In a conversation with a dear friend, we talked of the struggle of trying to be present and grateful in times such as these. Every moment we are called to choose; each breath is a seed of choice, and the choice becomes more and more profound, as the world swirls in uncertainty, asking; How willContinue reading “Anchors and Altars”
Author Archives: TerraLea
Embracing Pain: A Journey to Self-Reflection
Slash of pain, blood at my fingertip, then drips on the cutting board as I quickly wrap my finger in a paper towel, all the while berating myself for stupidly cutting my finger while chopping carrots. I paused the running narrative between my ears, thanks to years of mindful training, now I am getting aContinue reading “Embracing Pain: A Journey to Self-Reflection”
This is such a slog. And, a journey of inspiration and inner peace.
1,800 foot elevation gain, highest altitude 7,123 feet, 7.4 miles of varied terrain, from lovely alpine meadows to melting glacial snows. This is the Skyline Loop trail on Mount Rainier, arguably one of the premier mountain hikes in the world. This lovely active volcano in the Pacific Cascade range south of Seattle boasts unparalleled flora- someContinue reading “This is such a slog. And, a journey of inspiration and inner peace.”
One mosquito, two mosquitoes, three mosquitoes, four.
Five mosquitoes, six mosquitoes, now I’m out the door. Some get squeamish around spiders, or slugs, maybe you find moths creepy. I hate— double hate— mosquitoes. I swell up with a bite, and if I become bug food at night, I will scratch until I bleed. There are mosquito bite scars on my body. So,Continue reading “One mosquito, two mosquitoes, three mosquitoes, four.”
Chills, goosebumps, tears. The metrics of awe.
A couple of weeks ago, the aurora borealis was so present, many that have never seen those sky fireworks saw sun sparks dancing right outside the doorstep. My husband tracked the time of the best show, packed his camera equipment, and hurried down to the beach a few miles away. I was sleeping, dreaming ofContinue reading “Chills, goosebumps, tears. The metrics of awe.”
What if…(some good thing)
When I was a public school teacher, if I described something new that would be happening, the student reaction was the same whether it was a good thing; field trip, kickball game, or party—or a possible bad thing; test coming up, new unit, new kid. When I asked, “Questions?” Pause. Then, almost without fail, “WhatContinue reading “What if…(some good thing)”
I love you 10 + 1
A February dedication to self-love. A friend laughed while handing me a book and said, “My love language is gifts.” I took the book, said my thanks and went home wondering, because, well, I didn’t feel loved in that moment. In fact, I felt uncomfortable. I’ve heard about Gary Chapman’s book, The Five Love Languages,Continue reading “I love you 10 + 1”
Welcome today with a spirit of wonder.
May I… we use polite language with others, but do we treat ourselves with the same respect and courtesy? Do we ask, May I?
be excessively gentle with yourself.
John O’Donohue, Irish poet, priest and philosopher, offered prescriptive wisdom for the tumult of these times. In the Blessing for The One Who Is Exhausted, in his beautiful book of blessings; To Bless the Space Between Us, he writes, “weariness invades your spirit. Gravity begins falling inside you, dragging down every bone, … something withinContinue reading “be excessively gentle with yourself.”
Gratia is grace + kindness
I could feel the excitement rising as I walked down the wooded path. I had a bag of candles in one hand and my cell phone in the other. The path was covered with a layer of big leaf maple leaves, brown and gold and wet, so no crunch as I walked over them. ItContinue reading “Gratia is grace + kindness”