A taste of spring...

 "Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."

Jalal ad-Din Rumi

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.  ~e.e. cummings

Just a quick little blog today, as I have so many things I want to do today, tomorrow, this week, next week, and so on!

At the moment, I'm loving the signs that spring is on its way. The birds have started singing their joyful song and I especially love to hear the blackbird singing away early in the morning, and at the end of the day.

The mornings and evenings are lighter now and the temperature is slowly starting to rise...

Snowdrops and crocuses are brightening gardens with their cheerful splashes of colour.

Buds are appearing on trees and bushes, along with catkins and pussy willows.

Hope is everywhere, along with the promise of new life, new beginnings, fresh starts.

I'm so looking forward to getting out and about in the fresh air, to really soak up the feelings, sounds, tastes, and smells of this invigorating, refreshing and optimistic time of year... 

♥

Sparks...

 

Hello again,
I've had quite a peaceful and reflective weekend, which I think was just what I needed. Sometimes life feels so busy, yet it's so important to spend some time just 'being' rather than 'doing'. Just sitting collecting thoughts and feelings together, and re-centering, is so therapeutic, so worthwhile...

Anyway, moving on... in this post, I thought I'd share this extract, from a play called 'Spoonface Steinberg' by Lee Hall. I really like it.

'... because when the world was made ... everything that there is, was all made of magic sparks - and all the magic sparks went into things - deep down and everything has a spark - but it was quite a while ago since it was made and now the sparks are deep down inside and the whole point of being alive - the whole point of living is to find the spark

- and when you meet someone and say hello - or if you tell them a joke or when you say that you love them or try and help someone or you see someone who is sad or injured or maybe they have lost all their money ... or maybe they're just a bit glum or hungry or you ask the time or maybe they've missed the train - all these people, all they need is help to find the spark...

... and if only you could see the spark then there was a meaning ... and the meaning was if you found the spark - then it would be like electricity - and you would glow like a light and you would shine like the sparks and that was the meaning - ... it was glowing - it was finding the sparks inside you and setting them free.' ...

Points for reflection...
Have you found your spark?
What makes you feel really alive?

Hyperreal...

 

Some moments in life can never be forgotten... memories fade, but certain moments stay imprinted in their stark reality for ever... I still struggle sometimes to believe the events of this time last year... I know it happened, yet it sometimes feels like it happened in a different lifetime. And in some ways, it was a different lifetime... I am a different person now... me and Iona both are...

I remember the first phonecall... the waiting... then the second phone call. Radiohead, Street Spirit (Fade Out) playing in the background, as I had to tell Iona the awful news that her Dad had died... Surely the worst possible thing in life that a parent could ever have to tell their child is that their other parent has died...

But somehow, we've survived the first year without him. I'm so proud of us, and i know that he would be too.

I hope you're at peace now. We miss you. Thanks for the happy memories of so many good times - and for all I learnt through the bad times...

I smile when I listen to the shamen, and remember us dancing madly in those good old days!

<3

 

 

Loving, living, learning...

Hello again,

This is just a quick little blog, as I'm in the middle of doing a newsletter that I'd planned to have ready for the 1st of February... But, hey ho! - I'm going gently on myself, as this a difficult time for me; those of you who know me well, will know why.

The theme of my newsletter is Self Love. (That's the link between this blog and the pictures I've included - spot the love hearts!) I wanted to include this piece below by Louise Hay, but a combination of lack of time and space prevented me, so I thought I'd include it in my blog instead:

I Love Myself Affirmation
Louise Hay

Deep at the centre of my being,

there is an infinite well of love.


I now allow this love to flow to the surface.

It fills my heart, my body, my mind, my consciousness,

my very being, and radiates out from me in all directions

and returns to me multiplied.

The more love I use and give, the more I have to give.

The supply is endless.

The use of love makes me feel good,

it is an expression of my inner joy.



I love myself;

therefore, I take loving care of my body.

I lovingly feed it nourishing foods and beverages,

I lovingly groom it and dress it, and my body lovingly

responds to me with vibrant health and energy.



I love myself; therefore provide for myself

a comfortable home, one that fills

all my needs and is a pleasure to be in.

I fill the rooms with the vibration of love

so that all who enter, myself included,

will feel this love and be nourished by it.



I love myself; therefore I work at a job I truly enjoy

doing, one that uses my creative talents and abilities,

working with and for people I love and who love me,

and earning a good income.



I love myself; therefore, I behave and think in a loving

way to all people for I know that that which I give out

returns to me multiplied.

I only attract loving people in my world,

for they are a mirror of what I am.



I love myself; therefore I forgive and totally release

the past and all past experiences and I am free.



I love myself; therefore I live totally in the now,

experiencing each moment as good and knowing that

my future is bright and joyous and secure,

for I am a beloved child of the Universe

and the Universe lovingly takes care of me

now and forever more.

And so it is.

by Louise Hay, from "You Can Heal Your Life"



Let Somebody In...

Hello again 

It's been a while since my last blog... and, 'No!' - it hasn't been because of writer's block! - there are so many things I want to say; so many things I want to write about and share, but so little time... Plus, February is a difficult month for me, and I had a funeral to go to this week, so I've made a point of giving myself some space and time to reflect on things, and gather my thoughts together... Anyway; enough about me...  I thought I'd share a few thoughts that I've been pondering on tonight...

An ongoing theme in my work seems to be around fear - fear of moving on, of taking risks, of being hurt, of living, of letting go, of failing, of success, of being alone, of being in a relationship... It seems that quite a large proportion of us are hiding behind our fears of so many different things, that we are limiting our selves and we are lessening the possibility of reaching our full potential... 

Fear is a natural emotion, but when it starts to become an excuse, and when it limits our daily lives, perhaps it is time to step out from under our security blankets and start exploring these fears... Once we understand our fears, why we have them, and the impact they are having on our lives, we can start to gradually make changes, let go a little, start taking risks, and begin to get a taste of how life could be, if only we could stop being so afraid!

'But  how? How can I do it?' people often plead - as if the prospect of change in itself is so scary that it seems easier to stay in our comfort zone, limiting though it is... 

Change doesn't happen overnight - it's a gradual process. Each time a little step forward is made, it's a step closer to living a free(er) and more fulfilling life. But yes, with each risk that is taken, there comes the possibility of being hurt. In dropping our guard, our defences, our protection, we may feel exposed and vulnerable. Yes, we will get hurt - suffering is part of life. But in dealing with hurt and pain along the way, we become stronger and better equipped to deal with future pain and disappointments. With that strength comes self-belief, and the realisation that we deserve to live a rich and varied life, taking the rough with the smooth - we deserve to live - really live - rather than just continue to plod along, existing, rather than living...

Anyway, I hope this makes sense...I thought I'd end this post with the video below, as I think it ties in with the theme of fear... The words are below the video.

    Let Somebody In  

Said, you want to love
But you don't know how
And you want to feel
But you're not allowed
And you want to cry
But you don't know why
And you want to give
But you're not that kind 

When you gonna let somebody in?
You might get hurt just a little bit
When you gonna let somebody in? 

Said, you want to love
But you don't know how
And you want to trust
But you're not allowed
And you want to cry
But you don't know why
And you want to give
But you're not that kind 

When you gonna let somebody in?
You might get hurt just a little bit
When you gonna let somebody in?

You want to love
But you don't know how
And you want to feel
But you don't know how

- by The Magic Numbers -