Pondering with Wise Oak
Light filtering through its branches,Wise Oak is full and green even as crunchy hints of autumn litter the ground below.”I wonder, Wise Oak, how do you stand with such elegance while on the brink of so much loss?”The tips of Wise Oak sparkle and dance as the wind blows through.Wise Oak remains silentencouraging me to ponder the questions of my own life: “How can I be more present to each…
Centering Prayer and Gardening: Finding Treasure
I sat in the gray, dingy, basement classroom with two other volunteers in our matching red shirts and a group of detainees who were dressed in tan “scrubs” and Velcro sneakers. It was my turn to invite the men into the Centering Prayer practice and keep track of time. I struck the singing bowl three times, and…
Fullness of Life
“What’s on your mind these days?” A friend asked. “Nothing really,” I initially thought.Well…there has been a lot. This spring, I participated in my first Native American drumming circle in Oklahoma and plunged into Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas. I visited my daughter in LA, facilitated a retreat in Racine, and cheered on the LGBTQ+ community at…
An Irish Blessing for Spring Pilgrims
May the energy of Ireland rise up within you. May you be present to early spring daffodilsand the raw beauty of cliffs meeting sea. May your rain gear be accessible for constant weather changes and your shoes be sturdy as you navigate muddy terrain. May you travel narrow roads without incidentand experience the wonder of newborn lambs.…
A Wave Grabbed Me
According to the Internet, the temperature for the Irish Sea near Wicklow, Ireland is 46 degrees today. It’s hard to believe that it was just a few weeks ago that I ventured into these waters. Afterward, a friend asked, “are you mentally unstable?” Another worried that I’d get pneumonia. Others simply wondered, “why?” Why? Good question! Why…