Tangled in Life
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Hello friends, The thing about life is…. It’s a tangle. A tangle of beauty and heartache and love and joy. A tangle of rest and ambition. A tangle of science and wonder. A tangle of trees and insects, flowers and mammals. A tangle of humanity and a tangle of stars. Another word for this tangling is interdependence. Every time I see it mentioned that someone is “self made” I wince. Not one of us is “self made.” We are all dependent on so many networks that we would not survive without. We rely on the trees for oxygen. We rely on the land for food. We rely on the rivers for water. We rely on the person who collects the garbage. We rely on the ones who care for us when we are ill. And all of these others rely on us, as well. In these times when more and more of us are in need, as social safety nets are eroded or blown to bits by careless, self-centered adults, it is more important than ever to recognize: We all hold one another in a web of creation and destruction. No one is coming to save us but our connections with each other. Today, no matter how you are helping strengthen this web of life, I applaud and thank you. Every person fed. Every offer to lift a burden or build something new. Every hand held to protect those in danger. Every child taught and floor cleaned… One thousand utterings of thanks. I’m glad you’re here. Best wishes — Thorn
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T. Thorn Coyle
Hello friends, It is early January. Another Gregorian calendar year. Outside my window, the sun shines after rain. Wisps of grey clouds hover low, kissing utility wires. It’s gorgeous outside, and feels still. The air is cold and soft with moisture. Crows call to one another, cars drive by. Tea steams its fragrance at my side. Today is another day to ponder, work, and plan. Today is another day to choose. What will you choose, repeatedly, this year? What do you plan? What might you build?...
Hello friends, Believe it or not—and despite the first paragraph—below are more thoughts about hope… As one Gregorian calendar year draws to a close, many of us are gazing into a highly volatile, uncertain future. The US economy seems to teeter on a precipice. With scant oversight and terrified or deported workers, our food supply is both compromised and costly. Environmental regulations are gutted. Families are rent apart. Too many people live in fear of what the next day will offer. This...
Hello friends, “Light is returning, even though this is the darkest hour. No one can hold back the dawn…” – Charlie Murphy & Jami Sieber It’s Solstice weekend as I write this. It is cold outside. There’s flooding not far from here. There are families afraid to go to work or school. There are people hoarding power and wealth who care only for themselves. There are mass shootings. War. There are people fueled by cruelty, hatred, and fear. These are dark times, indeed. These are also times of...