Sweet Home

“Home is where the heart is.” – Pliny the Elder

“Joy is the best makeup.”― Anne Lamott, Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith

Home is place, others, self.
A welcoming embrace.
Spoken and mostly unspoken.
The anticipation of your return.
May you find home sweet home, wherever you reside.

“Or maybe it’s about the wonderful things that may happen if you break the ropes that are holding you.”― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs

Jul 9

The Smallest of Things

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”— Winnie the Pooh

“From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.” – Dr. Seuss

May you live today twice.
Once being present and awake, weaving it with joy and delight.
Twice in memory, discovering simple moments, the smallest of things fill the heart.

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” – Dr. Seuss

May 22

Marvelous Wonder

“The future enters into us, in order to transform itself in us, long before it happens.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

“Therefore, dear Sir, love your solitude and try to sing out with the pain it causes you. For those who are near you are far away… and this shows that the space around you is beginning to grow vast…. be happy about your growth, in which of course you can’t take anyone with you, and be gentle with those who stay behind; be confident and calm in front of them and don’t torment them with your doubts and don’t frighten them with your faith or joy, which they wouldn’t be able to comprehend. Seek out some simple and true feeling of what you have in common with them, which doesn’t necessarily have to alter when you yourself change again and again; when you see them, love life in a form that is not your own and be indulgent toward those who are growing old, who are afraid of the aloneness that you trust…. and don’t expect any understanding; but believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.”― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

It is in the simple moments, life resides.
In the wonder of a child at play.
In the joy of merely being present in each sliver of the day.
Love being stored up like an inheritance.
Take notice.
Give praise.
Marvelous wonder.

Feb 18

Unleashed Joy

“Because of the dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift.” ― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs

“But I want to extol not the sweetness nor the placidity of the dog, but the wilderness out of which he cannot step entirely, and from which we benefit. For wilderness is our first home too, and in our wild ride into modernity with all its concerns and problems we need also all the good attachments to that origin that we can keep or restore. Dog is one of the messengers of that rich and still magical first world. The dog would remind us of the pleasures of the body with its graceful physicality, and the acuity and rapture of the senses, and the beauty of forest and ocean and rain and our own breath.” – Mary Oliver, Dog Songs

Off leash.
Break trail.
Into the adventures of a romp in the woods.
The adventure of a ball pursued and captured.
Companionship.
Joy.
Pulling us out of self to play and frolic.
Sheer simple delight given without reserve.
Both family and friend.
The gift of unleashed joy.

“Come with me into the woods where spring is
advancing, as it does, no matter what,
not being singular or particular, but one
of the forever gifts, and certainly visible.”
― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs

“Or maybe it’s about the wonderful things that may happen if you break the ropes that are holding you.”
― Mary Oliver, Dog Songs

Jan 1

New Year, New Trails

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

“The truth is that, given enough time, life bestows its gifts, a drop at a time, if we find the courage to stay open to the mysterious flow that is larger than any one event.” – Mark Nepo, Finding Inner Courage

It’s but one day, but this year, there’s a heavy sigh of relief with the calendar turning to 2021. This new year is an invitation to release the weight of 2020, while holding tight to the plentiful lessons. 2020 has been a master class in empathy, hope, resilience, priorities, generosity, kindness, authenticity, and the power of the human spirit to persevere and overcome.

While “pandemic class” is still in session, the distribution of vaccines offers hope of better days coming soon. And we don’t have to wait for better days when we become prisoners of hope and chasers of joy.

Beyond circumstances or events, even a pandemic, we have a blank page each day to write our own story, to find joy in moments, to break trail, exploring the unknown with optimism, gratitude and wonder.

What story will you write this year? The pen is and always has been in your hands. Pursue, hope and create your own path. Happy New Year!

“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” – Jennifer Lee

Dec 25

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Keep Your Eye on the Ball

“A merry heart does good like medicine.” – Proverbs 17:22

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” – James 1:17

On a quiet Christmas morning, we were greeted with a fresh blanket of snow on our daily trip to the dog park. The new snow creates a challenge for ball chasing if you don’t keep your eye on the ball. If Abby looked too far ahead or back in anticipation, she missed the ball when it went deep in the snow. She searched with intent and focus to look for the lost ball.

This season is a time to reflect on and celebrate the birth of Jesus who entered a broken world in a stable filled with animals and ordinary people. The promise and gift is that He remains with us each day on our imperfect, beautiful and flawed journey. He searches for our time and attention to lighten our days and create meaning from the journey.

The Christmas story is not one of the past but of what’s present and available to us now. Today and every day, heaven comes to earth to save us from ourselves. Accept this incomprehensible, undeserved gift of peace, grace, mercy, light and love. It’s as real today as it was that cold, lonely, miraculous day in a stable for there was no room at the Inn. Make room at your “Inn” for God to participate in your life.

Not too far back or ahead, keep your eye on the ball. Merry Christmas.

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15

Dec 3

Down to Earth

“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” — Henry David Thoreau

Nature never fails to restore, rejuvenate and refocus our energy. After rushing the past few mornings, I started today fully present listening to the Earth, Teach Me meditation on Insight Timer. I thought of it again when I went for a run into the woods with the girls this afternoon.

Walk softly, listen with new ears, look with fresh eyes, open your mind and heart to lessons that earth teaches us every day. Class is always in session. Are you willing to learn?

Earth, Teach Me – A Ute Prayer (Native American)

Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.

Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.

Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.

Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.

Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.

Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.

Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.

Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.

Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.

Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.

Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain.

 

Nov 9

Daily Deposits

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It’s simple math. We need to make more deposits than withdrawls to stay out of debt, paying high interest rates, falling behind. This principle applies to our daily life too. We can’t keep spending without replenishing our account.

We’ve had a lot of withdrawls on our “account” this year. Lots of overdrafts to be sure. COVID month 9, remote work and school, lockdown, social distancing, health concerns, job loss, businesses closed, holidays canceled, an election season, winter around the corner and the list goes on. Too many big withdrawls.

And yet, we’ve also had deposits along the way. Time with family. Slowing down to question where we’ve been rushing to. Gaining a real understanding of gratitude. Experiencing a shared understanding, a leveling of sorts. Discovering the healing power of nature and long walks. Home projects that finally got done. Books read. Our resilience and empathy muscles have been strengthened and will serve us well now and in the future.

Small deposits each day add up. Take that walk. Buy snowshoes and keep walking through the winter. Start a new book. Try a new hobby. Decorate for the holidays. Meditate every morning – even if only for 5 minutes to ground yourself in the present moment. Take a nap. Daily journaling to unravel and uncover your thoughts. Text an encouraging word. Send flowers. Buy flowers for yourself. Be kind. Do something for someone else. Generosity pays double back into the account.

Joy, contentment, hope, faith, creativity, purpose, laughter, optimism are the dividends of daily deposits. Outstanding return on investment.

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