After being inside all week with a mild case of Covid-19, it was good to get outside today. A dear friend gave me John O'Donohue's book, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. A little John O'Donohue seems and appropriate accompaniement on this afternoon's walk around the community.
“This is the time to be slow,
Lie low to the wall
Until the bitter weather passes.
Try, as best you can, not to let
The wire brush of doubt
Scrape from your heart
All sense of yourself
And your hesitant light.
Hesitant light. At this time of year, the sun seems a little hesitant, doesn't it? Will I show my face? Will I light up the hills of Northumberland today?
If you remain generous,
Time will come good;
And you will find your feet
Again on fresh pastures of promise,
Where the air will be kind
And blushed with beginning.”
I absolutely love the shorter days. Next week, I will be sad that they are getting longer. I love the beauty that comes with each snowfall. Two years ago, I learned to embrace winter. I learned that from a 7 and 9 year old. I learned to just dress warmly and go outside and see what there is to see.
Maybe I will see a delicate setting sun saying goodbye to the day.
Maybe I will.
“Unfinished Poem
I would love to live like a river flows,
carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”
John O'Donohue
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