Five more minutes
At a playground, a woman sits down next to a man seated on a park bench. "That's my son over there," she tells him, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater, gliding down the slide. "He's a fine…
Wherever you are be all there
"We should do this more often." A middle-aged man is pointing at the scenery, mouth agape, speaking to a woman standing at his side. (Okay, maybe north of middle-age.)I am doing what I do best: Eavesdropping. (And it’s how I…
Ease into the quiet
This morning, we woke to our second day of snow. Out at the pond, a Great Blue Heron, poised elegant and stylish, patiently waits for breakfast.The sky is filled with a flotilla of tiny parachutes, floating (more like dancing), quietly…
The beauty of imperfection
I’m unfocussed today, so I’ll blame it on the weather. (Easy to do here). Trouble is, these are the kind of days when I give myself grief, slipping down the slippery slope connecting measuring up to well-being.Gratefully, the geese seem…
Embracing this life as a gift
What's in your sack? the traveler, stooped from the heaviness, is asked.My Mother.Isn't she heavy?She sure is.Why don't you put her down?I can't.Well, why can't you stop carrying her?I don't know. I've always carried her. I know this: I,…
Brave enough to be it
“I like your style,” I tell the geese on this cold and blustery morning. “Even today, still looking for sun, and a good meal. And you hang together; that impresses me. Plus, I’m told you mate for life, with very low divorce…
The gift of grace
By my desk, a waste basket half full of wadded Sabbath Moment starts. None of them felt right. Or adequate.Like a Doctor visit I recall. “Where does it hurt?”“I don’t know.”“Can you be more specific?”“Does everywhere count?” As one friend…
The stories we carry
“You all irritate me,” I tell the geese. “Well, truth be told, only sometimes.”“That’s an interesting way to start a homily,” one says, without looking up.“Okay. Maybe it’s not you. It’s me,” I tell them. “Truth be told, I’m churning…
Mindful of small things
Welcome to the new year. 2021. There are so many who couldn’t wait to get here, with 2020 in the rear-view mirror. Although we all know it doesn’t quite work that easily, does it?But this I do know, from a…
The gift of this day
On today’s walk, the rain is unremitting. The sky is gray and cinched down at the corners. But the evergreens along the way, vivid and alive. It is quiet, and I walk with a smile, exploring and enjoying the acreage…
