Sunday, May 17th
Seeds of Change
This past week has been a busy one, continuing to amend and prepare the soil in our vegetable garden beds for this season’s planting, hoeing short rows in the raised beds, and setting a variety of seeds in the furrows. As I cover the seeds and firm the soil around them, I am reminded of Mark Nepo’s “The Book of Awakening” and his anology of the seeds cracking open in the dark, surrendering to a process they can’t see. Each spring, I remain in awe as I watch those tiny, tender seedlings break through the hard crust of soil, searching..reaching for the light. Nepo says, “By nature, we are all quietly given countless models of how to give ourselves over to what appears dark and hopeless, but which ultimately is an awakening that is beyond all imagining. This moving through the dark into blossom is the threshold to God.”
We hold on to these hopeful words in this ever changing world, seeing the beauty through the chaos. No matter what is happening in our humanness, Mother Earth continues to teach us. The glories and wonderment of spring are still happening. We encourage you to take delight in it. The fragrance of the opening lilac blossoms in this morning’s gentle wind were swoon-worthy. The birds are still singing. “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” ~ Julian of Norwich
Quotes to ponder
“As a seed buried into the earth cannot imagine itself as an orchid or hyacinth, neither can a heart packed with hurt imagine itself loved or at peace. The courage of the seed is that once cracking, it cracks all the way.” ~ Mark Nepo
The Seed Cracked Open
It used to be
That when I would wake in the morning
I could with confidence say,
“What am ‘I’ going to
Do?”
That was before the seed
Cracked open.
Now Hafiz is certain:
There are two of us housed
In this body,
Doing the shopping together in the market and
Tickling each other
While fixing the evening’s food.
Now when I awake
All the internal instruments play the same music:
“God, what love-mischief can ‘We’ do
For the world
Today?” ~ Hafiz (translated by Daniel Ladinsky)
“How amazing is it that you are being supported towards the continuous practice of self care, including empowerment, through spending so much more time with yourself, the ones you live with and love so dearly. And, this is happening all over the world, just like Spring is flourishing at home, in your community and across the globe.” ~ Annie L. Breau
Looking Ahead/Notes of Interest
Our youngest Paths of Heart Community member, Jasper, sent us this Hope poem to share with you. Thank you, Jasper!
As noted in recent newsletters, we’ve started something new on Sunday mornings. Mark and Colleen will be available each Sunday on Facetime (or FB Messenger or Zoom if you prefer!) from 10:30 a.m. – noon (when we’d normally be hanging out with you at Paths of Heart).
We’d love to visit with you individually in 10-15 minute increments to simply chat or maybe share a poem or a tune with you that you love . Let us know (you can reply to this newsletter) what time (and platform) is best for you and we’ll confirm with that time or the closest available. Depending on demand, if all the slots fill up for this week, you’ll be first in line next week! We’ll see how this goes and where it might lead…More is always being revealed!
Gratitudes
Thanks for the notes of encouragement and love we receive in our inbox and through the mail each week!
“Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” ~ Alphonse Karr
“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!