Thursday, October 29, 2009

Wondering...

Returning home, I find myself walking between multiple worlds. The ancestral mind and time for intentionality and presence were abundant on my recent trip. Back in Seattle, on a 'thin day' where the space between heaven and earth almost disappears, I experience a sense of floating and being grounded all at the same time. My own words fail me and so I turn to words of another and images of my own.

Today, I continue a journey that started who knows when as I head to Hood Canal with my wonderful sister to a retreat called "Honoring the Ancestors." My heart is already overflowing and I wonder if it can hold anymore. Wondering leads my way both past and present...

I move among the ankles
of forest Elders, tread
their moist rugs of moss,
duff of their soft brown carpets.
Far above, their arms are held
open wide to each other, or waving--


what they know, what
perplexities and wisdoms they exchange,
unknown to me as were the thoughts
of grownups when in infancy I wandered
into a roofed clearing amidst
human feet and legs and the massive
carved legs of the table,


the minds of people, the minds of trees
equally remote, my attention then
filled with sensations, my attention now
caught by leaf and bark at eye level
and by thoughts of my own, but sometimes
drawn to upgazing -- up and up: to wonder
about what rises
so far above me into the light.

irish trees © lucy

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Just a few things I Learned in Ireland...

Ireland has more colors of green than any box of crayons.

Hospitality and Ireland could share one definition in a dictionary.

The ancestors are alive and well.

The ground holds the presence of times gone past. If you listen closely, the wind will whisper secrets into your ears. If your heart is open, no words are necessary.

St. Brigid's fire burns as bright today as in her own lifetime.

The womb of the earth is safe and whole and dark and lovely.

The future guides us into the present. The past greets us and the three become the Holy now.

Holy cow - is there any doubt?

People are generous at heart.

Guinness is most satisfying by the 1/2 pint.

A sip of Irish cream makes a fine dessert.

There is NO potato famine in Ireland today.

Stone bridges do not yield. They are made for crossing and honking your horn doesn't mean someone will hear it.

There are portals between worlds: gates - pathways - doors come in all shapes and sizes. Stone, air, wood, water. And in all colors - forest green, stone gray, sea blue, red of fire, yellow, green, orange, blue, white and black.

The killeen are alive and well in the soil of St. Mary's Church.

There is a great orchestrator in the cosmos. Just listen and you will hear the next step.

"May the stars light your way and may you find the interior road forward." - traditional Irish farewell

photos © lucy
Glendolough
St. Brigid @ her well
Holy Cow - Dowdstown
St. Saviour Church window

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Celtic Spirituality and the Wisdom of the Ancestors

"Pilgrims are poets who create by taking journeys." -- Richard R. Niebuhr

7:30 Morning Prayer and Breakfast

Newgrange, Hill of Tara

Midday Meal and Afternoon free to rest, contemplate, and explore

17:00 Noble Silence

18:00 Evening Meal followed by Evening Prayer and Pilgrimage
Closure Celebration

20:00 Celtic Music Celebration with Claire Roche - Harpist

Overnight: Dowdstown House Retreat Center, near the Hill of Tara

Friday, October 23, 2009

St. Brigid of Kildare - Mary of the Gael

"Have you ever imagined yourself in a place that stirred your soul like the song of doves at dawn? Uncover what you long for and you will discover who you are." -- Phil Cousineau

7:30 Morning Prayer and Breakfast

9:00 Depart for Kildare, St. Brigid’s Well, St. Brigid’s Cathedral

Midday Meal and Afternoon free to rest, contemplate, and explore

19:00 Evening Meal, Noble Silence and Evening Prayer

Overnight: Dowdstown House Retreat Center, near the Hill of Tara

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Back to Dublin - National Treasures

"A great traveler...is a kind of introspective; as she covers the ground outwardly, so she advances fresh interpretations of herself inwardly." -- Phil Cousineau

I wonder if Dublin will look different than it did a few days ago?

7:30 Morning Prayer and Breakfast

9:00 Depart for Dublin

10:00 Celtic treasures at the National Museum and the Book of Kells at
Trinity College

Midday Meal and Free Afternoon to explore Dublin

19:00 Evening Meal

21:00 Noble Silence and Evening Prayer

Overnight: Glendalough Hotel, County Wicklow

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Glendalough, Quiet Day - Wisdom of the Heart

"What is sacred is what is worthy of our reverence, what evokes awe and wonder in the human heart, and what when contemplated transforms us utterly." -- Phil Cousineau

7:30 Morning Prayer and Breakfast

9:00 Guided meditation on the ancient Wisdom of the Heart Spiritual Practice
Free Day for quiet, reflection, contemplation, and rest

16:00 St. Mary’s Church for Celtic Communion Celebration

19:00 Evening Meal followed by Noble Silence and Evening Prayer

Overnight: Glendalough Hotel, County Wicklow

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Glendalough - St. Kevin’s Desert

"...the prayers in the old Celtic tradition could aid our search for a spirituality that seeks God by looking towards the heart of life, not away from life." J. Philip Newell

7:30 Morning Prayer and Breakfast

9:00 Presentation on Desert Spirituality and the Celtic Tradition

Guided and reflective pilgrimage walk to Diseart Chaoimhin (St. Kevin’s Desert), St. Kevin’s Cell, Reefert Church and overview of St. Kevin’s Bed (a sacred cave where St. Kevin fasted for Lent)

Midday Meal and Afternoon free to rest, contemplate, and explore

17:30 Oral Tradition as a narrative method for Spiritual Listening

19:00 Evening Meal, Noble Silence and Evening Prayer

Overnight: Glendalough Hotel, County Wicklow

Monday, October 19, 2009

Glendalough - The Monastic City

"Pilgrimage, a transformative journey to a sacred center... Always, it is a journey of risk and renewal. For a journey without challenge has no meaning; one without purpose has no soul." - Phil Cousineau

7:30 Morning Prayer and Breakfast

9:00 Glendalough Visitor’s Center, Guided Pilgrimage Walk through the
ancient and famous Monastic City of Glendalough, St. Kevin’s Well, Kevin’s Church, St. Kieran’s Church, Cathedral, Round Tower and St. Mary’s Church.

Midday Meal and Afternoon free to rest, contemplate, and explore

17:30 Presentation on Wisdom of the Ancestors

19:00 Evening Meal followed by Noble Silence and Evening Prayer

Overnight: Glendalough Hotel, County Wicklow

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Celtic High Crosses and Orientation

Back in Dublin - Tess leaves for England and Christine and I journey onward.

14:30 Depart from Spiritual Directors International in Europe Conference (btw--I was zipping around Ireland instead of sitting in a conference - which I am certain was wonderful. Nonetheless, with limited time and resources, my wild woman spirit called for the open road this time.)

Monasterboice High Cross and Hill of Slane

18:00 Welcome, Orientation, Introduction to Pilgrimage and Noble Silence ***
Evening Meal and Evening Prayer

Overnight: Glendalough Hotel, County Wicklow

***Craving space and silence, I must admit the thought of Noble Silence (i.e. no communication throughout the evening and dinner makes me a little nervous.)

"If we truly want to know the secret of soulful travel, we need to believe that there is something sacred waiting to be discovered in virtually every journey." - Phil Cousineau

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Enjoy the Ride aka Irish Driving Instructions

As promised yesterday, here are the driving pointers from a stateside friend. Buckle in and enjoy the ride.

1) They drive on the left side of the road in Ireland. I'm sure you already knew this, but I'd hate for you to be surprised. It has to do with Britain's stubbornness against Napoleon, but you don't need to know all that. It's not that big of a deal, really. Just keep it in mind when you make a turn and your instinct tells you what lane to move into. Just don't forget and you'll be fine. If nothing else, the gear stick being in the "wrong" place will be a constant reminder. I kept banging my right hand against my door. :-D

2) Like most of Europe, the automatic transmission is luxury most cars don't come with as standard. If you really don't (or can't) drive stick, be sure to ask for it at the time you make your reservation and be prepared to pay more for it (a lot more). But shifting gears as you swosh up and around the hills and curves of the countryside is a blast!!! (I suggest building up your leg muscles before going if you are out of practice with a clutch.)

3) Don't drive in Dublin. You don't need a car and you won't want one. They have overcrowded roadways and good public transportation for everything that isn't actually in walking distance (most things).

4) Once you get outside of Dublin the rolling and sweeping vistas are a joy to drive! But there are a few things to be wary of:

4A) Sheep. I almost ran over two outside of Hollywood (they filmed Braveheart there). I was actually hoping to experience more "Irish traffic jams," but did not. Better luck to you. ;-)

4B) The roads are on the narrow side. Except for the major highways around Dublin and into/out of Dublin, the roads are small. To give you some idea: the Irish (Gaelic) word for road literally translates as "cow path." (Did I mention that the roads are narrow?)

4C) Expect to do your civil duty and trim some roadside hedges with the car. The driver's side mirror should be on a spring; don't worry about it.

4D) Beware of the farm equipment. The tractors (and there are a lot of them) are wide (remember 4B) and slow. Be patient and polite; the Irish are and it seems to work.

4E) You won't see too many bicyclists or pedestrians on the country roads, but they are out there so keep an eye out and give them a wide berth (or as wide as the narrow roads will allow).

4F) Beware the tourist busses! These behemouths are the only thing I hated about driving in Ireland. The only things worse than getting stuck behind one is have a bus or large lorry (truck) pass you in the opposite direction. Just do a little hedge trimming and don't panic. It's not as bad as it looks (although it does always look bad).

4G) The major highways that circle Dublin and spoke out from it are clearly marked and bypass major urban centers. However, most of the "cow paths" (the fun driving) go through the many, many small towns. This gets confusing. There aren't a lot of signs in the towns/villages and none of the roads are straight. Christine saved us from getting turned around a lost several times, each day. (I plan to submit this to the Vatican, after she dies, as one of her many miracles.) In short, bring a co-pilot to help with directions.

5) I'm sure I'm missing something, but this "note" has turned epic, so I'll stop now before I run out of room. Driving in Ireland is a real treat. Don't be scared off; just be prepared and enjoy the ride!

That last line sounds like a great motto for life, huh?

Friday, October 16, 2009

Kindred Spirits Hit the Road

Kindred spirits come to me/us in a variety of shapes and forms. Today, Tess and I go to the airport and meet another of my most kindred, Christine. This is the part of the journey which is the least planned. How cool is that?

I have never been a tour-group-kind-of-girl and signing up for the pilgrimage with a group of 35 was a bit of a stretch for me. Friends and family (and I) still marvel at the fact that I took off for Paris - solo and had the time of my life. Anyone who reads here knows that I love to listen to the little niggles in life and follow where the wind might blow. When I decided to come to Ireland, the one thing I knew for certain was that I needed to head out into the countryside - away from the city, the tour buses and the usual guideb00k route. Perhaps being the daughter of a long-distance truck driver taught me the appreciation of the open road.

So...back to kindred spirits... Christine and Tess have volunteered to go with me wherever the trail may lead us AND they are going to let me drive. We have a car reserved, an atlas in hand and miles to go before we sleep. You'll have to wait until I return stateside to see where we land.

Today, Tess and I pick up Christine at the airport and hit the Irish road. As the plan goes, we should be back in Dublin by Sunday afternoon in time to start the "real" pilgrimage. I hope you will tune in tomorrow and enjoy the driving instructions I received from C's beloved (another kindred spirit) who has entrusted her to me for a few days.

Woohoo!! We're off on the winding Irish road. May traveling mercies abound!!

photo ©h3images.com taken in eastern washington

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Not one. But not two.

"Just like the sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and the song. Not one. But not two." -- Joan Chittister quoting an ancient

Earlier this week Sunrise Sister wrote a lovely post reflecting on traveling and whether or not we have companions alongside us. One of the main questions people asked as I prepared for my trip is "who are you going with?" or "are you traveling alone?" I have had a hard time responding. I mean - do we ever really travel alone? On the flipside, can anyone else truly know where we've been or where we are going? "Not one. But not two." Profound, huh?

Today, I am reunited with one of my favorite blogging sisters, Tess of Anchors & Masts. We met online several years ago and had the delight of meeting in person almost two years ago in Paris. She is taking on the daunting task of keeping me awake throughout the day so I can get myself acclimated to UK time. Additionally, she has offered to meet me at the airport, steer me toward our lodging and carry my bags. Now that's a great traveling companion!

photo from Paris 2008

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Leavin' on a jet plane

The heavy is the root of the light.


The unmoved is the source of all movement.


Thus the Master travels all day


without leaving home.


However splendid the views,


she stays serenely in herself.

Lao-Tzu, Tao de Ching
(found at Whatever else my life is...)



My bags are packed. I'm ready to go. Oh, goodness. I'm channeling John Denver. :-) The sillies and giggles are taking over about now. When I read the above quote at Rebecca's site, I could not help but think of my own trip. As I consider "the heavy is the root of the light," I realize all that has gone before to bring me to this place. Years of heaviness and weight has somehow been transformed into amazing groundedness.

When I think of going to Ireland, I imagine the cliffs and the air so thin between heaven and earth that you can reach out and touch the ancestors who have gone before us. I feel the air holding me and lifting me like a feather. I feel like I can float away on the wings of the wind. Perhaps I shall. Still, I know the "heavy" will hold me. It will balance the light. There is freedom in being grounded. There is movement in the unmoved. I could stay inside the four walls of my own home and "travel all day". Today, however, I'm leavin' on a jetplane. Don't know when I'll be back again. (There's John Denver again. Do you think he's Irish?) Like I said, goosebumps and giggles have taken over my body and I am light as a feather. I feel like I could fly to Ireland without the plane.

Stay tuned for updates along the way. They won't be prime time, but they'll have to do.

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me

Hold me like you'll never let me go

Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
-- John Denver

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Ireland Bound

"In Ireland it is considered a 'soft day' when the drizzle and mist caress the earth. This softness often seeps into the soul, opening and inviting the heart to be present."


Six months ago I read those words in an invitation to pilgrimage from Spiritual Directors International. As I looked out my Seattle window onto a Northwest 'soft day', my heart responded with a resounding "yes." At the time, I had little knowledge of what any pilgrimage entailed. I just knew I had to go.

Details like time and money helped the naysayers try to convince me maybe the trip wasn't such a great idea. Then I sojourned to Houston for the SDI conference where I was helping my friend, Christine, man her booth for Abbey of the Arts. Angels had been busy at work before our arrival and the pilgrimage call spoke loud and clear as I realized our table sat less than two feet from the guides for the Celtic journey. By the end of the conference, we felt like old friends and, needless to say, I had paid my deposit and was setting a path for Ireland.

Tomorrow, I board a noon flight to Chicago and from there to Dublin - arriving at 8:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. pst). My journey started long ago, but I (hopefully) depart with bags packed, passport in hand and a heart open for surprise.

My computer will not be traveling with me. I am taking only the essentials, however, in preparation for my trip I have created a series of posts to appear over the next several days outlining my itinerary. I started to say "where I am going," but that question remains to be answered. Please join me for the adventure and feel free to leave a comment or two in case my wireless service works and I take a peak. It would be wonderful to know you're along for the ride.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Sacred Sunday: Pondering Poetry


Thursday was National Poetry Day in the UK. Tess wrote a lovely post that has stayed with me most of today. Here was my response:

this is a very thought-provoking post for me. i do not remember lullaby’s ever being sung to me except in the recesses of my mind, so they must have come from somewhere. the poetry i remember from school was dissected and examined in such critical detail that i did not like it at all… and so, when i think of my favorite poets, the first ones that come to mind are the “ordinary” people. the ones i have witnessed create beauty from just a moment or two of solitude. i remember the first time i was prompted to write a poem since the painful time of elementary and middle-school rhyming agony. it was sitting in the midst of a group of women who i know now were anything but ordinary. when the words popped out of my mouth, they pulled a string on my heart and i was hooked. now i can visit the likes of oliver, neruda, levertov, rumi, hafiz, o’donohue, berry and others without dissecting them and looking for iambic pentameter and whatever. i can let the words wash over me like the songs they were created to be.

alas my poet’s heart was awakened by this post. :-)

oh, and i am a sap for the love poems of elizabeth barrett browning.

How about you? Where and how (or does) poetry pull on the strings of your heart?

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Hospitality, Abundance & Scarcity

It is a glorious, overcast & mellow Saturday morning at my house. As I scooted around and visited some of my favorite blog sites earlier, I found several connected themes arising: hospitality, abundance and scarcity. All over the web are wonderful dream boards prompted by Jamie Ridler Studios. They honor the harvest moon and speak of our connection to earth and its abundance.

Pausing at Country Parson, the theme of scarcity popped onto my list as I read his post, Don't Spoil Them. In a nutshell, the question I heard was “if we give too much to them, will there be enough left for us”? Yikes! is my inner response - which leads to the last theme of hospitality.

This premise actually began stirring yesterday as I read the wonderful words exploring Emily Dickinson found at The Feminist Shepherd. "The Savior's only signature to the Letter he wrote to all mankind, was, A Stranger and ye took me in." How often do we turn away from “the stranger” and manufacture walls between us and them?

The final post that got me going may seem an unlikely one, but it was Kate I’s request to ponder Coffee and Tea. Her lovely photo of teacups sent me back in time to the day my siblings and I cleared out our mother’s cupboards for the final time. Tucked way in the back was a collection of gorgeous cups and saucers that I didn’t know existed. My sister assured me that Mother had indeed collected teacups – a fact totally new to me.

The contrast of Kate’s words inviting the hospitality that is unique to sharing a warm beverage with a friend (or stranger) against my mother’s hiding of these beautiful treasures sent me first to my camera and next to my keypad. You see, I know my mother was saving those cups for a “special” time. I grew up with lots of lovely things surrounding me, but most of them were tucked away – unburned candles, lace tablecloths, unopened bottles of wine – reserved for just the right time. In this I see a mentality of scarcity and separation. Who? When? What day would ever be special enough to bring out these treasures?

The battle of scarcity and generosity is one that still rages within me. I must be mindful to be extravagant rather than stingy and greedy. Today, I proudly exhibit those teacups in my home. While I prefer a heftier mug for my warm beverages, I love the beauty of these delicate pieces of china. I burn new candles almost as soon as they arrive - sometimes on the altar I share only with God in my silent moments. Other times they light the way for guests arriving at my home. It has been hard to break a mentality of scarcity. But really, who is more special than the person nearest in the moment – even if it’s only me?

In the coming week, I shall carry these themes with me: hospitality, scarcity and abundance. Whether I am sharing a cup of tea with my kitty cat, being served on an airplane by a flight attendant or enjoying a pint in an Irish pub with old and newfound friends, I pray that hospitality will prevail - leading to abundance and shutting the door on the mentality of scarcity. Love, after all, is meant to be shared.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on hospitality, scarcity and abundance as we enter the fall season here in the northern hemisphere. Perhaps today you will break out that special chocolate, use a quilt that has been tucked away or share a cup of coffee with a stranger. The possibilities are abundant!

mother's teacups 10.10.09

Friday, October 09, 2009

Labyrinth of Life

“Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known. We have only to follow the thread of the hero path, and where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god. And where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outward, we will come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be alone, we will be with all the world.” -- Joseph Campbell

The image of the labyrinth is one of a journey both inward and outward. It appears to meander and as with most journeys in life it is not linear. Lately, I seem to find the theme of pilgrimage everywhere. Part of it is that I have surrounded myself with books on the topic to help prepare for my own journey next week to Ireland. However, even as I am entering into those texts, I find how they overlay with my daily life and how I walk the path of pilgrimage each day.

Recently I was asked by my therapist (yes, I go to therapy and spiritual direction) whether or not I often ritualize things. My initial reaction was “no” and then I realized that ritualizing or re-creating experiences is what I do to make meaning. The therapist was referring to a recent event I relayed about visiting my parent’s grave in Oklahoma. It was a surreal and impacting event. As I sat between my parents’ gravesites, I listened to the silence around me and was gently led through a process of ritual that led to new healing in my relationship with my parents. It was a time of journeying inward to see what needed tending. I could not have planned it or if I had, I am certain the outcome would not have been the same. Nevertheless, I chose to enter the labyrinth of my childhood and was surprised by the healing that took place through a reenactment (ritualizing) of another time in space.

Last weekend, I led the Returning Home to Yourself workshop. It was yet another holy time. Looking back, I noticed how I had prepared and planned each exercise in great detail and with loving care. I was ready for the journey. Once it arrived, however, I found that by holding lightly to how I thought the group might respond and letting go of any perceived outcomes, the experience became richer than anything I might have imagined. A universal holiness came over the room as we engaged in ritual created in the moment. I stood in the center of our own labyrinth and let the spirit of God meet me there. In doing so, our group became one and more healing occurred.

In my last post, I asked the question, “How do you prepare for pilgrimage?” I am learning how it is I prepare and for today I believe this is my modus operandum: I do my homework, set aside time and space, lay the groundwork and then let go of everything I just did. In other words, I get out of my own way. Expectations and what if’s vanish into thin air and God moves in and creates something greater than I could possibly imagine. Sunrise Sister writes of a similar experience while visiting the holy land of Ephesus and Rebecca shares the same as she enters quiet time in her own home.

Today my pilgrimage has included an unexpected visitor early in the morning. Followed by the welcoming of a furry friend to visit for a few days. Sunshine. Blue skies and even a short nap before heading to work this afternoon. This evening, my family will gather to celebrate my daughter’s 17th birthday. All of these things make up the journey of a lifetime right here in my own backyard. They are the labyrinth I enter into and out of each day. They are where I meet the world and where God meets me. How can I possibly prepare? My only hope is that I be ready when the moments come.

Monday, October 05, 2009

How do you prepare for pilgrimage?

“Our souls rise up from our earth like Jacob waking from his dream and exclaiming “Truly God is in this place and I knew it not!” God becomes the only reality, in whom all other reality takes its proper place – and falls into insignificance.” Thomas Merton

Most days I want to pinch myself and ask, Is this my life? It is full and vibrant. Steady and (some would say) boring. I travel. I work. I rest. I eat and sleep and play. I experience ups and downs and get lost along the way. I go away and return again. I live in the light and dwell in the shadow. It is special and extraordinary and most often rather ordinary. Still...

Truly God is in this place. Surely I have awakened from a night – from a lifetime – of wrestling. I am so awake I can hardly believe it. The path of life beckons each day and I am excited. I am preparing to go on a pilgrimage to Ireland. I stop to realize, it is not about the destination. Life is a pilgrimage – a journey each day.

When I listen closely, I understand. I am awake and 'surely God is in this place and I knew it not.' Last week I went to Oklahoma City for a few days. I visited my childhood home and as I was preparing to leave, my friend said, “Now, onto the real adventure.” She meant Ireland, of course. Internally I felt a resounding “No!” Every day is an adventure. Sometimes we go more distant places and other times we don’t even leave home.

My trip to OKC was an exciting adventure. I loved it and I loved yesterday spent discovering my 'normal' surroundings... Getting up early knowing I could rest later in the day. What a gift to have a pilgrimage throughout an “ordinary” day. Not knowing what is around the next corner. A lovely meal – two actually – cooked by the side of the man I love. My daughter opening up and pouring out her frustrations – sharing her tears over a movie – laughing unabashedly. It is a gift witnessing the paradox that is a teenage woman. The day continued… Lying on the couch with a purring fluff-ball of a cat. Visiting an art gallery and weeping over the words of an artist. How can anyone say yesterday was not a pilgrimage – not a time of meaning?

I am looking forward to Ireland and gently preparing for my time there. Many have asked “why are you going?” and I find myself pondering, What do I want from my time in Ireland?

I want to place my toes in the cool morning dew – in the layers and layers of green rolling hills. I want to stand beside the ancient rocks and feel the breeze of the eternal wash over me. I want to stand on a cliff over the crashing sea and feel as if I could leap and take flight. I want to sit in a pub and listen to the strains of Irish song. I want to drink a pint or two or three and laugh until my side aches with friends I have not yet made and those I already adore. I want to sit in the quiet of a cathedral and listen to the silence. I want to drive in the country and get lost knowing I am only lost if I have let go of the hand of God. I want to leave room for surprise – lots of surprise!

I want to prepare, but I don’t want to schedule surprise out. Leaving room – making space. Surely God is in this place. Surely each day is a pilgrimage unto itself. How do you prepare for pilgrimage? Where will you journey today?

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Sacred Sunday: Walkin' on Sunshine

I love Sunday mornings. Lingering. Journaling. Taking time and space for me to see what rises up. Images - visual and written stir through my mind. The past week gone. The next not yet here. I sit in the sacred present. Only now.

Candlelight and gentle music. Fan blowing. Family sleeping. Coffee, hot and warm by my side. “Live with Passion.” Yes. Choose life. Choose me. Images call my name. Some already gathered. The girl in the pink sweater. She beckoned to me while I was preparing for my workshop. She was mine. Held in space until just the right time.

“Walkin’ on Sunshine.” My day yesterday. My life now. Inseparable from the universe. One moment folds into the next. Grounded. Whole. Light and airy. Held by the hand of God. The hands of my father. My ancestors.

Walking towards Ireland. Walking toward myself. I hold on and I move forward. With trepidation, not fear. Quivering, undulating movement. The pendulum of my grounded heart swings. The souls (soles) of my feet dance and move and walk on sunshine… with sunshine… through sunshine.

I am sunshine. Lucy of the light. Illuminated and free. My passion glowing and growing for others to see. I am Norah – the one of compassion. And Lil – life’s beauty. They surround me. Bold and emboldened.

The past and present collide and unite with the girl in the pink sweater. Head tossed back and laughing with glee. Trusting. Trusted. Held. Safe in the arms of my father and my mother. Grounded. They offered so much. Did their best. Healed me. Broke me. Made me.

Skipping and dancing, I share my light. My unique image of God. Belly full. Day arising. Lovely. Beautiful. Creating and created.