Growing roots and slowing down…
Last weekend Marty and I went to the local St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It was a gorgeous day here, almost 70 and it was fun seeing my dad carrying the Irish flag for the local Sons of Erin, and my nieces in the Yarmouth Firefighters float.
Today we went to Newport, RI for their parade. Wow! So much green, so much fun. Not as warm but Newport’s cool and the crowds were jamming.
I thought I’d write about surrender and radical acceptance but when I started looking at how to explain it simply (so that I could understand what the heck I was talking about), it all seemed so complicated.
But I love the concept — I guess it’s really nothing more than surrendering to what is without trying to change it. The irony seems to be that when you surrender, things start to change!!?! Letting go of the control, the ego, the judgment — very difficult to do, but when I have practiced radical acceptance (not often enough), I feel a huge relief. I feel so much freer.
Irish saying: “is this a private fight or can anyone join in?”
Here’s another one, a video that is. Yes, it may become a problem watching snippets of life here in a virtual world. Usually, I just read the words but there are times I need the hope and promise of possibilities that children remind me of — so I need the images, the music and the message. When you are struggling, feeling demoralized, confused, overwhelmed, call on your warrior goddesses. And remember, we are okay, we are all right.
I rarely watch videos on the laptop, but lately I am drawn to them…and this one with Elizabeth Gilbert is most inspiring.
Just deleted most of my etsy shop before realizing that if I wanted to clear it all out, all I had to do was deactivate my listings for a while.
Oh well. Blame it on the weather…or the antibiotics…or March Madness…or bronchitis. Laryngitis. Too much sugar. Boredom. Isolation. Listening to my dog’s too long fingernails scritch scratch scritch across our wood floors as he paces constantly. Since he’s lost his hearing, he cannot be still for long. It’s like he can’t rely on his hearing to alert him to danger in his job as guardian of the homefront. So scritch scratch scritch…he paces, like the night watchman in the dark. Can’t see, can’t hear, but can still feel. Like him, I pace too. But only in my mind.
Today at work my 90 year old client told me she’s ready, she’s tired, she feels her time is near. She said she’s lived a full life, that she’s told her daughter not to be surprised. I found it reassuring to hear, it made me less afraid and more hopeful where death is concerned. When it’s timely — if there is such a thing as a timely death.
Photoblogs of note — when you give a girl a camera
I tried posting a comment at Melissa’s blog but couldn’t — my sister Betsy called me yesterday with the news and my heart stopped — please anyone reading this send Melissa, her parents, Tony and Linda, and anyone else in their circle prayers, light, love and all the strength and beauty you can — they need it so badly after their recent loss. Thank you.
It’s very hard for me to pick just one thing, but for bloggy giveaways from folks whose work I admire, I will always attempt a choice —
“tell me one non human thing in the natural world that you love the most and why” (from Resurrection Fern), so here goes:
Trees — because we burn them, chop them down and more yet they never give up…their roots are deep and they will push up new growth wherever they can, even through concrete…their tenacity inspires me when i feel discouraged…
Now go tell her yours here.