Courage

The Habit of Our Wounds.

There’s a pain that may, at times, descend upon us; one so great that it threatens to steal our very soul. And leaving in its wake the unmistakable habit of our wounds.

Do we fear the deafening silence of this passing storm? Or, do we fear the magnitude of our own humbled grace? The scattered litterings of lessons past now marking the once pristine shore.

Through the breaking clouds, a single patch of sun revealing the efforts of an unimpeded joy. Are we made bolder through such courtesy? Our essence – more profound?

Or, are we simply encouraged? These castings of self serving the confluence of ‘one’? And through their efficacy – ultimately, made whole.

In peace…

Namaste ❤

As We Find Our Way.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find a way…”

It was something my Mother used to say when the complexities of life became ‘just a little too big for two hands to manage.’ She understood the propensity of a human heart to falter in the face of adversity; to lose hope when hope was needed most of all. But, more so, she understood me – and, my need to find assurance when challenged with unfamiliar ground.

Oh, and wasn’t she the master of soothing a ‘wounded knee’? Just a few words, a light touch and I was back on my way.

So long as we had each other, nothing was ever ‘too big.’

As I grew older, I began to understand the lesson within her service: that a burden shared is a bond forged.

Was the problem made any less greater? No, of course not. Though, somehow that sense of being ‘swallowed up whole’ diminished. Through her connection, I found my refuge.

In looking back, I now often wonder – was it her presence or my gratitude that lent its courage?

My friends, tomorrow is my birthday – which has created this pause for reflection. My only wish is that we take one simple action to show and share our love to another. Given this memory, I believe it’s well suited 🙂

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ❤

The Importance of Being Human.

I was thinking this morning about the nature of our connection. Specifically, the care and trust placed in the forging of these shared bonds, ever mindful of their implicit risk in light of our own vulnerability.

From the moment of our birth, we are drawn to the warmth of another’s touch. Instinctively, we understand the ‘value’ in their offering; our trust further engaged through the comfort of their nurturing arms.

And when we feel pain, we run straight back to them, somehow knowing their love will heal.

Life is not without pain. However deliberate our avoidance, we are powerless to escape its inevitable sting. Particularly as we encourage this process of opening; risking our own vulnerability at the hands of another.

Though it is only through this vulnerability that we may begin to cultivate faith, hope and trust. Only then may we begin to honor the light of our own authenticity.

To love deeply requires our humility. To be vulnerable extends our humanity.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

In Hope You Shall Find.

There are those who believe that hope is fleeting; incapable of withstanding the futility of day.

While others who’ll insist hope must be encouraged; born within the darkness, seeking solace of light.

Though time has assured hope to be ever-present, vested with the aperture of truth within our journey.

And whispering from the steps of a path that has not yet come… “This is where it begins,” she’ll say, “all that you are shall find you today.”

Just as the seedling breaking through, we too shall find…that even the tiniest of rays can stimulate new life.

In peace, my loves…thank you for the gift of your patience and light.

Namaste ❤

A Heart Opened to Grace.

An old friend came to visit me once many years ago. He’d always been such a pillar of strength – centered, calm and seemingly self-assured. But on this day, his eyes – once warm – appeared vacant, at best.

“She left with the kids,” he said. “I came home from work and everything was gone.”

It was as if the life he had always known – the comfort and pace of his daily routine – had been suddenly displaced. And, now he felt lost.

The routine of our lives is a comfortable friend; we sleep, we wake – we greet each day never without the peace of its endurance.

And when that routine is broken, we feel the overwhelming vastness of its void. We fear our capacity to venture through ‘alone’. In time, we may question our very purpose and reason.

But he is never alone who opens his heart to grace; for that which seems lost is a new hope venturing inward.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

On What We Become.

I passed a family laying a wreath at the roadside this morning; a young soldier on his way home for the day was killed by an oncoming driver. The tire tracks marking the car’s final attempt still fresh up the pavements edge. An older woman kneeled and wept (I presume she may have been the Mother).

There’s a beauty, oddly, even amidst these dire circumstances – this outpouring of love in the midst of crisis, a family joined through impermeable bonds. In this moment, nothing masked the honesty of their emotions.

It’s one of the more delicate certainties of being human.

We are born, we live, we die…and, somewhere in between, the soul awakens. No matter how well we live, the efforts we take towards balance and harmony – we can not escape our own ‘becoming’.

I remember the night my son was born; watching him alone in the bassinet, I was suddenly quite fearful. How could I protect this innocent soul through life? Losing him was my greatest worry. But then one day I realized, I wanted him to know.

I wanted him to know the taste of rain in the air following a heavy storm; the joy of a puddle splashing up his backside during a hot summer’s day. I wanted him to flip over rocks and capture salamanders with his bare hands. To know the taste of salt dripping from his sweat-soaked skin.

And, even though there might be pain – I wanted him to know what it meant to be adored through another’s eyes.

I’m not sure why, though the sight of this family helped to carry this lesson home.

“Our individual life is an expression of the whole mystery,” writes Jack Kornfield, “and in it we can rest in the center of the movement, the center of all worlds.”

In the center of all worlds, we stand alone – raw and unobscured. In the end, we become what we’ve lived.

I stopped to offer my condolences, of course. “Thank you,” she said, not realizing how this young man’s life continued to share.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

This Unfolding of Story.

Wherever you are is the entry, my loves; the basis and catalyst for all new beginnings.

The fullness of which may never be known, were it not for the bearing of weight upon step.

In our leaning in, we are letting go; allowing the transference of light upon shadows.

Time passes swiftly leaving only impressions behind; our pages shifting surely to reveal choice’s unfolding.

We are, at best, only partly known. Our legacy, comprised of action; and our story? Our purpose.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

We Are Never “Not Enough”.

“I was a fool for thinking anyone could love me.”

I remember first waking to this thought; it wrapped itself through the shadows, clinging to a doubt I hadn’t yet known.

Through each iteration, my blood turned cold. “I’m not good enough to receive the love of this world.”

Sometimes, in this process self-discovery we pause – unwilling to press further. We see ourselves through the lens of limitation, the first of many layered uncoverings.

And never content, we strive to move forward. Though sadly, fear keeps us stationed here. What is it that we hope to find? Belief, hope, faith…resilience?

And what shall we do when it takes our hand? Do we rise, or do we fail? In the end, we are the summary of our inclusions – destined to reconcile, to make amends with this tone and tempo of illusion.

I could have just as easily said, “Love doesn’t exclude, rather – it surrounds.” Yet, the lesser value was the one returned.

Was it Doubt speaking then, or was it I?

If there’s a story to tell, why not one that begins – “She brought the world joy, and that in and of itself was …enough…”

Mind your stories, loves…

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

Where the Heart Becomes Human.

Peace comes when the heart remains open. Like the warmth infused from a patch of morning sun, it washes over – relieving the ‘burdens’ of day. And, asking only that we stay awhile – sitting within the stillness of a far greater freedom.

Though, how might we respond when the heart begins to close? When past hurt reminds us of the vulnerability in being human?

To prevent further suffering, the spirit may recoil. We may choose to disregard the very experiences which may ultimately serve to embolden.

As children, we’re taught the honor of the fearless explorer. However, as we grow older we realize that fear must be met with a far greater courage.

“Are we enough,” thinking mind might inquire, “to engage this world with a fully open heart?”

Though, isn’t strength something we nurture and grow?

“Yes, the world is full of pain, uncertainty, and injustice.” Jack Kornfield reveals. “But in this vulnerable human life, every loss is an opportunity either to shut out the world or to stand up with dignity and let the heart respond.”

In the end, the only question which remains – my darlings, which will you choose?

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

Bridging the Gulf Between.

“One of the great tragedies of life is that men seldom bridge the gulf between practice and profession, between doing and saying.” the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once shared. “A persistent schizophrenia leaves so many of us tragically divided against ourselves.”

On one hand, we wish to preserve the integrity of our moral code…to raise the collective voice of faith, hope and reason. At heart, we know that we are one human family.

And, yet? How often our deeds may fail.

We hesitate in this space of fear, our hearts tightening as we struggle with the magnitude of the events and circumstances surrounding. Though we may wish for change, we question our ability to serve as a catalyst for it.
“How can one voice create a lasting impact?” we might ask.

In the end, the only way to know is to do. To stand for that which compels our purpose – to water the seeds of compassion and courage.

Even when the toxicity of another is great, we mustn’t allow their poison to confuse.

“The hope of a livable world,” he writes. “lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood.”

A little something to consider, my loves…

In peace…

Namaste ❤️