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Posts tagged ‘Family’

Nov 29

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Rooted

“To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul.” –Simone Weil

Thanksgiving morning began with the Turkey Trot 5k with my nieces and nephew Emily, Jenna and Mark in 0 degrees. It ended with sixteen family/friends, four dogs, two turkeys and new memories as the holiday season commences.

“Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee.” – Michel de Montaigne

“Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee.” – Michel de Montaigne

Many find this season difficult with loved ones who are gone and/or strained family relationships. It’s easy to retreat and hibernate. But if we keep moving and living as fully as we can, we honor those who are not with us by staying in the game. And when rooted by the love and companionship of friends and family, all things are possible, even forgiveness. Care for your roots and plant some new ones this season.

 

Nov 13

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Here and Now

“So often we imagine that There is more full of gold than Here. It is the same with love and dreams and the work of our lives. We see the light everywhere but where we are, and chase after what we think we lack, only to find, humbly, it was with us all along.” – Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening

Not in a far off distance or someday soon, but Here and Now, we are surrounded by and filled with light. And when we remember each day to move our eyes and heart outward, and dare to cast our light, we invite others to shine their own special light. I am grateful for all the teachers in my life who cast their light amidst the full on darkness of shadows abound.

Half empty or half full? How about full to the top. Here and Now.

Oct 28

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Because

“At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear. It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us. You can love completely without complete understanding.” – Norman Maclean

Love has no conditions, is not measured or withheld. Love looks past the obvious, beyond the first impression and beneath assumptions. Love stays when the room clears. To the core, to the bone, love settles in, even when asked to leave. Fearless, love lingers, unmovable, unflinching. Complicated yet simple. Impossible yet possible.

Love lights, thaws, glows, grows and reflects the best in each of us. God loves us first, second and last, no matter what. We are called to do the same. We love God by loving others.

Cast light. Cast love.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Oct 26

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Circle

“Our friends interpret the world and ourselves to us, if we take them tenderly and truly.” – Amos Bronson Alcott

While my birthday is today, I started celebrating early on Thursday taking a few days off to slow down and slow time. Friday’s family birthday dinner at John, Tina and Emily’s house turned into a surprise party with friends and family. Awesome – those who are most important in my life all gathered together in one place. Laughing, reminiscing and catching up.

“Love... it surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be.” – Khalil Gibran

“Love… it surrounds every being and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be.” – Khalil Gibran

Some I see almost every day, some once a year, yet they are a part of my circle that embraces, centers and holds me. Each one has their own story, burdens, victories, struggles, joy and spirit. And there’s a comfort in knowing that while we may not see each other every day as life’s demands pull us in different directions, they all remain in my circle, my pack.

Birthdays put into focus what we should be awake to the remaining 364 days of the year. We are blessed beyond measure when we measure the right things. And we are called to be a blessing in return. Celebrate every day as if it’s your birthday because each day is filled with so many gifts to receive and give. Be grateful. Cast light.

Oct 16

Wide Open Spaces

“We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.” – Romans 5:1-2

“The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.” – Frances E. Willard

“The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.” – Frances E. Willard

When we reawaken our senses and look to the expansive and deep horizon beyond our self made tunnel of urgency and scarcity, we suddenly discover the wide open spaces ready to be explored, received and celebrated. In gratitude and quiet reflection, take a moment or two or several dozen today to throw open the doors of grace and let your spirit be lead to where it longs to go.

Oct 11

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Silly Hats

“I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!” – Theodore Roosevelt

I gave my niece Emily a silly hat as a little gift for running me in at the marathon last week. I thought it was fun but I wasn’t sure if she’d actually wear it. She was very excited and in her sage wisdom said she’d wear it everywhere now that she doesn’t care what other people think.

It takes some of us many years to get to that point, some never do. Instead of unfolding and blossoming into who we are, we hide and keep true self to ourselves. Pleasing others, making decisions from the outside instead of inside. The sooner we become at ease with ourselves, the sooner we can live a good life being the person we are born to be. Acceptance is a beautiful gift.

Be yourself, unencumbered and unafraid. Let go of expectations and judgment on yourself and others and release your true self to the world, silly hats and all.

“If people never did silly things nothing intelligent would ever get done.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

“If people never did silly things nothing intelligent would ever get done.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

Oct 9

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First Sight Again

“We all walk around within the numbness of our habits and routines so often that we take the marvels of ordinary life for granted.” – Mark Nepo, The Book of Awakening

Let yourself and all that you carry from the past, from yesterday and about the future, about tomorrow and leave it where it was or will be. Sink deeply into the moments of today. No judgment, measurement, comparison, heaviness, preconceived notions, worry or hesitation.

See as if for the very first time all that surrounds you. With a grateful heart, dancing spirit and open soul, be new and renewed by the beauty and simplicity of the ordinary.

Cast light, first sight.

Oct 6

8 Comments

Behind the Medal

“Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers, and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.” – Therese of Lisieux

There’s so much more behind the engraved medal at the end of the marathon. Traveling as light as possible, I don’t carry my phone so I can’t capture the beautiful scenes on the journey. But each mile has pictures engraved in my memory.

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” – Matsuo Basho

“Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.” – Matsuo Basho

At the start line, thousands of runners gather hopeful and excited, sprinkled with a bit of fear of what’s to come, but starting just the same. My first marathon with my brother John and both of our third marathons.

From start to finish, people gather along the streets clapping, jumping, cheering for strangers – scattering flowers. A mom stops to kiss her husband and kids who are beaming with pride in her feat. Dads and daughters running along side each other.

Mile 17, questions on my sanity sneak into my thoughts then shift quickly back to what I said to myself at mile one – how do you run a marathon? – one mile at a time, break it up. Mile 21, I can make it, take it all in, walk when you have to, keep going. Passing runners at the medical stations exhausted and injured reminds me that there are no guarantees. Anything can happen on marathon day. Everyone does not finish.

I don’t visualize the finish line as much as mile 24.5 where family and friends are gathered, standing for over five hours in 40 degrees cheering thousands of runners on and waiting patiently for me to finally show up. Scattering flowers.

Mile 23.5, my niece Emily runs up to greet me with a hug and smile and starts running me home. She ran her Dad to the finish and came back out for me. My left calf knots up and she stops to rub it out. Scattering flowers.

We approach 24.5 to my cheering crowd – hugs and hoots all around as if I’ve won the marathon. Emily continues on with me and Linda, who has an injured knee, joins us to run me to the finish. Just down the road, Jeanne is waving her arms, doing jumping jacks and joins my finishing pack. Scattering flowers.

The finish line. The medal. The journey that started four months ago and hundreds of miles is complete with the final 26.2. And each mile of the journey, I’ve never been alone. I’ve been gathering flowers.

Sep 22

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Waiting

“The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.” – Eden Phillpotts

Life is woven with moments of hurrying and waiting. Noise and quiet.  Running and walking. And everything in between as we straddle the fence to get our equilibrium, and even dare to find some magic in it all.

In running, the taper is the three weeks just before the marathon which calls for reduced mileage, slowing down and rest to prepare for the final “test.” Completely counter intuitive.  Four months of doing, three weeks of just being. Letting the work be complete and allowing rest to take its place.

In the waiting, the mind easily wanders if we allow. What if I didn’t train enough? What if I’m too old for this? What if …  To overcome the “what ifs,” we need to train our thoughts and let patience enter the silence. Trusting the work and leaving the results be what they may based on the effort and a lot of grace.

And with all of the waiting we do in life – for medical test results, to get married, to have kids, to accept being single, to be forgiven, to forgive, to realize deep gratitude and abundance – the only thing that makes any sense amidst the slow tick of waiting time is faith. Not in our wandering thoughts, but in the purpose that will show itself in the distance.

Nothing is lost. Even when things don’t fit anymore, the pieces tie together into our complete and whole journey. The detours, the potholes, the smooth road lead us to where we are meant to go with the people we are meant to be with. We are not alone. And when we don’t quite know where we are going or we get stuck pondering what was or what’s next, we need to wait a bit longer for it all to unfold before us. For our wits to grow sharper.

 

Sep 9

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Turn, Turn, Turn

“Our soul – with its insistence on finding the still point from which it keeps rising – carries us through the seasons of our lives. The still point under all that keeps moving waits under every season we can imagine.” – Mark Nepo, Seven Thousand Ways to Listen

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted …” Ecclesiastes 3

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted …” Ecclesiastes 3

Every season carries its own gifts. As summer wanes, the cool crisp morning air of autumn slowly enters, stage left. The summer days linger in the warm afternoon as the sunset exits earlier, stage right. Summer transforms slowly, then suddenly. Green turns to waves of orange, red and gold swaying in the wind to the crackling carpet beneath our feet.

If we remember and let go of the sweet summer days, we can open the blessings and harvest of autumn with no regret, filled with the same anticipation of spring to summer.

As more seasons pass, gratitude, hope and joy deepen in the small things, in the grace of moment-rich days. Be awake to the gifts of each season, accepting and appreciating all that comes from each one. A time to every purpose under heaven – turn, turn, turn.

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