I receive the blessings of December
• Deep cold and warm sun, scattered across my days
• Baking cookies with my mom and sisters
• A fire in the grate and the warmth of family beside it
• The true gifts of presence – of hugs and smiles and openhanded generosity
And offer this blessing in response
• May your heart receive the gifts that come your way with joy.
• May you spill your own gifts into the world with abandon - and there find even deeper joy.
I receive the blessings of November
• Taking time with family, with all the bustle and with moments of quiet relaxation
• Rediscovering gratitude as part of the glue that binds hearts to one another
• A beautiful fall in Texas, right outside my door. Full of red and yellow, full of quiet joy.
I offer this blessing in response
• May you find the time to see the interrelatedness of all creation, where each heart’s gift calls another into the dance.
I receive the blessings of October
• The birthday gift of presence from my family, willing to join me outdoors despite the wind and unexpected heat
• The whimsy of encounters with armadillos and cows
• The crunch of leaves underfoot
I offer this blessing in response
• May you catch the eyes of a friend, this day, and see within in them a reflection of your worth to them – and give in jubilant response, the confirmation of their worth to you.
I receive the blessings of September
• The giggles of little girls tumbling together in play
• The wonder of growing bodies, growing bones, growing minds, growing hearts pulled by the sheer exuberance of life – full and free
• The first sight of the ocean, a brisk walk, visiting with friends in Maine
• Glimpses of wildlife – turkey, deer, fox, eagle – anchoring me to a world more grounded than the insistent call of the news
I offer this blessing in response
• May you hear the whisper – or the shout – of life within you, joyfully calling you forward into this day, this very day
I receive the blessings of August
• The rhythm of rain upon the roof after so many days of dry and hot
• An escape to the mountains with friends, hiking trails, catching sight of such majesty, listening to the chatter of a stream
• Sharing a dinner with friends, flavored with fond memories and the simple gestures of kind and faithful love
• One cool morning back home, that feels a bit like a taunt, but holds real promise
I offer this blessing in response
• May your heart know the blessings that hide inside your challenges and hold to the deep assurance that your own path leads through beauty and bends towards home
I receive the blessings of July
• A walk in the early part of the day, catching a deer and a mother possum with babies on her back
• Air conditioning and fans – and gratitude for a way to escape the heat
• Watching our kids guide their kids through the challenges of life – knowing that their job is not to make the path smooth, but to teach them to face the challenges with courage
I offer this blessing in response
• May you find cool in the midst of heat, peace in the midst of challenge and joy among the small kindnesses that come your way.
[photo from Flickr by Steve Rainwater per cc 2.0]
I receive the blessings of June
• Watching the granddaughters play together – focused, joyful, creative
• Nestling into a family vacation where we discover, again, the blessing of each other’s presence
• Listening to my mother and aunt remember their childhood days
• Watermelon as the taste of summer
I offer this blessing in response
• May you weave life and hope into each story that you tell, remembering with both honesty and grace the moments that shape your soul
I receive the blessings of May
• Thundering rainstorms healing the cracks in the dry ground
• An unexpected cool spell following unseasonal heat – both reminding me that, thankfully, my sphere of control is limited and the choice to respond is where my heart can find peace
• A four-generation picnic, with cascading delight, heart to heart to heart
I offer this blessing in response
• May this very moment whisper life into your heart as you stop to take a breath – in and out – and find that there is time enough for gratitude, even today
[Photo by Ian Sanderson on flickr per cc 2.0]
I receive the blessings of April
• The geese in my neighbor’s pond, mother patiently upon the nest, father faithfully patrolling nearby
• The joy of children dancing, emersed in the music and the sheer delight of movement
• The soft nod of my mother, watching my granddaughters at play
• The unconquerable spirit of spring, pushing itself up through the ground and out through each tiny branch
I offer this blessing in response
• May the spirit of love, which is life itself, rise in your heart and extend itself through your fingers to bless the earth around you
I receive the blessings of March
• Whispers of spring in the garden, tender sprigs that somehow defy the frosty fingers of the night
• The hopeful, happy call of birds
• An unbundled walk among the trees, shedding my coat along the way
• The way my soul is nudged awake by the conversations of friends
And I offer this blessing in response
• May your heart follow the voice of a friend to find wonder, hope, and the tender tenacity of new growth.