This post sat waiting for today to be re-blogged. Being grateful, rising with grace, and thanking the World for its presence is living fully.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Song of a Dream ~
This is a wonderful excerpt and image. There are magical and spiritual places where we can find Truth, Love, and Peace. Or, perhaps it is more apt to say they find us.
Once in the dream of a night I stood
Lone in the light of a magical wood,
Soul-deep in visions that poppy-like sprang;
And spirits of Truth were the birds that sang,
And spirits of Love were the stars that glowed,
And spirits of Peace were the streams that flowed
In that magical wood in the land of sleep.
Excerpt from: Song of a Dream
Sarojini Naidu
Happy Goodwill
The image and poem work together so well. It is what we, as adults, give our children: time, a kind ear, and support.
being…in the silence
Silence and solitude are our friends. They form a healing space we occasionally need. Gandhi suggested we speak only when it improves the silence. That might fit with what Carried shared in this post.
ordinary gateway
This is another post that I tucked away some time ago. The image is intriguing. Bert took a picture of a mushroom from underneath which is not where we look at things from quite often. Here, we find an ordinary gateway where the Sun lets us see things differently shining through the mushroom’s folds.
Martin Heidegger, a brilliant philosopher and not so great person, wrote that we can only see the face of an object unless we change our place in relationship to the object gaining a new perspective and insight.
When we change our point-of-view, it is like a new gateway into something we have not experienced. As well, when we go to the backside and underneath, perhaps there is an un-experienced silence. It is like driving past a mountain on a busy highway with its busyness that does not exist on the other sides. When we find those quiet spaces, the silence speaks to us from the object’s essence and something new reveals itself.
* Life is Made Up of Moments
When we live in each moment, life becomes fuller and richer. It is not like we know we are leaving each moment. Each moment flows like a river into the next. Living in each moment allows us to recognize the temporary nature of life.
When we slow down and remove some of the busyness and clutter, life flows more seamlessly. Here, we pause and take stock of the world.
thank you
Rumi has a way of saying things with such simplicity which resonate across time. It can be uplifting to hear someone thank us for the smallest of gestures and the kindness we speak.
Photo Friday: Facing Our Fears
Photo Friday: Facing Our Fears.
What do I fear? I think frequently what I fear is not the matter in front of me, but the idea that something I face and faces me is different and there is potential for change I cannot control.
We separate from the world in ways that allow us to think as spectators. As Renate suggested, once we remove the medium through which we view the world, in this case a spider, it moves closer to us.
Yet, we cannot escape danger. We face it each day, perhaps each moment in some ways unknown to us and that presents a danger itself. We lose sight of the world we live in.
Lighthouses
Bill provides a quote from Anne Lamott. I began to read her work recently and found it humorous and inspiring.
When we have principles and are grounded, there is no need to run around trying to impress. We stand as beacons casting a light all around us inviting the world into us and joining the world as full participants.
Peace is With us Today
I had an Einstein poster in my classroom. My students referred to him as my dad, because I told a student, who did recognize him, he was my dad. When another student questioned me, I pointed out we had wild hair, facial foliage, and eccentric behaviors.
I enjoy Einstein, because his quotes reveal important insights. In this one, peace is something we offer and gain through mutual understanding.
I am using Jurgen Habermas, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Parker Palmer, etc. in my dissertation. I find important intersections in their work as they stress conversation, communication, and mutual understanding as integral to living peacefully in the world. It does not mean agreement, but suggests we can accept different ways of experiencing the world that allows for non-violent disagreement. We see what the Other holds true in their living as not very different from what we hold true.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 