Tuesday, 31 July 2007 - Places of simplicity and peace

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for places of simplicity and peace.

Dear God,
we give thanks for places of simplicity and peace.
Let us find such a place within ourselves.
~Leunig

Places of simplicity and peace.
I know where to find mine.
I admit, however, that it took me a long time to find it.

I pray that you know yours.
But, if you're still searching, I hope you find it soon.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Monday, 30 July 2007 - Prayer walking

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for prayer walking.

May my body
Be a prayer stick
For the world.
~Joan Halifax

My daily pilgrimage begins with a walk around the park with T. This morning, we leave the house around 7 AM. It's too late to escape the bright sunshine but early enough to miss the searing heat.

T is pleased with himself, striding confidently along the park's northern border with his chocolate Lab swagger. He abruptly stops here to sniff the wet grass, over there to mark the overgrown juniper bushes, by the trash can to check out out an empty Styrofoam food container.

As we near the children's playground and sandbox, I think about why I take these daily walks. Three reasons come to mind:
- To give T an outing and some exercise.
- To clear my head and prepare for the day.
- To pray.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let those who approach me give me a wide berth so I can exercise my faith with my feet.
Let those who know me simply smile and wave when they pass T and me.
My neighbors know that I am on a mission as I circle the park,
Talking to God, prayer walking.

Let the birds offer their songs in glorious praise of this summer day.
Let the trees offer their comforting shade in gratitude for every blessing.
Let me walk purposefully and passionately with a warrior's feet along this familiar path.

I accept the fact that
A stranger might conclude that I am merely
One woman idling away the morning hour,
Walking her dog around the neighborhood park.
But, today, I see no strangers
And want no stranger's opinion.
God is with me
And I care only about
His opinion.

Oh God,
Let me be
A prayer stick
For the world.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Sunday, 29 July 2007 - Risk taking

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for my own brand of risk taking.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.
~Pablo Picasso
To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.
~Soren Kierkegaard
You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take. ~Wayne Gretzky

Is risk taking an innate or learned trait? The experts can't agree. So, maybe, like most traits, it's a little of both.

While growing up in Southern California, my wary parents repeatedly told me "no." So, ever the obedient child, I didn't. Still, my own brand of risk taking formed, thrived and prevailed, allowing me to surmount tough, mental boundaries set by more cautious adults.

So, here's to a more daring attitude, a strong faith that conquers fear, "needs improvement" ratings that push me to do better next time, and risky adventures that force me to step onto foreign territory and learn something new about myself.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Saturday, 28 July 2007 - Soup

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for soup.

Worries go down better with soup. ~Jewish Proverb

Some people will advise that it's way too hot for soup. Too hot to cook a potful from scratch, too hot to watch the soup simmer for a few hours and too hot to eat such a spicy dish.

On any given day, I might agree. But, not today. I have worries a-plenty and must learn to swallow hard each time adversity strikes.

Anyway, it's too late to turn back. I've already thawed the chicken and gathered the other ingredients. Tortilla soup it is. Complete with a generous dose of chili peppers and cayenne pepper.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Friday, 27 July 2007 - Solace

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for solace that soothes troubled times.

What can I do when I feel the world's harsh breath and know
That if I stay too long in its path
My path shall be burned up also.
I must go back to the land again
And find the eagle at home with the rock.
I must climb to the mountaintop
And find the spot where the river begins.
I must lie quietly beside the earth
And find the warmth of its heart.
I must turn my vision to the sky
And find the purpose of clouds.
Then trouble seems far away
And the breath which consumes all beauty
Has passed right over me.
~ Nancy Wood

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Thursday, 26 July 2007 - One hug

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for one hug.

I had an eventful evening visiting Tom. I'm amazed at his progress - can see significant changes in his physical and mental abilities over the course of one day. His schedule is quite busy now, filled with physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy sessions and daily visits from friends, colleagues and family.

I want to share one excerpt from my report to my "team" about tonight's visit so you will understand why I titled this entry, one hug. (Note that as team members, we agreed to write and publish reports on a special website to keep each other apprised of Tom's activities and progress and our observations about his care):

"After I read a few pages of A Year in Provence (we're almost done with November), Tom signaled that he wanted to sit up. First, Lisa (his CNA sitter) had to rearrange the catheter and feeding tube and asked him to wait until she was ready. He obeyed. After he sat up, she helped him reach a stable position on the right side of bed. With his left hand, Tom motioned to me to sit next to him (he straightened the sheet and patted the bed). I sat down next to him. Then, he put his left arm around me and hugged me."

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Wednesday, 25 July 2007 - Toothpaste

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for toothpaste, especially Jason's Power Smile.

I know it's a small, maybe trivial thing, like soap, shampoo or dental floss. But, today, toothpaste is an important commodity.

This morning, I squeezed the very last bit from the tube. This afternoon, I looked high and low for the spare tube that was suppose to but did not exist. So, I reluctantly brushed my teeth with baking soda, an inexpensive substitute that works but tastes terrible.

And, yes. A few minutes ago I wrote "toothpaste" at the top of my shopping list.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Tuesday, 24 July 2007 - This and that

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for this and that ...

Roses
Second, third and fourth chances
Forgiveness
Transformation
Butterflies
Returning finches
Paul Simon
Minor decisions
Good mulch
Vence
Eco-friendly clothing
Prill water
Signposts
Digital cameras
Italian-made anything
Basil seedlings
Gardening
Haiku
Yo Yo Ma
BBC America
Weeds
Matching thread
Quiet mornings
Roads less traveled
Recycling bins
Thoreau
Kombucha tea
Daisies
Busy days
Doggie kisses
Doggie smiles
Homegrown cherry tomatoes
Resurrection
Vogue sewing patterns
Antiques Roadshow
Arthur (as in the children's book and television show)
Tofu
Thomas Jefferson
Compost
All things French
Bees
Hiking trails
Canvas shopping bags
Prayers
Fresh mint leaves
Poetry
Scarpa climbing shoes
Keith Jarrett

For these blessings, I am grateful.

Amen.

Monday, 23 July 2007 - Answered prayers

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for answered prayers.

I am pleased to report that our friend, Tom, is now conscious, alert and communicative. It's been over five weeks since he had the freak bicycling accident and incurred a severe head injury.

A few of his closest friends (mainly Bruce, S and I) have visited him almost daily since the June 16 accident. We've watched him awaken very slowly from the deep coma, open his eyes and begin to move his left limbs, then his right.

I read aloud to him during most of our visits - nearly finished A Year in Provence (Toujours Provence was on deck, just in case). And, we witnessed the dramatic improvements in Tom's mental and physical abilities that occurred over the past few days, culminating in tonight's very lively visit.

Now, his brothers plan to move him to a local facility that specializes in head injury rehabilitation. There, Tom will continue to work on regaining a sense of normalcy and the self-sufficiency he covets.

S, T and I will stand by him every step of the way, whether in person or in prayer.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Sunday, 22 July 2007 - Journeys and adventures

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for journeys and adventures - all sorts and sizes.

I am always on some sort of personal journey or adventure. I continually embark on new ones, navigate older ones through the arduous middle miles where perseverance pays off and occasionally finish important ones of indeterminant age - some decades old, some only a few hours in the making.

I like, no, love David Whyte's poem, "The Journey." Robert Frost's "The Road Less Traveled," Psalm 91 and this poem comprise my current mantra for journeys and adventures.

Have you already read it and fallen in love with it, too? If so, I consider you a kindred spirit.

If not, I cite it here so you can read, absorb and ponder Whyte's simple words and profound message. Read them at your own pace. I recommend slowly (i.e., a poet's and philosopher's speed). Then, make them your own.

The Journey
By David Whyte
from The House of Belonging, copyright 1997

Above the mountains
the geese turn into
the light again

painting their
black silhouettes
on an open sky.

Sometimes everything
has to be
enscribed across
the heavens

so you can find
the one line
already written
inside you.

Sometimes it takes
a great sky
to find that

small, bright
and indescribable
wedge of freedom
in your own heart.

Sometimes with
the bones of the black
sticks left when the fire
has gone out

someone has written
something new
in the ashes
of your life.

You are not leaving
you are arriving.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Saturday, 21 July 2007 - Entertaining weather

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for entertaining weather.

The sudden, early evening deluge will probably ruin tomorrow's rock climbing adventure. I lament the disruption of our plans as we witness the slow-moving storm's power from Tom's hospital room on the eleventh floor (we call it the penthouse).

The room's picture window faces west, offering a sweeping, panoramic view of Pikes Peak and Front Range, the perfect outdoor theater for summer's dramatic weather shifts. Tonight's main event includes fabulous lightening bolts, deafening thunder, ominous looking clouds and torrential rain.

I don't know what we'll do tomorrow to get our climbing fix. Right now, however, we are the lucky occupants of front row seats for one of the best shows in town.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Friday, 20 July 2007 - Joy of reading

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for the joy of reading.

Oh for a book and a shady nook . . . ~John Wilson

Books fall open ... you fall in. ~message on Mary Englebreit greeting card

The incessant hype surrounding Harry Potter's final tale and hordes of children anxiously waiting to read the book reminds me of my own entrance into the world of reading.

I mastered the concept of reading before I started kindergarten. The year was 1959 or 1960, the pre-PBS/Sesame Street days when shows like Romper Room and Sheriff John regularly entertained preschoolers.

I don't recall how I learned to read - probably picked up the skill by listening to my mother tutor my older sister. All I know is that one day I couldn't read, the next, I could.

And, that, my friends, has made all the difference!

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Thursday, 19 July 2007 - One empty nest

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for one empty nest.

Sometime between yesterday afternoon and this morning, the fledglings left the nest. Their Finch parents, not Larry and Mr. not Larry, also left. Didn't leave a note. Didn't say good-bye. Still, it's not like we didn't expect the sudden exodus.

I lift the Christmas wreath from the hook on the front door, noting a messy layer of dried bird droppings where the nest rested against the red paint. I carefully wash the door, taking extra precautions not to chip the paint. I brush more droppings from the well-shaped nest that sits inside the wreath. Then, I sweep the porch and welcome mat. Finally, I rehang the wreath and step back to eye its position. I want to make sure it's hanging straight.

Things, after all, must be perfect if we expect to attract new Finch tenants next spring.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

Wednesday, 18 July 2007 - Commitment

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for commitment.

Once started, follow through. ~Greeting card message

Sometimes, my commitment is strong. As in family, friends, neighbors, marriage, prayer, health, exercise, gardening, rock climbing, work, writing, learning, faith, recycling, mulching, composting, bargain hunting, voting, conserving water/energy. As in visiting Tom while he's still hospitalized and vowing to continue to help him no matter where his journey takes him.

Sometimes, my commitment waivers. As in job hunting, house decluttering, church going, weed pulling, eating only organically grown fruits and vegetables, skipping dessert, sending holiday cards, reading the Bible, walking/biking instead of driving, sticking to a budget, watching less television, keeping a journal.

And, sometimes, my commitment doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. As in not finishing a sewing or knitting project (the ones that began as good ideas but don't fit or look quite right), not finishing a library book that lost me at chapter one, not making the bed.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.