The Greatest Gift

(Artwork by Virginia Robert)

As her hands traced her body,

gathering her soul through her skin,

she held the glowing sphere

up to the sky, drew in all her breath

and released the stagnant air held

within her lungs.

She emptied everything inside

until she was an empty shell.

Holding her soul in her outstretched palms,

she said "This is my greatest gift and all

I have to offer you, my Beloved."

God smiled brilliant rays of sunlight across her face.

"No, my child. This is the gift I have given you."

And the earth wept as rain upon the land,

life sprang from the soil and the sun shone upon her soul.

She knew she was perfect just as she was. 

An amazing creature of light. 

She knew she was loved eternally

and this brought her the greatest joy

beyond any imaginable thing.

Sunday Morning

Sunday morning.  I'm sitting outside with my second cup of coffee and enjoying a rare morning.

It is a beautiful, cool, spring day and I have off from work.  This combination is quite rare, indeed!

Recent rains pushed through the state, leaving cooler air in it's wake.  It will warm back up quickly this week, so I put aside my grand "to-do" list for sitting on my porch and enjoying this splendid morning.

I observe a pair of Western Tanagers flitting about in the mesquite tree that shelters my porch and delights me every time I look outside.  The pair of birds don't seem bothered by my presence but continue to move about the branches feeding on small insects.  The Tanager is a beautiful, bright yellow bird with a patch of orange on top of it's head, black wings and tail.  It is migratory, living in the high country most of the year.

I always consider it a privilege to observe wildlife outside in nature.  It feels as if I'm being given a gift from the divine universe, a reminder that there is beauty and amazement all around us if we are willing to be still and open to truly "see".

The bees cover the branches of the mesquite, collecting pollen from it's fuzzy, pale yellow flowers.
I can see hummingbirds hovering high above the pine trees across the courtyard.  There is so much activity this time of year. Everything is blooming.  It is a time of growth and renewal.
The cool breeze mixes with the tones of my wind chimes as I sit here writing in my journal.

I spend so much of my life inside man-made structures that it is nice to be outside.  It is a reminder to myself that I must make time to hike in the woods, to look up at the night sky, to walk upon the earth and observe the palpable silence of nature undisturbed by man.  The silence of nature has a presence that demands, quietly, that we pay attention.

I am grateful for this morning's gifts. It is truly a beautiful day!

This one's for you, dad.

I wanted my first post on my new blog to be dedicated to my father, who passed away on May, 5, 2015, after a two year battle with cancer.

He was a great role model and my hero.

Excerpt from my journal 5/4/15:

Today, I shall be sad.  Stepping out of time, watching my father's labored breathing, the rattling sounds coming from his chest.  The signs are there of his inevitable passing from his physical body.
My father was present for my birth into this world, it is only right that I be here for this.  How do I say goodbye to someone I've known and loved my whole life?  I've only known my life with him in it.

Today, I shall be brave, for my mom, for my family.  Help them do what needs to be done.  I am wrapped in grief.  It drowns every cell in my body with it's keening.  I love my dad and will miss him more than words can express.

Godspeed, dad!