15 February 2012

mindful mornings. today's pace.

one of my favorite spots in the kitchen is my kitchen window.  i've crafted it to be an altar in the world.  an altar in my world.  it's filled with bits and pieces from my days.  broken robin egg shells from walks in my neighborhood, an opened seed pod from the back garden, found bird feathers, an intention/prayer candle, a mindfulness jar, green plants, and wisdom's reminders.


there's nothing particularly special about this space and everything special about it all at once.  it's crafted as bits and pieces are added.  from time to time it's cleaned. i remove everything and return it to its place.

there's a rhythm to that process of removing everything and returning it to its place that's taken shape in the rhythms of my day.  as my mornings shift from being a one-car family for a couple of weeks to a two-car family again, what has been removed from daily routines is now being returned.  i love that gentle nudge that comes when you've held onto an object, a thought, a routine that once it's out of sight & mind for a bit, you can let it go.  that nudge welcomes the release and you know you made a good choice to clean house.  then you sweep it away without regret.

of course the imagery of removing everything and returning it to its place spills into our daily routines and rituals, into our relationships, and into our habits.

this time of the year seems to me the most busy for the boards i serve.  orientations, trainings, art auctions, fundraisers.  oh, my.  it's enough to keep your head spinning.  i wonder: are we creating those nurturing spaces for growth as we keep our selves busy, busy?  my productive time in this season is spent nurturing individual relationships, stitching and piecing stories and quilts, clicking two needles together to knit, listening to the sound of my shoes as i crunch along on morning frost.  i retreat inward at the same time, listening to the practices and rhythms that i have developed to see what needs release before moving into the spring.


honoring this time.  offering myself the time and space to create.  living each day while looking forward to what beautiful days await.  leaning into the sadness of illness, death, and loss.  oh, what a mixture.  life.

today is a day to create.  i am creating a new rhythm for this day, picking up around this cozy home, and eventually getting into the studio to make things and set the table for tomororw's creative clergy.

what do you create today in your experience of living?  


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