Every Day Zen
I did not find them by the sea but in a forest deep. They sat path-side. A fossilized shell, wave-smooth, with a wooden wayfarer having lost all but itself. As one, they appeared a fish, head of stone, body and tail of crêpe myrtle. On that day, they left one path for another. Who knows... Continue Reading →
The opalescent hours give way to the light of day. My living room window opens to towering pine and vine-drenched oak, a sea of green capped in Spanish moss. It will be noon before the sun tops the longleaf pines. Most mornings, these are my work hours but an apartment inspection is imminent. Well, maybe.... Continue Reading →
I am having trouble finding words but this is not a time for silence, yet what words to choose. Words are known to return readily--especially in tweets--but more than reminders of past usage, with words we turn life inside out and upside down in search of…? Whatever it is we don’t have. I read an... Continue Reading →
So often I fall into the obvious--the stuff hidden in plain sight--all the while wondering at the impermanence of life. As Geneen Marie Hauge put it, “how do we hold both the magnificence and tragedy of the world?” Every day equanimity is exhausting, evening out our emotions rather than riding a daily roller coaster. At... Continue Reading →
Almost a year ago I published “Once in a While a Protest Post.” How foolish the idea of a single or infrequent protest seems now, as America unravels at a pace rivaling the melting of Antarctica. The undoing of democracy some say but I suspect we are discovering what democracy demands and how we have... Continue Reading →
I have become quite fond of beginnings. They are timeless, emerging from change, dropping the baggage of loss or gain. They are ever new, without end. We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together and... Continue Reading →
Today’s #LongerView sips from something larger-than-life, “The Grace of Acceptance.” It means accepting that what fuels our fire creates our circumstances, both chaos and constancy. It’s tricky, I think, learning the grace of acceptance. As always, I provide the swinging bench. Have a seat; I hope you enjoy the post. Thanks for stopping by.
When there is compassion in my heart, there is kindness in my words. But how to stay compassionate, to keep open the doors of my heart in all weathers. Some days, there are rainbows but not without storms. As one passes, another forms--the unknown--its forces full of fear. Impermanence. I rely on its inevitability--impermanence--immersing myself... Continue Reading →
Today’s “One Long Moment” finds aging and acceptance not incompatible. I need not be a doormat or a fortress, only who I am. After all, that is all I ever have to offer. You may have known this for some time but I came to this realization late in life. No regrets or expectations. Acceptance... Continue Reading →
I knew it would happen. This morning, I walked away from my car and into my apartment, leaving my walker in the backseat. It was not a mindful thing to do. I was deciding whether or not to wash the car. It needed it. The top of the car receives rain residue from the apartment... Continue Reading →
