Aligning with Grace

I reflect on lessons transmitted to me and hopefully learned, over a two week period of visiting dear ones, but of also journeying more deeply inward. I walk oceans, grounding my feet - sticking my toes in sand, waves, and foam - and ultimately my soul - deeply breathing in the fresh salt air, which purifies, and bathing in salt water that detoxifies. I am conscious of the gift of this time, and of all that nature generously offers me. I share milestones with life long friends, gal pals, and BFF's, and the wisdom garnered from decades of our combined life experiences and ages. I add to these the insights culled from morning walks, and gathered along with shells from the many shorelines I visit. I marvel at animal visitations, and the messages they leave at my feet, including the gift of numerous feathers. I culminate the nearly two weeks of my soul's sojourn with Sunday liturgy, and the spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist, ever attentive to the homilist's words...

"Cooperation is key for you at the moment. Let go of ego and work it out." ~ Pelican I walk the shoreline of the ocean, as often as three times a day. Sometimes more, hungrily trying to make up for my many years of absence. With each step I bathe and ground my feet in the healing salt waters. Every time I visit, I receive gifts from the sea - of insight. Of wisdom. And actual physical ones as well. Sometimes I receive shells. Yesterday an un usual rainbow colored one appeared at my feet on a long walk. Yesterday I also received a pelican feather. Not once - but twice! Mind you, I rarely receive feathers, but recently two came to me - one from a cardinal and another from a vulture. I quickly looked up their meaning as totem animals. I have been treated to a convocation of pelicans, gathering daily in the same general vicinity, so yesterday I looked up the significance of pelicans. Here are some of the insights I come across from several sources: If Pelican...

"You cannot step into the same river twice..." This quote, attributed to Heraclitus, arises in my heart. I stare in awe, at the broad expanse of the ocean in front of me, having risen to meet a new dawning and say to myself -  "You cannot step into the same ocean thrice..." You cannot step into the same day. You cannot hold on to anything - therefore, you cannot hold on to any of your yesterdays - or the days that are yet to unfold.  You cannot hold on to what was - or what will be. You cannot hold on to love - or to your relationships - you cannot hold on to your past - or to any part of your life. But somehow, we manage to hold on to the things that take away from our magnificence and that make us small - like fear and resentment. And attachment. We will somehow allow those things to consume us, sometimes for a lifetime - keeping us apart from others, and impeding our growth and development. But these things that we latch on to, do not define us....

I am halfway through an incredible journey, of visiting life long friends and family, and making many connections. Many moving pieces came together easily and quickly. A dear one said to me recently, that this trip would be a time of great significance. She was right... I am so happy to spend days walking the beach, grounding my feet in sand and salt water. It has been years since I've had that opportunity, and this time I will spend time on three beaches and two coasts. A few days ago, as I walked along the shore and looked at the crashing waves, waiting for the sun to peak through clouds every now and then in the early morning, I was struck by the luminosity and the clarity of the waves - how very silvery and radiant the water looked, how I seemed to be able to capture every little detail in the dancing foam. Mind you, I cannot see very well. And yet, in these moments, I was so present, I was able to "see" with a different sight - that went beyond the physical...

These past couple of weeks or so, I have delighted in practicing self care.  It seems that practically every book I've read recently makes some reference to practicing self care, and most importantly, loving ourselves. For the first time in years I am actually whittling down a pile of books I have been meaning to read. I tend to read non-fiction, so often I do read inspirational books, and a lot of self-improvement, but this year I am reading a number of historical works as well, and brushing up on the main characters and events of the late 15th century, to the mid to late 16th century, a period I have found fascinating, because of the strong women who lived and ruled then.I am especially interested in what was happening theologically, and the rising movements of the time. I also decided to brush up on my French, and have been using Duolingo and some old textbooks to do so. I have wanted to do this for years! Every night, I carve out some time to do my lessons. My dail...