Breath by continuous breath life comes and goes, embraced by my gratitude for that life. Breath and gratitude, inseparable, firmly bound yet forever free.
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THANK YOU goldfinch cardinals oatmeal cranraisens temporary drivers license 18th birthday 15th birthday pecan pie purple cleansing rain rejuvenating sun libraries oak creek quilter’s novels words sight eggnog germany extended family memory cameras GRATEFUL THANKS facebook email silver hair chocolate bed blanket pillow cheyenne rocky safety security citalopram medforman dr.O dentists coke rewards commission teaching fabric thread creativity cinnamon roses calla lilies new moon barbara alvis cline debra roger raven sandy glenn brad sarah brittney baylee health insurance ETERNAL GRATITUDE cell phones bev jim scott andy lucy wes cory perry nancy mike evan brian christy samantha alexander shoes umbrellas, turtlenecks peanut butter raspberries campfires scarves abundant love bumblebees honey randy jen danielle justin brenda rhianna lisa dynasty beads braces straws marian faith MUCHO GRACIAS unconditional love angels butchie humor potato pancakes diet coke applesauce slippers doris coast guard symphonies lentil soup brussel sprouts caribou coffee laughter HEARTFELT THANKS high school reunion max thing one thing two sierra leone well project fabric door hangings eva rudy mary joseph eugene irene helen edna robert rick maryann oak trees maple trees irises old spice emeraude snickerdoodles chocolate chip cookies potica pecans viking sewing gallery DANKA spiritual cinema circle human anatomy lectures vegetable soup baking soda biscuits st jude medical fabric supply festival foods st catherine university FOREVER GRATEFUL scholarships haircuts violins flutes harps surprises suzuki athena aspirin diamonds george louise schuette reiny eliza harvey pedicures contact lenses round robins hunger pains cpap machine homemade jam whole grain bread MERCI calculators smiles twinkling eyes for all the blessings that gift my life on this THANKSGIVING holiday November 26th, 2009 I am immensely grateful computers scissors tweezers wisdom walker toothpaste comb brush shampoo hot water cold water schools television THANKS printers test strips authors candles elephants postal services literacy my body my mind my spirit dreams 68 years transitions transformations hope granola garbage pick up recycling flashlights hugs forgiveness tomorrow yesterday today THANKS SO MUCH crab apple tree bird feeder garden frost lawn mowers ideas snowblower zippers buttons aloe vera silverware napkins ceiling fans poetry qtips deodorant heartbeat freedom responsibility resilience resourcefulness snowflakes ONGOING GRATITUDE hot chocolate ladders shamrock plant burrowstail plant evergreen trees rainbows clouds
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Breaking up is hard to do!
Smooth, smooth, smooth, BUMP, SHIFT, smooth, smooth, smooth BUMP, SHIFT. The rhythm of LIFE's journey just keeps rolling along. It would not be a surprise to say I like smooth times the best.
I tend to hang on to what's working. Grasping with all my might the horizon of the sunrise even as my feet dangle over the sunset When I let go it feels like a scene out of 2001:A Space Odyssey, I'm cast about untethered into the unknown, with lot's of 'stuff' coming at me from all sides.
The BUMPS come in my least guarded moments. Words either spoken within my hearing range or showing up in my reading; themes that repeat themselves until I can no longer deny that I am aware of them. The handwriting on the wall gets bigger, the nudges stronger, until I surrender and say I hear AND I am listening. The bump is my 'I hear you', the shift comes when I respond 'AND I'm listening'.
Sitting on the interrogation chair of self examination the questions are unrelenting. "Who am I in this new setting? What identity do I wear for this journey into the next phase of my life? What am I leaving behind; what am I taking on, what is the timing of my transition? How will I know this is the best move? Who will accompany me on this next Wisdom Walk?"
The path of college life was smooth, graduation a huge BUMP and the SHIFT predictable. Motherhood was smooth until the children became adults, the BUMP was when they no longer needed me, the SHIFT painful. Each career choice took me through Bump, Shift, smooth until it became boring, unsatisfying, a push off the cliff. The warning signs start inside, restlessness, desire for change, finding new stars to follow and are reflected on the outside by circumstantial change and sometimes forced decisions. When the questions squeeze upon me so hard that I implode from the pressure, the shift sends me tumbling through time and space.
And somewhere within that process I find the ribbon that promises SMOOTH lies just ahead. Breaking up IS hard to do. But if I don't go through it I may never find the next ribbon of SMOOTH inviting me to ride the wave of new discoveries, joy, satisfaction.
A snake that outgrows and molts its skin is my current symbol of transition. I'm molting, I'm molting!
I tend to hang on to what's working. Grasping with all my might the horizon of the sunrise even as my feet dangle over the sunset When I let go it feels like a scene out of 2001:A Space Odyssey, I'm cast about untethered into the unknown, with lot's of 'stuff' coming at me from all sides.
The BUMPS come in my least guarded moments. Words either spoken within my hearing range or showing up in my reading; themes that repeat themselves until I can no longer deny that I am aware of them. The handwriting on the wall gets bigger, the nudges stronger, until I surrender and say I hear AND I am listening. The bump is my 'I hear you', the shift comes when I respond 'AND I'm listening'.
Sitting on the interrogation chair of self examination the questions are unrelenting. "Who am I in this new setting? What identity do I wear for this journey into the next phase of my life? What am I leaving behind; what am I taking on, what is the timing of my transition? How will I know this is the best move? Who will accompany me on this next Wisdom Walk?"
The path of college life was smooth, graduation a huge BUMP and the SHIFT predictable. Motherhood was smooth until the children became adults, the BUMP was when they no longer needed me, the SHIFT painful. Each career choice took me through Bump, Shift, smooth until it became boring, unsatisfying, a push off the cliff. The warning signs start inside, restlessness, desire for change, finding new stars to follow and are reflected on the outside by circumstantial change and sometimes forced decisions. When the questions squeeze upon me so hard that I implode from the pressure, the shift sends me tumbling through time and space.
And somewhere within that process I find the ribbon that promises SMOOTH lies just ahead. Breaking up IS hard to do. But if I don't go through it I may never find the next ribbon of SMOOTH inviting me to ride the wave of new discoveries, joy, satisfaction.
A snake that outgrows and molts its skin is my current symbol of transition. I'm molting, I'm molting!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Praise the Kaleidoscope
It's a marvel -- the Kaleidoscope!!
On the grayist of November days I hold it to my eye and see things that aren't there. Red cardinals, emerald green grass, azure blue waters and sunshine nibbles dancing in silent hope. When my day feels like I am being dragged over gravel, hostility in global relations is viewed on TV as black death and spilled blood or when sorrow creeps up my throat like a vice pushing out my breath with tears -- I reach for my marvel.
No matter how oddly the pieces are shaped, no matter what combination of colors are present, the mirrors fit them together and make them look like they all belong right where they settled! A whole new perspective emerges. A visual quilt of colors and possibilities join to bring order out of chaos.
I'm encouraged to see inspiration, hope, beauty and to breathe in courage to look with new eyes -- all in a 2 inch circle. And while tempted, I can't hold on to what is. A twitch of my hand sets change in motion again. Newness in every blink of my eye.
On the grayist of November days I hold it to my eye and see things that aren't there. Red cardinals, emerald green grass, azure blue waters and sunshine nibbles dancing in silent hope. When my day feels like I am being dragged over gravel, hostility in global relations is viewed on TV as black death and spilled blood or when sorrow creeps up my throat like a vice pushing out my breath with tears -- I reach for my marvel.
No matter how oddly the pieces are shaped, no matter what combination of colors are present, the mirrors fit them together and make them look like they all belong right where they settled! A whole new perspective emerges. A visual quilt of colors and possibilities join to bring order out of chaos.
I'm encouraged to see inspiration, hope, beauty and to breathe in courage to look with new eyes -- all in a 2 inch circle. And while tempted, I can't hold on to what is. A twitch of my hand sets change in motion again. Newness in every blink of my eye.
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