by Kat | Jun 5, 2018 | General, In This Moment
City living has its perks, but it also has its drawbacks. One of those drawbacks is ambient light at night, which makes seeing stars a challenge!
When I read this poem by Derek Walcott, I was carried back to my childhood and memories of seeing that last star boldly shining as the sun begins to tint the sky, or that first star to show itself as the sunlight faded. I hope it stirs equally pleasant memories for you.
Star
If, in the light of things, you fade
real, yet wanly withdrawn
to our determined and appropriate
distance, like the moon left on
all night among the leaves, may
you invisibly delight this house,
O star, doubly compassionate, who came
too soon for twilight, too late
for dawn, may your faint flame
strive with the worst in us
through chaos
with the passion of plain day
by Kat | May 29, 2018 | General, In This Moment
Dew covered blossom
At last after a slow start
More buds wait for June
After a very slow start, May is ending with a riot of color and growth. The best thing was the roses blooming over the weekend. The perfect way to welcome June!
It makes for a very happy way to start a Tuesday (that does not feel very Tuesday-like at all) and I hope your day eases you gently in to this short week!
by Kat | May 22, 2018 | General, In This Moment
This past week has been filled with gardening moments.
There is something that just feels so amazing that these little plants return year after year.
P.S. The Great American Read debuts tonight on PBS (at least it does on my PBS affiliate). You can find the list of the Read the 100 List here.
by Kat | Apr 17, 2018 | General, In This Moment
I can guarantee it is snowing. These fragile blossoms that bobbed gently in the winds, today bravely hold snow. Winter and Spring continue to battle, and Spring’s weekend victory has been usurped by a wintry blast.
But, perhaps the best balm is a bit of poetry:
Spring Snow
By Richard Greene
Wet snow coats
twig, branch and bud.
Against the still black street
the waning season
limns its last words
in bold calligraphy.
Today I am profoundly thankful for hot coffee, wooly sweaters, and no pressing need to leave the house.
by Kat | Apr 10, 2018 | General, In This Moment
Sometimes, those tiny moments all add up to an overwhelming moment that makes you stop and contemplate how you got there…
Last week was one of those weeks.
It all began with this very simple devotion from Henri Nouwen. Simple, but impactful…Giving and Receiving. I am good at one and horrible at the other. I love Henri Nouwen’s picture of giving and receiving in a yin-yang image. I spent much of the week considering why I struggle with the “receiving” portion of this symbiotic relationship. In every aspect of receiving… truly. Steve could tell you a million times of me getting upset with his help in the kitchen. I am very much of the mindset that it is much better to give than to receive. Yet, these simple words were like an arrow to my heart. I need to work on being a cheerful receiver. It is not easy, and it feels very uncomfortable to be on “the receiving end” of the equation.
Then, on Friday, Kym ushered in Poetry Month with this beautiful poem from Derek Walcott. And with those simple words, another spate of arrows struck my heart. I have printed the poem out and it is hanging at my desk. I have read it multiple times since Kym posted it and each time it overwhelms me with raw emotion and, yes, tears. On the heels of Michelle’s 5-day Self-Portrait Challenge where she pushed us to look at ourselves in new ways. As usual, she pushed me towards those uncomfortable edges of myself, but I managed to steer clear of them and superficially participate in each day’s assignment. This poem, however, brought that discomfort front and center.
So, this week, my tiny moment is me.
I am not writing this post to garner well wishes from you, Gentle Reader – in fact, I seriously debated turning off comments for this post.
However, what I am closing with is a question or two for you; how you deal with those laid bare moments – whatever they might be. Do you push the difficulty back in the corner and ignore it? Or do you take a more pro-active approach?
