There are some who say that we are at the height of summer now, but already I notice the dying away of daisies and buttercups, and the opening of Black-Eyed Susans; and, thanks be to the
Weather God, a lessening of humidity...
Yet, for me, who would rather wake up temperatures never above 25 with no humidity whatsoever, it has been a summer of practising -
and often failing - to be patient with what is.
And where I live, at SoulWinds (two acres of forest) on a river with Joan and her dog Mahti and my constant(it seems) cat companion
MaCushla (Cushie), we are in thankful awe every day at the privilege we have of being cradled and comforted by the Earth herself.
So many are in distress every day; so many
don't have enough; so many are at a loss on so many levels. I hold them in my heart and offer grace and peace - and then let go into trust: that no matter how difficult for me/us there are always many more (beyond my imagining) who need such focus and prayer,
and it is those on whom I focus, not my own petty concerns.
This is a hard and difficult and even painful practice. It is so for everyone. And yet, and yet...how else will
we contribute to a more peaceful world? How else will we bring peace to where we live? How else can we help the many who cannot even think of doing such things, so desperate are they, so lost and disturbed by it all?