Winter Solstice is here. In the North light has been obscured by weeks of snow clouds. The falling flakes offer beauty for the brown dreariness at the end of autumn. The freezing lakes replace open and moving water. Everything in nature seems to grind to a halt while we rush to finish shopping for the … Continue reading Stillness of winter solstice
Behind the veneer of holiday hustle and bustle, for some of us there runs a secret river of sorrow. The cultural curtain of joy and good cheer can mask the most prominent cause of December tears: relationships. The holidays are advertised as jolly and bright and in many ways, and for many people they are … Continue reading The fullness of love
This morning I woke up early to find a mouse sitting on the kitchen counter, eating a crumb, looking down on and watching intently the three cats staring at their empty food bowl waiting for it to be filled. Sigh…you just can’t make this stuff up. Waiting is hard work. I have waited for something … Continue reading Waiting Advent
The 4th floor can be a busy place, especially the nurse's station. Patients pace up and down the halls holding on to the arm of an aide or IV pole, strengthening their legs and stretching their minds out from beyond the ivory-toned rooms. Lunch carts and doctors take the corners tightly in an effort skirt … Continue reading Painting Advent: A Metaphor in Waiting
This weekend we celebrate all the gratitudes of life. We take advantage of leftover turkey sandwiches, football, family and fall crispness to restore our souls before we go back to work. For some who practice the Christian faith, post-Thanksgiving also signifies the arrival of Advent. Beginning in the 4th or 5th century in Spain, Advent … Continue reading Leftover turkey and restored souls.
After my cousin Jessica gave me grandma’s recipe box, it sat on my desk for months patiently waiting on me. It waited partly because of schedule restraints, wanting to have enough time to take it all in without feeling hurried: partly because I found it intimidating. What if I found the unexpected? What DID I … Continue reading Grandma’s recipe #1: Sally Lunn
Unfamiliar gear strapped to my back: the bulk heavy with anticipation. We checked each others tanks to make sure we had wrestled them on correctly, rubik-cubed the snorkle on to the mask and spit at the appropriate time and place to prevent mask fog, all in preparation for our first dive. With anticipatory thoughts … Continue reading Sitting in the Waters of Discomfort
Returning from a soul care retreat, I arrived home, unpacked my bag and took a few moments to sit in a quiet space. My shoulders felt relaxed, mind cleared and knees a bit sore from walking the hills. Thoughts went to the stories I had received, some humorous, some vulnerable and gratefulness welled up in … Continue reading The Two Arrows of Pain
Last week I hiked in the woods for about an hour in the snow and wind. It was glorious and uncomfortable. Dressed for the weather, though perhaps not quite as many layers as needed, I was bundled nonetheless: hiking boots, headband, winter gloves. Snow landed on my face, immediately melting into Mother Natures tears on my face. The twists and … Continue reading Wonder
Throughout this past year we have touched on many subjects, one of which is taking the perspective of the other. The following is a poem by Mary Oliver where she peeks our curiosity of another’s perspective. If you are not accustomed to reading poetry, it can feel intimidating. Here is the invitation: read Mary’s … Continue reading For Autumn
Andrea Tatley 