Category: Uncategorized

Dandelion
Waves in the
Wind
Breeze catches
Seeds
Scatters them
Up and
Out and
Away

Mind
Moves through the
Haze
Chases random
Thoughts
Follows the
Posts and
Clicks and
Ideas

Focus
Vanishes in the
Clutter
Hitches a
Ride on those
Seeds
Adrift and
Absent and
Lost

I was once innocent
Ran freely through meadows
Bare feet tickled by flowers
Daisy chains and four-leaf clovers my
Diversions

But the land of my amusement
Is becoming barren
Choked out by weeds of numbing
I choose artificial ease and
Comfort

I’m losing my way
Forfeiting precious joy
Trading freedom for illusions of relief
I’ve finally had
Enough

Shoes and socks come off
Toes wiggle in dew-tipped grass
Sun heats my freckled forearms
And delight begins
Anew

There is a societal pull to opt for numbing distractions over genuine feeling. But life is much, much richer when deeply experienced in its entirety. Live simply, but live fully.

I am
Right
And I stand
Strong
Secure in my
Knowledge
Trusting my
Mind

It then
Follows
You must be
Wrong
Fallacy of your
Thinking
Obvious to
Me

I lift my
Chin
Succumb to
Pride
My ego
Inflates
While empathy
Diminishes

What if I’m
Mistaken?
My line in the
Sand
Based on
Supposition
And not
Fact

Let the
Waves
Wash the line –
And my arrogance –
Away
Let me finally
Listen
With a heart that
Seeks and
Yearns for
Understanding

“But that which above all things else hinders men from good understanding is pride.” – Charles Wagner

Differences of opinion transform into weapons when pride is the driving motive behind actions. It is in the humble striving that we grow. The unexpected byproduct of spiritual growth is the less we struggle to be known and be right, the more respected we become.

Your words are
Powerful
They can fill a
Cup
Or cut to
Ribbons
They are pristine
Truth
Or manipulative
Lies
Examine the
Heart
Before words are
Formed
Consider the
Impact
And choose
Wisely

“The greatest things are those which gain the most by being said most simply, since thus they show themselves for what they are. Be sincere, moderate, simple in the expression of your feelings and opinions, in private and public alike.” – Charles Wagner

I walked a labyrinth today. It was a beautiful, centering experience under a cloudy sky. The sense of peace and purpose I felt afterward was palpable.  And then I left.

You should know I have no sense of direction. I was driving home and got turned around. Google maps said turn right, but I tried to turn right too soon, into a one-way street, going the wrong way (“you were only going one way”, my father would have said). Realizing my mistake, I swerved to miss a group of bikers and almost hit a car. The driver honked his horn, honked it some more, looked at me like he wanted to kill me, then gestured. And my serenity was gone…just like that.

I started crying and had to pull over because the tears wouldn’t stop. I suddenly realized I wasn’t crying because of that driver. I was crying because I missed my dad, and I have no idea where it came from. He died 25 years ago. I have sufficiently grieved the loss, or so I thought.

Grief isn’t linear. I miss my father terribly. He was kind, strong, and supportive. I’m so grateful I got to be his daughter. It’s just been a minute since I felt the pain so strongly. But today I let the tears flow. And maybe that’s what the labyrinth was for me. I thought it was to provide clarity in other areas of my life, to help me let go of baggage. Instead, maybe it was to reflect on beautiful memories of my precious Daddy, grieve this profound loss, and simply be human. All of that is allowed.

I detoured on the way home to walk Radnor Lake, a lovely area in Nashville that connects me to nature. I happened upon deer, blue herons, turtles, and chipmunks. The sky had cleared to a gorgeous blue by that point, and it was reflected in the water.

Today I’m grateful that I don’t always end up where I think I’m going. And I can set intentions all day long, but being able to surrender to the moment as it unfolds is a gift. I got to center myself, grieve, walk, and experience nature. So far, it’s been a really good day.

I stand on one side
Chasm below
Deep and dark and
Divisive
Truth is my walking stick
And I am
Convinced

I carry on my back
All the reasons
Why
Pack filled with
The wrongs of others
Of needs to be met
My map to the
Answers

I look across the expanse
To the other
Side
There you stand
With your own baggage
You have innocents to
Protect
And see me as the
Enemy

Your answers are clear to
You
But across the
Fog-filled valley
They are hazy to
Me

So I stand here
And you stand there
Unflinching in our
Rightness

The voice reaches our ears
Let go
See reality
We actually know
Nothing
Drop the positioning and
Listen

What is there in
Common?
Love
Kindness
Service
Hope
Can we find the way to
Truth?
Shall we build a
Bridge?

Rickety as it may be
Just start somewhere
And let the
Noise of our words fall
Away
Leaving only
Footprints

As we begin the
Walk to the
Middle
And to each
Other

I walk
Feet grounded and
Eyes forward and
Steady
This route is
Clear to me
Sure of where I’m
Headed
Filled with
Purpose

I’ve been given
Instructions
From those with
Experience
Earned by falling
Down
Getting back up
Learning
Finding their own
Way

I grasp their reaching
Hands
Holding me and
Helping me and
Healing me
My growth is not my
Own
But more
Beautiful
It is all of us in
Concert

This precious and
Priceless gift of
Peace
Is not mine to
Keep
It only grows and
Fulfills and
Nurtures
When it is freely
And humbly
Given

White blur
Focus
Struggle to make sense of
The How and Why
Fight to see
One strong figure
Outlined in the haze
One open palm
Reaching toward you
One calm voice
Guiding your steps
Squint and try and
Search for the answer
And if you find nothing
In the dense fog
Turn your eyes inside
And call to yourself
For the Truth that
Has always resided
In your soul

Hold my hand
Let me cry
And do not
Wipe away my
Falling tears

Let the soothing
Be in the sharing
Heart to heart
Pain met fully
And felt fully

This is relationship
Not an erasing
Of the soul-searing hurt
But a walking through
Together

Chaos is the word I’d use to describe the atmosphere the last couple of weeks where I live – just south of Nashville, TN. It’s overwhelming. Mass shooting at an elementary school, protests, expulsion of representatives in the legislature…it’s almost too much.

These words from Charles Wagner ring true:

“A society in which each member is preoccupied with his own well-being is organized disorder. This is all that we learn from the irreconcilable conflicts of our uncompromising egoism.”

I’ve done what I can to put action behind my beliefs. And at the end of that I’m still left with chaos. I can’t live in these emotions indefinitely. So, this week I looked to simplicity, and here’s what I found.

Writing: I had to put pen to paper and express my outrage, sadness, and despair. It helped me move through this by connecting with what’s going on internally.

Meditation: My time in silent meditation calmed me. I haven’t reached true peace amid the turmoil. But I have tapped into that pure link to my Higher Power, and that sustains me.

Others: Reaching out to others who are experiencing the same things I am has strengthened me. We are joined in our humanity, pain, and – ultimately – our hope. And I can, in turn, be of service to them.

This path is simple – connecting to myself, God, and others – but not always easy. Sometimes I want to sit in despondency. And that’s ok for a short time. But eventually I’ve got to stand up, hand in hand with others, and affect change. We won’t get there without connection. But – mark my words – we will get there.