Sunday, April 19th
Walking in Gratitude
Greetings dear ones ~ This week seems to have zoomed by (ha ha!) and mostly our minds and hearts have been focused on gratitude. After the last 2 roller coaster weeks, we were grateful to catch this post by friend and fellow musician, Michelle (Dalziel) Ingrham which noted, “I’m sure I am like so many of you. Some days are harder than others. I feel like crying all the hours of the day because I feel helpless, and other days I feel accomplished and grateful for the gifts God has given me that sustain me. All in all I am grateful for my life and I know this is all temporary and I’m not alone… It is ok to feel all the things we feel through this! It is ok! I think I broke down like 10 times on Saturday, trying to do simple everyday tasks. I’m ok with that because I know it’s not the tasks, it’s the edge of everything! Just know that I have ugly cried and I have belly laughed just like many of you have. We truly are in this together!”
WOW – same here! This really helped us put these last few weeks in perspective and led us back to that beautiful state of gratitude, knowing that ultimately – in the grand scheme of this mysterious and magnificent universe – things don’t happen to us, but happen for us (though we KNOW it’s often hard to accept that when we’re in the thick of things!). We can acknowledge our despair and grief, while at the same time knowing that in everything there is a lesson, and we can be grateful for that teaching. Our response to circumstances can make us bitter, or better, human beings. AND It’s ok to have a bad day some days. (that’s a link to a song Michelle wrote about the subject!).
“Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke
In gratitude for it ALL,
Colleen and Mark
Quotes to ponder
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Mutual awakening is the bridge between our experience as separate individuals and a collective, even global, experience of Oneness. We’re so trained in seeing ourselves as separate selves that it takes a powerful, direct experience to unwind centuries-old habits of individuality and really KNOW that we are connected in a profound field of loving awareness.” ~ Stephen Dinan
“When, as counselors and friends, we observe depression in others and are challenged to find a way to deal with it, we could abandon the notion that life always has to be cheerful. We recognize that melancholy can instruct us and be a place of acceptance and containment.” ~ Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul
“Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will comfort every corner of your life.” ~ Rumi
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
As we look longingly toward a time when we can be together again, we are content with our recent decision not to pursue Paths of Heart Zoom meetings. It simply doesn’t feel like a match for us. Thank you for all the notes we’ve gotten affirming to “let that one go!” As one Paths attendee stated (while encouraging us to be kind to ourselves), “Right now, we’re inundated with more online connections and resources than I can manage, and that’s probably true for many other people at Paths.” She had a great suggestion as an alternative ~ anyone who’s been inspired by something they’ve seen on the internet could send us links and we’ll include them in subsequent newsletters. Here is one of hers, of Canadian female physicians in a virtual choir, singing “We Rise Again.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuiqee-AC-o
Very moving!
Be well, and be kind and gentle with yourselves and others, till we meet again!
Gratitudes
We are really grateful for all the support we’ve had in the past several weeks in donations through the mail and on Paypal, even from folks who have never attended Paths of Heart in person. Wow!! It warms our heart that our gatherings and even just our newsletters are an important part of your week and that they bring you inspiration and solace during these days of isolation. Thank you!
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” ~ Anonymous
“You cannot do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Today I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.” ~ Anonymous
About Paths of Heart…
Paths of Heart is a high spirited, heart-centered community where we gather together (in new and creative ways!) for music, poetry, commentary, and dialogue to create and nurture joy, compassion, gratitude, and love – in our own lives and throughout the world. Paths of Heart is a 501(c)(3) Human Services/Educational non-profit organization that uses the arts, especially, to encourage and propel seekers of a better, more peaceful world to find ways to serve, while becoming more kind and compassionate human beings.
We welcome you as we collectively and individually explore the sweet mysteries of life – this is an invitation into co-creation!
Visit us on the web at https://www.pathsofheart.org
We hope our physical paths may cross soon!