The Sound of the Seasons Settling In.

Waiting for Fall.

“The autumn leaves blew over the moonlit pavement in such a way as to make the girl who was moving there seem fixed to a sliding walk, letting the motion of the wind and the leaves carry her forward. [...] The trees overhead made a great sound of letting down their dry rain.”
~ Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451  

Oh, how I love the sound of newly fallen leaves as summer gracefully heeds its passing.

And the way the stream boldly forges its way, under that wooden bridge just recently patched.

But, most of all ~ I love these moments when the seasons settle in. 

Their most beautiful sound has at once delighted, transfixed and danced in the minds of artists...poets..and delighters of words everywhere..

Falling into this most brilliant rhythm...as the heart paces in anticipation over an old friend so desperately missed.

Oh, how I love the way these seasons settle in...as I lean into the countless stories of this, their journey's finally ending.

The Power of "And."

“You seemed so far away," Miss Honey whispered, awestruck. "Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings," Matilda said. "It was wonderful.”  ~ Roald Dahl, Matilda 

Do you remember as a child being asked over the simplest of things, such as "Where have you been," and "What happened to your pants?"

And all those other little things that got in our way....

And always, and endlessly following the deepest of breaths... this fanciful story strung together with 'and's..

Our trip through the woods always included a 'big growling bear', and that hole in the knee well, we can't explain *that*...

And the boy next store, broke ALL of his arms...when a pack of wild boars began chasing us down.

Ah, those were the days when the most magnificent of stories, could be seamlessly stretched with just a bit of 'and putty.'

You see, I have always believed 'and' to be Imagination's strongest mortar...holding together pieces from our deepest of visions.

So, just when did we grown ups allow 'and' to slip from our use? To limit our stories to just a few simple views?

And just when did we forget that we are so very much more?

That you and I are the sum total of all of our most imaginative stories.

We are so very much more, when we allow 'and' to take our hand...

Much love, my most beautiful friends ~ and remember, who might we be without all of our 'ands'?

The Fences We Keep.

“Even 'paradise' could become a prison if one had enough time to take notice of the walls.” ~ Morgan Rhodes 

I saw the most beautiful of little boys today, standing off and alongside a wooded path ~ the path that marked so very clearly, where he believed his personal 'sidewalk' ended.

And as he stood looking so longingly at the 'other boys' at play ~ I knew at once what was in his heart, the sadness of not being welcomed here.

You see, in this particular snootied up neighborhood, the residents all felt so urgently compelled ~ to keep "their" playgrounds, and the little ones within it...so very clearly away from our 'outsider" troubles.

"That's quite a playground," I leaned in to say...

"Yeah, but I'm not allowed" his little voiced returned.

"Hmm..." I said, as I thought for a while, "well, it's certainly a shame those boys are all locked up in there, that they'll never know the joy playing here on the outside."

And, just like that...this little boy whose sad sullen look would have stopped even the most miserable of misers in their place...this little boy looked up just long enough, to let curiosity slip into dejection's place.

"Well," I leaned in, with a knowing smile in my heart,  "just look over there - that tree is just waiting for a little boy to come climb it.  And just a piece down the ways there's a wooden bridge where the "other boys" fish. And, well... if you're just lucky enough, and with the right stillness of heart you'll see...a magnificent buck easily twice the size of you and me."

And as I watched that sulk slip gently to smile, I could see his heart lift as my simple words settled in.

I believe that's the moment he finally realized, that...those other boys weren't so lucky at all. I mean, who could be lucky being trapped by a wall?

So, my dears, this morning a little message from my heart to yours ~ may we always be mindful of those fences we build... and ever careful of what we are truly keeping in.

Namaste, and much love my most beautiful friends ~ I am sending healing thoughts to each and all and every single one of you on this... most amazing day. 

The Purpose of Being Late.

My dears, my most beautiful friends...I am embarrassed to say, that I had a bit of a late start this morning.

You see, we writers are often distracted by the littlest of things that tend to get swished away into the noise of everyone elses' day...

And, we can't help it, really...as each of our senses are continuously tuning in...waiting...watching...hoping for Inspiration to find us here, once again... 

We writers are the watchers of this world, caretakers of sorts...bringing into view with our most simple words what otherwise might get lost along the way...

So that others might finally see the 'glint of light on broken glass' under the richness of the morning's waning moonlight...and as the dew drips along the length of tree's leaves.

This world is calling you, my dears... begging you please to come back this way....

To pause, one simple moment and long enough...to see...

This richness of life that is left often unseen...

And, just a moment longer to realize... that the brilliance of moonlight is born from our soul...


So, what is it that caused me to slow my pace this day?

Just these few simple words....and the gift they carried with them on this day. 

"You could calm a storm with your tone
And the way you sing, makes the mockingbird hold
The grass you walk on, gives way
Saying please, please, come back this way"

And so, my dears...when this most beautiful Earth calls...stop, please, and listen...

As I promise you, it's only purpose is to steal your breath away... 

So, let the rest of this world wait...just for today, who cares...be late...

Even if 'late' results in spending this day with a bit of grass stuck to one's head...  ;)

Much love, my most beautiful friends ~ and I hope you enjoy my photo to you today.

Finding Joy's Smile Through an Open Window.

“Smiling is the way the soul says hello.
”  ~ Jarod Kintz,

I stop off for a decaf every morning and always on my way into work.

And, not at all because I want or even so much as need it, you see...but rather, more so because the coffee here is delivered always with the happiest of songs.


"Good morning, my dear..." he smiles, and leaning in...this most beautiful morning 'melody' begins.

And, oh...how I grin, as I listen in...just knowing the fullness these few simple notes may bring... 

For you see, Joy's smile has always been right here, my dears... peeking back to us through the space of this small open window.

Much love, and namaste my most beautiful friends ~ and may we all look to the smiles that visit us each day... 

The Signs We Choose to Know.

“Beyond the edge of the world there’s a space where emptiness and substance neatly overlap, where past and future form a continuous, endless loop. And, hovering about, there are signs no one has ever read, chords no one has ever heard.” ~ Haruki Murakami 

Oh, my dears...yesterday, was a most challenging day...and one that left me ponder-wandering along my favorite wooded path, marveling at the trees "kneeling down" gently to soften my way...

My dears, we all have these days ~ those that cause us to look far outside our most settled in self, to find the meaning and purpose in these such things.

I have always fancied myself a bit of a 'sign-seeker' - even from the youngest of age, I would spend hours carefully turning over each and every stone... looking for that deeper meaning most certainly contained. 

And the endless variations of cloud formations, pulling together the most beautiful scenes from this...life's greatest 'play.'

My dears, there is always something much greater to consider ~ that which isn't always quite so immediately clear... 

These are the messages this Universe has so carefully selected to share....and the signs, my dear, are everywhere. 

I wanted to share with you something that I received to my inbox yesterday evening. The subject line, quite literally was, "A Message From the Universe."

I had to laugh as I soon realized, that...it seems, not even the Universe is immune to this glorious age of electronic digitization ;-)

Much love, my most beautiful friends ~ and from the deepest portion of my most loving heart, 'thank you' for the love that you shared with me yesterday. Please know, that the Universe delivered your message with only the greatest of care... 

May your 'search' through this world, lead you to the greatest discovery of you.

"Some claim not to know, not to see... but, Tara...

That there are birds who sing at every hour of the day for no other reason than to be heard...

Creatures of the deep who flip and twirl just for the fun of it...

"Furry friends" who love just as dearly as they are loved, and...

Flowers so exquisite, pleasing human eyes could be their only explanation... must surely prove that you're living in the most magical fairytale ever imagined"

"I Just Helped Him to Cry."

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
"Nothing, I just helped him cry."

I think love is just this way ~ we all make our choices everyday in how we may show love to another human... and it doesn't matter how big or how small, because sometimes... it's the smallest things, done carefully, in the smallest of ways... that bring the greatest comfort and joy in our world. 

And it's always our choice in how we may choose to show and share our love to another.

The Most Beautiful Explanation of True Love I Could Ever Imagine (Tissue Alert).

“Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people’s souls. ~ Melody Beattie

Sometimes, it is, that we may struggle to find ‘just the right words’ to share and show just have very much we care.

In our minds, perhaps we are thinking just a wee bit too much—in an effort to speak our  most perfect thoughts into being.

And then, there are these moments—where we are stripped to our emotional core…that’s when our heart will step up and speak for us. When that happens, the words flow so very easily—from spirit, to heart, to soul.

The heart will speak when the mind, can not.

This is the story of Danny Perasa and his wife of 27 years, Annie—as they share the wonderfully inspiring love story ever. This video resonated with me in ways I could never have imagined (I mean, it is a cartoon, for goodness sake). But sometimes, it’s the very best stories that catch us completely off our guard.

As you watch this, I would love to hear what true love means to you.

No One Can Determine Your "View."

"The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” ~ W.B. Yeats

I read a most interesting quote this weekend, and if I may be so bold as to paraphrase ~ it went a little something like this; "Our reality is exactly what we choose to see..."

My Mother used to say such things as, "Look for the good in all things..." or...."Let your heart carry you always through..." I suppose this was just her way, a gentle reminder of this most critical connection between our spirit and this world.

And so it was, from such a very early age, I became quite 'aware' that true beauty extended far beyond the limitations of these, our five most simple senses... 

My dears, there is no one else who may determine your 'view' ~ and no one who may ever dare to describe...

The hushed, swirling sounds of fall leaves as they dance along these paved, empty streets...

Or the perfect sweetness of a hot apple cider, and the warmth makes its way through your hands.

And try as they might, they'll fall short to describe...the sound of trees creaking and moaning under the seasons' first heaviest snow...

Or, even the softness of a new rose petal's bloom... 

No, my dears, there is no one else who may define your 'view' ~ just you...

And, the magic is there for all those who'll choose it... 

Namaste, my most beautiful friends ~

Falling Into Limitlessness.

“It's time that I stop referring to myself, thinking about myself, planning for myself, according to the gridlines and the timelines and the guidelines of people. I will expand in this universe, I will not stay on the lines nor within the lines written by this world.” ~ C. JoyBell C.

This is a day for me...

A time to get a little closer to the inside, most beautiful me...

To rejoice in each most fanciful miracle that graciously manifests here before my 'reach'...

Close your eyes, my dears, and just for today listen with all your heart...

Flow into the rhythm of your own spiritual beat...

And step boldly into this immeasurable spaciousness...

Somewhere in between your vision and your dreams...

Limitless in potentiality....this day, it speaks to you...

Begging you to do those things you never thought you could do...

Because, my dears...you were created to embrace vulnerability...

And to fall fearlessly into your very own limitlessness...

Who Is It That Inspires You the Most?

“To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

People often ask me, "Who is it that inspires you the most...?"

And though, I rattle off a dozen or so names, they are never quite so interested ~ as these are the names of those who are never known.

Such as, the old man who puffed his pipe in cadence with my each and ever tearful word ~ sacrificing those few precious hours of his last days here, and only to provide my heart a little shelter.

Or, my darling children who have so bravely walked this path with me without ever once letting loose their grasp on Hope's billowing sleeves.

And, not even my dearest friend who has time and time again reached out his hand and in order to help me up from my latest life stumble.

No, my dears,  this simply won't do at all ~ as these are the ones that are not ever known...those few names, that are forever etched to my soul.


And, if I have not mentioned yet this day ~ my friends, I count each of you most dearly among these such heroes...of those, the names not ever known...

We are all meant to inspire my dears, and it's not always through such bold acts of being ~ rather, it's those moments in between that end up mattering the most.

So, if I may now ask of you my dears...who is it that inspires you the most...?

Also, I would like very much for you to meet Alice ~ I pray that we may all live to use our light in just this way.

Thank you, Alice ~ and thank you to all of those 'other names'...

Much love, and namaste...

The Importance of Something Much Bigger.

 “Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.” ~ Alan Wilson Watts

It was 40 years ago, that the astronauts of Apollo 8 mission orbited our moon for the very first time. The images they captured not only left viewers with a sense of awe and wonder, but they also resulted in a radical shift in our view of this world ~ one in which its true beauty and magnificence could be so deeply appreciated and understood.

From this most simple, metaphorical glance in the ‘rear view mirror,’ we began to see things in terms of a ‘one world’ perspective ~ resulting in a completely transformed view of this planet and mankind’s place upon it.

“One of the astronauts said, when we originally went to the moon…our total focus was on the moon. We weren’t thinking about looking back at the earth. But now that we’ve done it – that may well have been the most important reason we went.”

Indeed, perhaps this was the meaning of that one mission ~ to look back upon this earth with eyes freshened by the brilliance of context.

Namaste, my most beautiful friends...and, may we always understand and embrace the interconnectedness of life.

Looking Outward From Life's Open Window.

“The pale stars were sliding into their places. The whispering of the leaves was almost hushed. All about them it was still and shadowy and sweet. It was that wonderful moment when, for lack of a visible horizon, the not yet darkened world seems infinitely greater—a moment when anything can happen, anything be believed in.” ~ Olivia Howard Dunbar,

There is nothing quite like sitting alongside an open window as the night air begins to settle itself in...

Nor, to listen in to the cricket's rich crescendo as they make ready for their evening symphony.

Or, to savor the sweetness of freshly cut grass as the misty dew collects along the length of its edges.

No, there is nothing quite like this...a velvet sky...coming alive, as a million points of reveal that which "may not bless my waking eyes."

My dears, this is the true beauty of the night...and the miracle of simply looking outward from life's 'open window.'

Be Grateful to All ~ Including Our Enemies.

"If the heart begins to open, so does our life. If the heart begins to open, our sense of trust in ourselves begins to grow." ~ Pema Chödrön

I read a most tragic story yesterday evening. A young man was attacked and killed by a group of teenagers while walking at night to his home. And though, this tragedy of violence holds true a desperate sadness all to its own...these is yet another story, much sadder still.

For you see, when the boys responsible for this young man's death were questioned of their motives, they each answered, so very coldly, 

"Because, we were bored."

So, what is the greater of tragedies here? That of this young man's most senseless death, or...that of the loss of these other men's souls?

"Because, we were bored..." oh, my dears, how those words haunted me late yesterday evening, and as I thought of the horrific circumstances leading up to this news story.

The headlines only tell the part of the story that 'sells' ~ sadly, the rest of those words go unreported. For example, we never hear of a 5-year-old boy being beaten each day by his father, and so much so that he has forever lost his belief in humanity's good.

And, we never hear the story of the crack-addicted parents, who let their child go without and in order to satisfy their own demons.

Have we forgotten that those we may consider our enemy, that they, too, have cried out in the middle of their darkest night? 


My dears, our first instinct may be to feel enraged at this loss, but, does this instinct lead to any sort of resolution? And, more importantly, in closing off our hearts, how are we then able to widen this much needed circle of compassion?


We are often fooled that these fears serve to protect, but, aren't they instead coaxing us to this state of 'comfortably numb..?'

"Be grateful to everyone" is one of the foundations of lojong teaching, and my dears, that gratitude extends also to our enemies.

My dears, there is always a reason, some purpose, to even this life experience ~ in so much, as it offers our hearts the courage and room to grow.

To think of taking the hand of even our worst enemy ~ that is the true test, now isn't it?

And, though this may cause us, at first, to recoil...just remember...

That the hand we offer our enemy, is the one we offer ourselves, as well.

My most beautiful friends, that is the true gift of compassion. 

Learning to Stay Even When the Walls Are Closing In.

“Last night I lost the world, and gained the universe.” ~ C. JoyBell C.

I was listening to a lecture this morning, the topic of which was 'enlightenment.'

My first inclination was, "How on earth are they planning to cover this in just 45 audiobook bound minutes?"

And then, I had to laugh a bit, as I realized I was quickly slipping back into that trap.

You see, 'enlightenment' isn't an 'all at once' sort of thing...and, there is no most magical 'tada' moment in the end.

Rather, enlightenment is what happens most gradually when it is that we stumble and fall about on this, our life's truest path.

Nobody really likes to hear that, now do they? That this process of enlightenment might actually cause us to feel...well, initially...really bad.

But, that's the truth of it now, though isn't it? That this process of getting there, can be so horribly unsettling, that our first inclination is to run away.



Consequently, we end up giving up just moments before the real lesson is made clear.

It's a vicious cycle, isn't it? To chase that which we desire the most, only to turn away just as it's being placed into our hands.

Perhaps this is the source of our own enlightenment  ~ learning to stay, even as those walls are closing in?

The Emotion That Heals You.

“The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it...” ~ Nicholas Sparks 

I was feeling a bit unsettled the other day ~ a mixture of general fussiness and this insatiable need to be so fully understood.

People are often surprised when they hear me confess to just this, that little bit of humanness that connects us all from time to time.

My dears, in life, we all feel such great emotions ~ that carry with it a swelling fear of disconnectedness.

In some ways, I believe we've fallen into this belief, this fabrication of 'self help' ~ that feeling emotions isn't at all good for our spirits.

So we avoid...we digress...we squash down, we squelch, and we find another way.

But, in the end...how does this serve us?

How does it make us whole by running away?

My dears, when you feel such great unsettledness... don't be so quick to toss is aside. Instead, shine your brightest of lights, and gaze into this...your 'mirror like wisdom.'

Your emotions are very real, my dears ~ avoiding this doesn't make it any less so.

And, as unsettling as it may at times feel, know this ~ that there's nothing at all wrong with feeling this way, at all. Rather, instead...it's the negative actions that may come about from our churning that invite a space for all this trouble to begin.


Why?

Because, reactions can serve as our exit ~ an instantaneous relief to that all-consuming tidal wave of energy. It's our way out and around this uncomfortable messiness. But the salve only soothes, it doesn't ever solve ~ that which is left in our heart to remain.

So, sit with it for just a short while ~ move a little closer in. In doing so, you may find the greatest of lessons ~ that everything, even this, is workable.

But, doesn't it seem at times, impossible to let go of these stories we create?

The, "he did this awful thing to me"s....or the, "my goodness, what a jerk!"s...

Or, far worse yet...

"In feeling this, I am such a bad person"s. 

Sometimes the stories we create can become much bigger that the original issue - so big, that there is no space left for compassion to grow.

My dears, there is nothing here to fix. So, stop this struggle and let those tired old stories go.

Open up, just for this moment here, to breathe ~ because, in doing so we are able to create a foundation of love for ourselves and for others.


And, that my dears ~ is the space where our shared humanity is born.

My most beautiful friends, there is nothing here to fix ~ and this emotion you fear, might just be the very one that heals you.

Much love, and namaste ~

The Healing Power of Hugs.

“That's what people do who love you. They put their arms around you and love you when you're not so lovable.” ~ Deb Caletti

They’re free. We’ve all got them. And we all so very much want need them from time to time.

They make us feel safe, and sometimes help to ‘reconnect’ our body with our mind.

They bring us closer in this one small space of interconnectedness—and, make our hearts smile, big.

They have the power to completely transform our sense of being, within just one single moment.

And no words, or often very few, are ever exchanged in order to confirm that one simple point—that in this space, you are loved.

And, look! Look at how much joy they bring!

So why not take one moment today, to reach out and really touch someone?

In doing so, you might just find that two arms, outstretched, is the shortest distance between two souls.

So, go ahead—go hug someone today.

Bonus: Super amazing hug video!

Not Knowing the Nature of Fear, One Can Never Become Fearless.

“Whatever is seen with the eyes is vividly unreal in emptiness, yet there is still form...and that form, is our teacher. Whatever is heard with the ears is the echo of emptiness, yet real. All our thoughts and memories, “good and bad, happy and sad,” all “vanish into emptiness like the imprint of a bird in the sky.” ~ Trungpa Rinpoche, as quoted by Pema Chodron in Coming Closer to Ourselves.

How often do we allow our emotions to pull us inward, and into those churning muddied waters of what we believe the story to be?

As humans, these feelings, as great as they are...can serve as the thread that draws us nearer to others. And yet, those same thoughts when directed inward...can send us fleeing in fear.

Why are we so very afraid of coming closer to a better understanding? Is it the intensity of the 'flame' that causes us recoil at the stinging thought of a past injury?

My dears, all things that we experience in this life ~ are derived equally from that which we experience and that which we perceive.

But it doesn't change the reality that the form before us is empty, without these stories we choose to create.

Life can be awfully scary, and...it can also be bliss...when it is that we understand the 'shift.'

So, when it is that you feel overwhelmed, remember, 

"Not knowing the nature of fear, one can never become fearless."

In this way, my dears, even fear...can be our teacher.

Much love, and namaste.

Imagine There's No Fracking.

“Let's be clear. The planet is not in jeopardy. We are in jeopardy.” ~ Michael Crichton 

My dears, my most beautiful friends...

We have all read the articles and heard stories of this practice called, "fracking" - in which our most beautiful earth is violated to extract just a bit more fuel for industry's fire.

And though, there are proponents both for and against...it seems, often the personal stories become lost under the weight of much bigger headlines.

My dears, I know it times it may seem that our voice is too tiny for this much bigger world ~ but, when our voices are banded together ~ that is when the real change may occur.

I was very moved by this video, and I very much wanted to share it here with you ~

From Yoko's YouTube Channel:

Started by Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon, Artists Against Fracking is a group of artists, musicians, and filmmakers dedicated to bringing attention to the damages and environmental consequences of hydraulic fracturing.

"Right now, some people are trying to make easy money, and meanwhile ruin this country's future, by a thing called 'fracking." -- Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono and her son Sean Lennon were compelled into action by Governor Andrew Cuomo's announcement that fracking might soon begin in New York -- directly impacting their home in upstate New York. In less than 10 days, they gathered nearly 150 fellow artists to join them in the founding of Artists Against Fracking in August 2012.

Today, at nearly 200 members Artists Against Fracking works to expose and stop the harmful and contaminating practice of fracking for natural gas and oil through mass awareness and peaceful democratic action. At its core, we believe that fracking for shale gas is a danger to New Yorkers. Inevitably, the process leads to the release of toxic chemicals — many of which are unknown and unreported — into our air and water.

"Though my father died when I was 5, I have always felt lucky to live on land he loved dearly; land in an area that is now on the verge of being destroyed."

Thank you, Yoko ~ and thank you to Sean...for helping to give a little volume to our words.

What If You Knew You'd Be the Last to Touch Someone?

“True compassion does not come from wanting to help out those less fortunate than ourselves but from realizing our kinship with all beings.” ~ Pema Chödrön

I read a poem this morning, by author Ellen Bass ~ in which she poses a most simple question, "What if you knew you'd be the last to touch someone?" how might you change your interaction with this world?

The question is indeed most simple, but also one worthy of much deeper contemplation.

What if you knew you'd be the last person to touch another? To be, of their last and final moments on this earth?

Would you, perhaps, take that one moment longer to consider their words?

Might you offer a bit more patience and compassion in lieu of tossing about such grumbling words?

But more importantly, would you perhaps...let them slip past those many fortresses you've built, and in order to experience the true depths of your compassion?

If only we knew...

"What if you knew you'd be the last
to touch someone?
If you were taking tickets, for example,
at the theater, tearing them,
giving back the ragged stubs,
you might take care to touch that palm,
brush your fingertips
along the life line's crease.

When a man pulls his wheeled suitcase
too slowly through the airport, when
the car in front of me doesn't signal,
when the clerk at the pharmacy
won't say Thank you, I don't remember
they're going to die."

My dears, on this day, be mindful to others ~ that their story here is forever intertwined with your existence. And when, at first glance you feel your 'temperature rising' ~ allow a pause instead, for impulse to give way to compassion.

Namaste, and much love on this day ~