When I grew up in a small rural community, St. Joseph Day was over-shadowed (to say the least) by the March 17 Feast of St. Patrick. All the festivities of the wearin’ o’ the green hung over the quiet invitation to celebrate on March 19 with the calm, reserved presence of Joseph, simple carpenter and…
You’ve heard haiku talked about as a product of Japan. After 50 years of life related to Japan, I can attest that haiku is definitely important to them and has become very helpful to my life. To me the northern part of Japan is much like our land here in Iowa—much of it devoted to…
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” ―Brené Brown A number of years ago, I kept an image journal during a period of personal deepening. It was an effort to break out of my typical word-based journaling, to maybe be less in my head and more in my feelings. I drew an image…
Every farm family Has a framed portrait Of the land From above This view seen Through a camera lens Out the window Of a small airplane Delivered to the door Every farm family Knows their land as kin As their grandmother Their ancestor Their forever caregiver As their truest friend Seeing the land from above…
Early in the pandemic, I wrote in our PanDeepening blog about “The Air That We Breathe and the Spirit of God.” I noted that the power of breath is phenomenal, and that even the word breath (>Gk., pneuma, pneumatos = breath, spirit; > L. spirare; > Heb. ruach) tells us much about the creative Energy of…
Co-creating the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible requires deep presence. How can we hold space for—BE PRESENT in—the difficult conversations that gather seemingly dualistic opinions to illuminate common ground? This humorous, challenging, July of 2017, TED talk, “How our friendship survives our opposing politics,” highlights beautiful examples of how we—relationships intact—might: move…
I am not currently in a time of leaving. But I have been there. (Haven’t we all?) Ten years ago, I walked away from my life in Chicago. After 15 years in the city, my husband and I packed up our belongings, said goodbye to the friends who had become our family and moved to…
“… Remember you are this universe and this universe is you. Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you. Remember language comes from this. Remember the dance language is, that life is. Remember.” —Joy Harjo, from “Remember” One of the things I have always loved about poetry is that it can capture complex ideas…
I have a vivid recollection of serviceberry bushes heavy with ripe fruit. It was the summer of 2018 at Prairiewoods, toward the end of June and the day before my sister’s birthday on a Sunday afternoon. Jen Kardos and Fred Meyer from Backyard Abundance were gently and joyously leading a program called Foraging Urban Wild…
“Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can’t see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy…