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Hello friends, This morning, the rose city of Portland Oregon is shrouded in fog. Just yesterday afternoon, I walked in cool, crisp air and autumn sunlight. Tomorrow, it will rain. And such is life… days shifting from sun to fog to rain and back again. This past week, very little work has gotten done. Well, not the work on my schedule. Not the emails that need answering or the novel I’m almost finished writing. Not getting necessary paperwork to the book keeper. Not the ordering of books for delivery to people waiting…. There were walks in both sun and rain. There were copious cups of tea. There was waiting to hear from the medical examiner, and cleaning out an apartment filled with years of neglect. There was the comfort of reading on a lunch break, or evenings spent watching a kindly Scottish veterinarian in the Yorkshire dales in the late 1930s. And such is the effect of death, in the midst of life. Death requires its own paperwork and chores. Death also requires care and rest and respite, just like life. Hold onto life, my friends. Take joy and comfort where and when you can. Offer support and comfort in return. We’re all in this life together, spinning through a vast cosmos, filled with stars. Thanks for being here. Best wishes — Thorn
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Hello friends, We’re in the dark months here in the northern hemisphere. This is the time when many people kindle extra light. Those lights are beacons of hope, tiny stars brought down to earth. We all have an inner light, as well. A light that connects us with others. The light of creativity and kindness. But some days, we’re too tired to shine. Some days, we’re too afraid to shine. Some days, we feel too beaten down to shine. And that’s okay. Darkness is a time of rest, as well. It’s okay...
Hello friends, Some passion flares in the night, burning out quickly. Other passion is slow growing, changing over seasons. A vine roots into earth and climbs, forming buds, then flowers, then fruit, before changing yet again. The bright flares of passion are enlivening and can fill us with a sense that life is vital and our tasks are important. This sort of passion can sometimes leave us feeling like a burnt out husk. Slow growing passion requires persistence and the ability to grow with...
Hello friends, The REM song “Hold On” is playing through my head this week. Partially because, after years of trying, someone in my family couldn’t hold on any longer, finally succumbing to a host of illnesses they just could not shake. The song is also with me because of the sheer number of people struggling right now. Struggling to simply survive. Whether because they don’t have money for food or rent, or lost their job, or struggle with mental or physical health, or they are under attack...