Tag Archives: being present

The Sacred Journey

There are trips you take (sometimes just in your soul) which set you on the path you will walk throughout your life. It’s a stripped down life. You don’t bring along most your possessions to weigh you down. Often it’s hot. The big thermos jug of water (tea, lemonade) in the back of your vehicle keeps you hydrated. You carry your foodstuff’s along and eat by rushing creeks, under the shade of trees, or overlooking the desert. The days are long and you settle in to the rhythm of landscape. On such journeys there is both the time and the quiet required to reassemble your soul without all the distractions. Every once in a while you need to go on a trip long enough to leave you delighted in the stillness.

The journey leaves every day. The path is nearby…

Finding Rhythm

I am not particularly good at finding rhythm and structure in my life. (unless of course, you look at life over a verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry long arc!) But it’s so good for our lives, to work and then to rest, perhaps even reward ourselves for our work. Building up the repetition for doing our jobs and our Work.

But we work better when we pause to refresh. And refreshment means something when we’ve worked. Intellectually, I’ve got this one nailed down. I’m not so great with the reality.

Maybe i need a timer!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Create

When I was in college I became enamored with the concept of liminality.  Liminality is an anthropological and folkloric concept that helps us understand the importance of ritual and transitional space.  A wedding is a liminal event because it facilitates the transition from two separate individuals to one unified household; a beach is liminal because it is the border place between water and land; midnight is liminal because it is that spot between one day and the next.  Since a liminal space or event is by definition neither one set thing or another, it holds a vast amount of potential–anything can happen during the witching hour, and who wants to step inside a fairy ring and take a chance on what happens?

And so I’m looking more at the metaphor–and, esoterically, the process–of “create”.  I took this picture while vacationing at an adorable cabin on Keuka Lake.  We had kind of terrible weather for most of the trip; it was rainy and grey, not a good time for novice canoers like my boyfriend and I to get into the boat that came with the rental, but it was a great time to completely slow down and look at what was around.  When we could, we wandered down the hill and onto our dock.  When I snapped this picture I thought it was kind of cool, when I saw how it turned out I was struck by how liminally symbolic it is.  There’s George, at the edge of the dock (a border space), looking into the fog (which is inherently liminal; is it air or water?).

For me, this image captures what you do before you create something–you stand at the vast edge of your imagination, wide open and full of potential, and determine which way to go next.  Do you dive in?  If so, then whatever happens?  Happens.

Check out the other participants in the Weekly Photo Challenge here.

And below are some of my particular favorites, thus far:

http://joycannis.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/weekly-photo-challenge-create/

http://marantophotography.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/weekly-photo-challenge-create/

http://annarashbrook.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/weekly-photo-challenge-create/

http://justfletcher.wordpress.com/

http://iaggelidaki.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/weekly-photo-challenge-make-art/

http://disorderlychickadee.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/weekly-photo-challenge-create/

http://beeblu.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/weekly-photo-challenge-create/

http://berkshireviews.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/weekly-photo-challenge-create-2/

http://seraphim6.me/2012/06/24/weekly-photo-challenge-create/

http://cocomino.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/weekly-photo-challenge-create-making-bamboo-chopsticks/

You can check out more of my writing at http://beyondpaisley.net/

Living Now

I’m sure it only annoys me when other people do this (not, for instance, when I do it!) but really what’s with whining about the weather? It is what it is. And it’s not as if most of us are one-season whiners. We whine when it’s cold, or it rains or it’s hot or it’s humid. It’s a cycle. Weather changes pretty much all the time, usually within a pattern. Now, with the global changes there are, perhaps, more fluctuations. It would be nice if our outrage about the weather moved us to outrage and changed behavior (or changed laws) about extreme-causing pollution, but mostly the weather leads to complaining, which leads to, well, nothing.

Right here and right now, life and the weather are what they are. Dress accordingly. Make plans to enjoy what the day brings us. For most, not all, of us first worlders, we can go in our houses and turn on the AC. Or we can go to the library or a mall, often in our air-conditioned cars.

It distracts us. It really is hard to focus on our dreams when we’re kvetching about the weather. I’m going to try and do better. However hot/sticky/overcast it is, I’m certainly enjoying the garden’s bounty (ok, my neighbor and my CSA’s bounty) and the fireflies. That’s should be enough to keep me working on my dreams!

 

Grace

I have all sorts of reasons about why I rarely take the time to be thankful for all the wonderful things in my life. I am. I do try and live my life aware of the wonder that’s all around us. I understand my life’s work to be working for a better world. (oh, so lofty!)

But that’s different than taking the time to just be, to notice and then to allow gratitude to come flooding in. Ever since hearing about it, I have loved the notion of the Jewish Daily Prayers of Thanksgiving, starting with I thank Thee for restoring my soul within me…

I believe that living reverently makes me more aware of the beauty and abundance of the world. Filled, I am kinder, more generous, more creativity. Would I do better if I started a daily prayer cycle? Is that what I spend next year writing? who knows!

What do you do about daily prayer and thanksgiving?

Dancing with Delight

The other evening Steve and I watched our grandson discover fireflies. He’d seen them for the first time in Steve’s garden the night before, but this evening as twilight broke we were out in the country. The lawn around the ice cream place was awash in fireflies. AJ could not believe the beauty.

And the beauty was astonishing.

But what was amazing was his unfettered delight. He was so excited, he literally ran in circles, unable to contain himself. No one could take their eyes off him. Often when a child does something cute, everyone watches and says… awwwwwww. But this wasn’t so much an awwwwwww moment as a moment that made us remember the joys of an unguarded reaction to an ecstatic experience.

Most of us would be hard pressed to dance to wonder’s rhythm. Most of watching a young boy that evening, were probably saddened by that realization. I hope some of us were also stirred open.

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Summer Solstice

The sun pauses for just a moment, too lazy to move. Don’t you just know the feeling? Summer is such an odd season. It’s built for lolling about and yet it is time for hard work as well. Gotta get the fruits and vegetables in, gotta realize those dreams.

But this isn’t the season of balance. This is the work hard, play hard season. Up early to get the work done before the earth heats up. Making plans for picnics and swims once it gets too hot to think.

But both the food and the dreams need weeding and encouragement if they are to feed us for the rest of the year. Better bustle off before the bustle slows to a saunter!

It is a wonderful day, isn’t it? Make something grand of it.

First “best day” of the summer

Summer offers us the opportunity to linger outside and enjoy the world’s gifts. Lingering is an art that requires practice. And summer is a season that demands enjoyment. The first fruits of the garden are beginning to appear. Pools are open. Flowers are flourishing. The kids are home from school. Even some businesses have decided to get in on the act and close early on Fridays.

So… take advantage.

It may be the the whole of my message in the course of this year is in the following sentence: Be present to what’s in your life. As the seasons keep turning there continues to be wonderful opportunities to linger in the bounty…

And best days? Every single one should be one! Well, ok, almost every single one! Because, this is the gift we’ve been given, afforded… whatever verb works for you. Here we are!

Hope it’s a great day!