creating change without shouting
Make roomfor what is precious,take timeto see your world;and know thatyou are lovedand appreciatedand seen,even if youcan’t see yourself. Our wordsshape what we see,creating our senseof reality,filtering our emotions.Let’s chooseour words wisely.They colourthe mirrorinto which we gaze. Isn’t it wonderful that we are talking about words and conversations at last? We are human beings, and … Read more
Continuing my musings on the power of words in shaping how we see the world, I return to the words inscribed on my shawl: May I live this day Compassionate of heart,Clear in word,Gracious in awareness,Courageous in thought,Generous in love. John O’Donohue’s choice selection for the end of his blessing For Matins invites me not … Read more
‘For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.’ T S Eliot wrote these words in Little Giddings, from Four Quartets, while the world was in seismic change nearly a century ago. Arguably, we are now in an even more significant shift, and our current language’s inadequacy is … Read more
We’ve all had those experiences of earnestly searching for something we’ve lost, only to find it right in front of us. Not seeing for looking. The other day my second lesson from clearing the thistles felt like this. In endeavouring to gather all the flowering stems along a track by the lake, I walked with … Read more
No, this isn’t a philosophical question – though it could be. Traditional Welsh farming practice is to leave thistles growing until July. Then chop them down. Thistles take up valuable grass space and consume a lot of moisture. So it is tempting to get rid of them earlier. However, this would deny precious nectar for … Read more
… and all is still around the lake. The other occupants of the valley ease back into their space and reclaim water and shore for their own after four months of visitors. And I remember that silence is a gift to be cherished. Because it’s in quiet that we catch the gentle whisper we need … Read more