“Communities of We”: Where Now?

The following is written by a perpetually novice wisdom seeker with early onset overly active mind syndrome, ever and always a student with several wonderful teachers and countless others. The importance of community seems to be especially relevant today. How is it defined and what has it meant, means and will it mean in our…

Blessings in the Chaos

Just a three-minute step outside the door of the Prairiewoods Guest House offered many “blessings in the chaos.” Drawn to the vibrant, beautiful stillness of these flowers and slow saunter of doe and fawn … “let there be an opening into the quiet that lies beneath the chaos,” echoed throughout all of creation on this…

Take a Step and Stop

“My grandmother once gave me a tip: In difficult times, you move forward in small steps. Do what you have to do, but little by little. Don’t think about the future, or what may happen tomorrow. Wash the dishes. Remove the dust. Write a letter. Make a soup. You see? You are advancing step by…

Then, Love the World

“What I loved in the beginning, I think, was mostly myself. Never mind that I had to, since somebody had to. That was many years ago. Since then I have gone out from my confinements, though with difficulty. I mean the ones that thought to rule my heart. I cast them out, I put them…

Nature Conversations: Vulnerability

“Conversation is perhaps our greatest hope not only for healing the rifts in human understanding but also for restoring and reinspiring our relationship with the natural world, which is our first and most profound home. Care of the world is always essential, and care arises from conversation.” —Thomas Dean, Introduction, Tallgrass Conversations: In Search of…

A Moment at a Time: Hope for a Nonviolent World 

Acknowledging that most if not all of us have experiences of deeply entrenched racism in our personal lives, in our family story, is a first, fierce step toward spiritually, practically and creatively practicing nonviolence. In attempting to embody nonviolence in her own life, Minnijean Brown-Tricky began by tracing her personal narrative of nonviolence and “the…

Memories from Past Garden Parties

Picture this: Last winter, my husband and I spent days decorating our house to look like a grand ballroom in the heart of New Orleans. We cooked a four-course dinner, complete with jambalaya, shrimp with remoulade sauce and beignets. We got in Mardi Gras costumes and donned our masks and beads. And then our eight…