River Flow

I woke this morning hearing myself say in my fading dream:

“I am trying to flow with the river.”

And in return, I heard or, rather, felt the reply:

“How can you try to flow with the river? It is impossible. The river simply flows and either you are flowing with it or you are not. In flowing with rivers, there is only letting go.”

I came fully awake with the feeling of holding onto a log but longing to glide along with the sinuous, alive river and the tenuous beginnings of letting go with one hand.

Photo:  Snoqualmie River just below the falls.  Snoqualmie, WA

The Road

The road from 'What Was' to 'What Will Be' is journeyed by one simple word: "Yes."

Photo:  Walking/Biking trail, Cedar River Park, Renton, WA

I am Being Followed or Me and My Shadow

Wandering through the words of others, I found myself wanting to keep track of what they have to say and share. Incredible photographs, fun creativity, links and thoughts of life and laughter….

I was looking at one blog site and clicked on “follow” expecting that her site would be added to my list for me to keep up with only to find that I had clicked on a button that would mark me as a “follower” of my own blog site.

I’ve tried a couple of ways of removing myself from the follower list but, being somewhat new to blogging, I have not yet found that magical key and maybe I'm not meant to. Anyway, after turning a little red at the thought of following myself and having a good laugh over it I, typically, started looking for what it could mean.

For, surely, there’s a lesson in it somewhere – some Zen Koan to cover such an event or some Native or Celtic Shaman wisdom to find. Dogs chasing their own tails, shadows following you, how we come to the same place we’ve been many times and yet see it for the first time, how perhaps we should learn from our own words, or being okay with claiming and standing for our own words. I’m sure there’s something there. Or, it could just be the remembering of how to have the grace to laugh with yourself (Kerry, I am not laughing at you, I am laughing with you….).

Well, whatever the lesson may be or whether there is even a lesson to be found…

I am being followed…..by myself.

Photo:  Someone's footprints - Alki Beach, WA

A Meditation for the Night

As the day turns into night
May we release the day
And let go all it brought or didn’t bring

May laughter replace grief

And courage replace fear

May clarity replace confusion

And faith replace doubt

May trust replace walls

And forgiveness replace hurts

May we know oneness without words

And love without bounds

May we rest

And may all be well

Photo:  Maui beach at sunset, Hawaii

Sacred Ground

Daedelus
December 13, 2001 - November 11, 2009



In silence walks the heart when love abounds
The soft tender footsteps of knowing we are on sacred ground
No harsh words, no cruel actions – only love.
And love, when letting go, lets go just as softly
Even though the tears fall.

For the time he has been in my world, I have been honoured with that love so gentle and soft
For his passing I grieve with a heart that feels crushed and broken
For his sake I will let go softly bowing my head in gratitude and love
Knowing in the silence that he is here always – no matter what
For the ground he walked and the ground of his heart was sacred indeed

And the world he created was love.

Daedelus
Daed
Bear
Dude
Bright Eyes
Doodles
Doodlebug
Do
Bear in Pajamas
Little Boy
Love

A Simple Question

A piece of earth that has been ravaged by time, torn apart by wind and rain and storm, eroded to the very bones of scraggy trees and sun-burnt vistas. We look at this and nearly weep for its beauty and value. We stand in awe of its agelessness and its age. We travel great distances to walk through it all and camp amongst the vastness. We sing the praises of the stark loveliness and Oh! The stars at night! We long to spend time with the quietness of timelessness. We seek to know more and more of its story that we can only think of as glorious. We spend countless amounts of money protecting it and nourishing these grounds. And so we should. So we should.

A human walks by. We know nothing of the wars – personal and public – that have been fought on the plains of the soul. We do not know the storms weathered, the places torn apart by fierce winds and rain. We do not understand the places eroded to the bones. Nor do we have eyes to see the timeless, ageless, stark, wise loveliness of a person standing tall in front of us full of knowledge and heart and experiences - both beautiful and challenging - and tears and laughter and….worth. We do not seek to know more of this human’s story for we do not see the glory before us – we do not see the stars in their eyes. We see the clothes, the shoes, the piece of paper that says where this person went to school and what work experience is of value, we see the balance in the bank, the denomination they belong to, the car driven, the latest restaurant eaten in, and the judgments of others who have not stood in the shoes and life of this person. Should we? Should we?

 

Photo:  The Arches National Park, Utah

Tumbling

Threads upon threads
Rushing and flowing over all life
Strings of action and choices
Giving. Taking.
The darkness and light of words and silence
Heart going this direction. Mind going over there. Is there a place they both can meet?

Strands upon strands
Weaving in and out of everything
Paths chosen and paths ignored
Firmness. Flexibility.
Shadows and highlights of beginnings and endings
Constant movement. A glance towards quiet peace. Can one not have both?

Teach me to see that I AM beneath that. That at the surface, all this flows and gathers and tumbles and creates its music of cacophony or of grace. Teach me to see what is under that so that I might flow in a more harmonious way with all that is and is not. I do not mind the river taking me along when I can breathe.

Teach me the within. Teach me the under. Teach me

Stillness…listening…resting…knowing…being…courage…love…life

Teach me to flow and move from there.

Photo:  Closeup of Cedar River, WA