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 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
[photo is my own]
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 am grateful for today
For the sun upon the leaves
For the breeze upon my cheek
For the yellow of the flower
For the soft sigh of my love.
These gifts offer
Small, sweet flavor
For my day.
I am grateful.
[photo by Abdillah Wicaksono per cc 2.0]
oh my holy one
your whisper softly brushes
the surface of my soul
your deep compassion
calls up the love within me
your gracious smile
plays across my heart
and spills out of my eyes
you within me
that is where hope begins.
[photo by Andi Erdner per cc 2.0]
Quiet Hope 