Tag: winter

This Warmth of Home.

The winters in Ohio were brutal, at best; over thirty inches of ‘lake effect’ snow and a cold that could drive you to tears.

Those who ventured out were awarded a badge of courage upon their return. With wind-whipped cheeks, they’d relay their stories, “Honest to God, I couldn’t see a thing,” they’d begin.

It was always warmer within our home. Even as Old Man Winter howled and whipped his icy protest, somehow these conditions drew everyone nearer – with a place at the fire, a piping hot mug and far more stories to tell.

No matter what we do, we can not avoid adversity. Though, we can choose to navigate mindfully, with a willingness to accept the benefit of our course. It is precisely this openness that forms the foundation of our peace.

An intricate design begins to emerge. Stepping back, we begin to appreciate the magnitude of our efforts. Even threads worn thin offer a certain unimaginable beauty. They are delicate, yes – but critical to the pattern of our joyous being. Our radiance defines through the prism of our imperfect souls.

When we resist, we feel stuck. Though from the vantage of this space inside, we are never without the warmth of home.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❤️

When Pathmaker and Pathfinder Become as One.

I remember as a child placing my hand upon a snow encrusted elm.

An unexpected winter storm had ravaged the area leaving the surrounding trails largely unreachable. Save for one, where the downed tree had graciously offered its service.

I saw her first from a distance, her shattered limbs marking a faint outline of the path’s ‘former self.’ And, hinting at the dangers yet to come.

I should have felt fear, but as the howling winds whipped across my half-frozen cheeks I could think of only one thing…

My appreciation for that which is not often seen, and moment which are often missed.

As I lay my hand across the roughened bark, I felt an undeniable connection. For a fleeting moment, I lost all sense of ‘self’.

That’s how it begins, you know – our growing awareness of our unity and connection. Reminding us that sometimes we are both path-finder and path-maker all at once.

This is the way nature’s lesson unfolds.

In peace…

Namaste ❤

A Flower in Winter.

There’s a flower standing alone against the stone garden wall. In spite of winter’s imminent ‘bite’, she continues to remain.

So proud of all that she is – though, more so, of what she has yet to become.

It matters, not – what might be or has passed. Rather, simply that she may continue to ‘be’.

What we do, depends on what we ‘see’.

To some, the unforgiving harshness of the season’s will and whim. While to others, a contemplation of life always beginning.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

My New Year’s Wish.

When I was a little girl, I couldn’t wait for winter to come.

Though, always a worry for our neighbors and friends, for me — it was an opportunity to charge wait-deep into the snow.

To spend hours alone in those icy winds, wondering if the snow ever grew tired of hugging those trees. My darlings, this was my greatest dream. To watch the flurries dance along the eaves, as December’s wintry breath formed delicate patterns against the windows.

Meanwhile, inside—a fire blazed ‘just for me.’ My father could warm anything with just a few twigs and a match.

In those days, time was measured by the sting against my cheeks. And, the snow’s depth gauged by the weight upon the limbs.

Oh, how lovely to experience a snow just like this. Even to this day, I’m reminded—that, no matter what, everything becomes new, once again.

“It’s a living book, this life” shares author, Donald Miller. “it folds out in a million settings, cast with a billion beautiful characters.”

And so, on this day—my hope is just this:

“That your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn’t it?” – Donald Miller

My darlings, for you, this is my New Year’s wish.