One World

 The other day, I was walking in North Ponds Park, feeling invigorated by the cold, early spring wind. I watched a Blue Heron take off across the pond and fly through the slate colored sky toward the shaft of sunlight shining through the clouds. The sight was so beautiful it took my breath away and I imagined myself flying through the same sky, "free as a bird", letting all my cares and worries go.  I thought of a favorite poem by Mary Oliver called "Poem of the One World":

This morning
the beautiful white heron
was floating above the water 

and then into the sky of this
the one world
we all belong to

where everything
sooner or later
is a part of everything else

which thought made me feel
for a little while
quite beautiful myself.

Oh, this one world we all belong to.. where there is beauty and joy, pain and sorrow, all interwoven. If we are going to allow ourselves to feel, we have to experience it all and give to others whatever is in our heart to give, in full measure. 

We certainly cannot ignore our own mortality. When a friend or family member dies, it's like a slap in the face; a wake up call to remind us that this life is precious and every moment matters. Whatever we do creates ripples that impact others in either positive or negative ways and can have lasting repercussions.

We cannot change what is in the past, so it's best to hold what is precious close to our hearts and let the rest go. Regrets serve no purpose and can keep us bogged down in depression.

Freed from the past, we can take a lesson from the heron and soar into this new day, embracing the now, because it's all we really have.

Praise for the morning!

Moving Forward: Baby Steps

 All of life is movement: the life-giving blood pumping through our bodies, a river running, the planets rotating and revolving in our solar system. Motion and change bring life; inactivity and sameness bring stagnation and decay.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were walking in one of the parks near us, on a wooded path that borders a fast-moving creek. I was fascinated anew by the rushing water and small waterfalls spilling over rocks. There is such beauty and energy in running water; the sounds, the negative ions charging the air around it, the crystalline sight of it as it sparkles in the sun. I noticed one small area, where a tree had fallen over the winter, blocking the flow of water to create a motionless pool, and I thought about stagnant water. When there is no flow, bacteria and algae growth can create an unhealthy environment.

I guess it's the same way with us, whether we are talking about body, mind or spirit, flow is the key. It's the key to physical health, to ideas, to inspiration and to personal growth. Without flow, movement and change, we become stagnant; vulnerable to becoming ill or depressed.

Personally, although I cherish moments of stillness and reflection, I tend to be very much in motion every day. My morning begins with yoga and a walk (I'm a bit of a compulsive walker) and I stay pretty busy throughout the day.  Movement is a big part of my sense of well-being, so I sometimes wonder how I would survive if I became ill or incapacitated. I guess I would have one of those motorized wheelchairs and try to keep going!

In fact, moving forward is all we really can do.  Unfortunately, no one has invented a time machine yet (to my knowledge), so there are no do-overs.  Every day is a fresh start, as long as we don't sit and ruminate about things we cannot change. So, my advice today: keep moving, one step in front of the other (baby steps if need be), because, as Tom Petty would say: "If you don't run, you rust"!

Spring Cleaning for the Soul

 This morning, I am adapting and re-posting a blog that I wrote two years ago, because the message just feels right for today and I feel, bears repeating. I hope you agree!

I am writing this on an early Spring morning…gray and chilly still, but with the scent of new life in the air. I throw open the window and listen to the birds at my feeder, excitedly announcing this time of rebirth. My thoughts turn towards spring cleaning, rebirth and renewal and how these can serve as metaphors for our own spiritual growth.

I really don't enjoy cleaning at all, but my mother-n-law, Joan, who passed on several years ago, left behind a legacy of ritualistic spring cleaning. Each year, come March or early April, Joan would empty and wash every cupboard and closet, scrub every wall and window and launder every curtain and rug.  Top to bottom, everything received a thorough airing, cleaning and reorganizing.  No matter how chilly it was, she would throw open the windows, disinfecting with sunlight and fresh air every nook and cranny of her beautiful home.

When she reached the age of eighty, still in her own home, still doing her spring cleaning, she said to me "You know, Patti, I just don't enjoy it like I used to", which of course made me chuckle. Although I couldn't relate to ever enjoying cleaning, I did admire her spunk and energy.

So, as we enter into this season of Spring, I think of Joan with love and admiration and try to apply her spring cleaning lessons to spirituality, which resonates a bit more with me than actual physical cleaning (important as well, of course!):

• Emptying:  Releasing old hurts, resentments, anger, sadness, anxiety, fear of the future, regrets of the past.  This morning, I step outside, face the sun, breathe deeply and let it all go. like laundry flapping in the breeze.
  
• Washing:  On my in-breath, I visualize the pure white light of the Spirit coursing through my body from the top of my head, out through my feet, clearing any debris, washing me clean.
• Scrubbing: Washing alone can't always do the job.  There are always stubborn stains, crevices, hidden grime, etc. that need a little scrubbing with a stiff brush. What old habits and patterns are hard to break, but no longer serve me?  What accumulated junk in my home or heart needs to be thrown out and replaced with new, fresh, beautiful things?
• Laundering:  Water is a metaphor for the Spirit. Ask for help and be given the cleansing, renewing refreshment of the Spirit. This water is restorative; showered freely on all who ask.
• Airing: Breath is another metaphor for Spirit. As I breathe in, I feel the gentle wind and Light of Spirit, disinfecting any areas in need of inner healing, airing out anything that has previously been hidden and needs to come out into the open. Like wounds that need sunlight and fresh air, my inner emotional wounds can be healed as well.
• Reorganizing: After cleansing, I need to replace old energy with new; negative thought patterns with positive, inspirational messages. Whatever speaks to my heart, whether it's scripture, quotes from inspiring leaders, poetry or song. Embrace the new, let go of the old.  Be encouraged and strong, create new habits, create positive change in my home, my heart and the world.

This is a process, I know, that is not easy. I cling to old ways of thinking and doing things, as most of us do. But I can start with today, letting go of something old, breathing in the cleansing refreshment of God's Spirit, claiming the Light of renewal and taking one small baby step toward something fresh and new! 

“Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me” Psalm 51:10