Fierce and Kind

Shadow Past

Those things we spent our time worrying about.  The things we expected which did not materialize. The things we "shoulda, woulda, coulda, done.  All the "if only's".  kas

At least as Miraculous

Wouldn't our Earth be better off if we followed this rule?  kas

Make Necessity Beautiful

Nothing more to add.  kas

Everything Is Connected

This pandemic is showing us this in spades.  May we see this truth and find new creative ways to bring healing for ourselves and our Earth home.  May we return to civility and respectful tolerance for those we see as other.  May we find the courage to transform this mess into something of beauty!  Let It Be.  kas

Belonging or Fitting In

Something to think about as you navigate your days.  kas

Words Matter

The trick, for me, is to refrain from hateful thinking myself as that can lead to the hateful language that is so corrosive.  It requires hyper-vigilance and a degree of gentle self-forgiveness.   I confess, it's a struggle and I'm not proud of my failings. I most definitely can, and will, VOTE AGAINST IT.   kas

Deep Diving

Rather than ripping up your soul, how about tenderly transplanting it?  Otherwise, I love the invitation of these words, especially for those of us married for decades. kas

Positive Liberty

How's that for inspiration on this Earth Day?  Let us bring positive liberty and positive life to ourselves and our planet. It doesn't have to be either/or.  Let's stop making it either/or.  kas

Believe In Yourself Despite Uncertainty...

A definition of vulnerability.  To admit to uncertainty, weakness, powerlessness.  Those are hard words.  To believe in yourself anyway?  Doing so with humility takes enormous courage and self-awareness.  Dare I say this carries a downside.  When someone lives by the conviction in their own mind,  and insists on imposing only their views on others, it can be detrimental.  kas

Nothing Less Than Extraordinary

 What if we lose the democracy which seeks to provide unalienable rights intended for all people?  What if the need for power robs us of the freedoms we hold dear?  We are so very fortunate to live in a democracy where liberty and justice for all is the goal.  May we stand strong in achieving what our forefathers (and mothers) envisioned.  kas

Small Blessings

These words are a comfort to keep close by as tensions are heightened 

and controversy is spotlighted and hyped.  While we stay alert to danger, 

we must continue to hold unto hope and love.  Let it be! kas

Perfect Silence

This seems to describe what it feels like these days.  Like being in limbo, awaiting the next shoe to drop.  Fearful and hopeful, anxious and calm, stressed and at peace...a paradox.  Waiting in hopeful anticipation for better ways to be created.  Let it be.  kas

What Our Conscience Remembers

There's an aspect of this I'm not comfortable with.  If history is really amoral, why are we finding out horrifying things that happened, often to communities of color, years afterward?  Things glossed over or eliminated altogether in history classes?  Where does what is recorded and passed on fit in with the moral/amoral designation?  If we weren't physically present, we have to rely on the written word which can be manipulated by immoral people lacking a conscience.  Facts matter.  I wish it didn't often take years or decades and sometimes centuries to discover them.  Where is justice in that?    kas

What Would Your Life Be Like?

I heard this question yesterday and it stopped me in my tracks.  It continues to have me pausing at each small intersection where I find myself examining how I am being in this world and saying, "what if I just leave myself alone?"  kas

Wild Heart

It takes courage to be myself without the weight of other's opinions and judgments; 

not to mention that sinking feeling when something I say or do is not well received.   

That's when I have to say "F it!", or "Let It Be" and carry on. 

May we find the courage to stand up for ourselves and our beliefs 

with humility and without defensiveness.  kas

Blessings of the Morning Light

Blessing for the Morning Light

The blessing of the morning light to you,

may it find you even in your invisible

appearances, may you be seen to have risen

from some other place you know and have known

in the darkness and that

that carries all you need.

May you see what is hidden in you as a place

of hospitality and shadowed shelter,

may what is hidden in you become your gift

to give, may you hold that shadow to the light

and the silence of that shelter to the word

of the light, may you join all of your previous

disappearances with this new appearance,

this new morning, this being seen again,

new and newly alive.

Whyte, David. David Whyte: Essentials . Many Rivers Press. Kindle Edition.

Let It Be

The lyrics from the Beatles song, "Let It Be" were sounding in my brain as I walked in the woods this morning before the rains started. "When I find myself in times of trouble mother Mary comes to me.  Speaking words of wisdom. Let it be. Let it be."

 

"Let it be" could mean at least two different things. One is to let it be or accept it as it is, or just be. Be in the moment. Be in the now. Accept things and yourself as they are etc. etc. etc.

 

And there’s another meaning. Let it be as a plea. Let there be true justice, liberty, and life for all. Let there be an end to this regime. Let there be a reconciling within our land. Let there be a healing of division, a recompense for past atrocities. Let there be a resurrection. Let there be a better country where decency and civility and cooperation and fairness are the rule rather than the exception. Let there be an end to tribalism, to white supremacy, economic injustice, and disparities.

 

That kind of "let it be."  A plea, a prayer, a wish, a beseeching, an intention.  

 

Let there be a quiet revolution by the unseen and unpolled majority. Let them rise up and vote for a man who is not a superstar, who is not a smooth-talking performer, rather someone who is true in his character, flawed in his humanity, admirable in his integrity and capable of putting together a team to run our country for the good of all citizens, not just the rich and powerful, not just for those who have the same beliefs or skin color or background. But for the good of everyone.  

Let there be an end to the unfairness and power-insatiable drive devoid of humanity or even common decency rampant in our society.  A return to responsible journalism intended to inform rather than incite the audience. Let there continue to be those who seek the truth and report it with integrity.

Let there be a concerted effort to heal our planet, and treat our home with dignity and care.

 

Let there be a resurrection of cooperation and collaboration. Let us be respected in our differences and encouraged to find a third way. Let our hearts be broken open and our minds unlocked to opportunity, and creative possibility to solve the problems we all face. "Let this be the answer.

Let It Be." kas

Investing

April

The warmer weather certainly did lull me into planting earlier than I should have.  

It was a balm against the anxiety of the pandemic.  I accept the set back from these freezing temperatures.

May those who are suffering find solace and strength.  kas

Holding the Tension of the Opposites

Holding the tension of the opposites Is the theme of my day. 

How such a beautiful spring can exist at the same time 

as the horrors of this pandemic rage and so many precious lives are lost? 

Fellow human beings stretch to death in an effort to stem the tide 

by tending to the sick, become ill themselves and another sacrifice is made of a

brave and valiant human who didn't have to be there and is now gone.  

Did you know, sacrifice means "make holy"?  (a tiny consolation)

Those of us who can sit it out in a limbo of solitude and isolation 

in solidarity with those fighting the battle for us.  

We cry out in sadness, powerlessness, and grief as we witness the suffering.

And our love washes over the world in a wave of comfort we hope can be felt

by our brothers and sisters in the trenches, wishing we could send them all

they need to be protected, strengthened and supported in their bravery and courage.  kas

The Real Work

It would seem I've come to my real work.  And I can assure you, 

this mind of mine is infinitely baffled by the way things are these days. kas

Your Voice As Strong As Theirs

It feels like our country needs this desperately right now because our life

is being narrated by those who do not represent my (our) values.  

Now I (we) must use our own strong voices to narrate truth and decency and fairness for all.  kas

Your Silence

If you didn't vote in 2016, this applies.  If you allow the lying and cheating to go on, this applies.

If you sit back and let others fight for truth and justice and freedom, this applies.  kas

The More We Look

This is what I love about science.  The more I learn, the more awestruck I

become by the intricacy and beauty of the world.  There is always more.  

The boundaries of my tiny world expand and enlarge as I stand in 

wonder and appreciation at the power and the potential of creation. kas

New Discoveries

Something I've found to be true many times yet often fail to remember to do. 

Learning to really look as if you've never seen something is a potent skill for art, for learning and for life. kas

No One Changes

My hope is that those who are leading the country right now will realize they need to do what is best for everyone,

not just their own self-interests and bank accounts.  They will realize that extreme partisan politics is not good for America.  

They will realize true justice sets aside bias and addresses what is best for all rather than the few in the top echelons of society. 

May it come to pass.  May it be so.  kas 

Believe In A Love

Large words for a mighty thought, one I am sinking into, luxuriating in the magnificence with the intention to carry it always.  kas

The Musicales Going On In My Head

It was such a gift to find these words to describe what happens to me quite frequently.   I also find my "real" life performs its own section

of this musical.  Something will be occurring and I will think to myself, what does this remind me of, only to realize its from a book I read!  Love it.  kas

Water

I love this quote. Water is a magical element in my opinion.  Walking along the creek every day provides ample anecdotal evidence of that.  

This exchange between two lovers shows Ocean Vuong's skill at the art of wordplay.  His name even fits!  kas