Aligning with Grace

In the heart, there is no distance or time... These words come to me on a walk mere days before I am off to see a friend move on to the next chapter of her life... There is sadness on this walk, and a feeling of impending loss. But the angels whisper in my ear: In the heart, there is no distance or time... I drive into the mountains and country on a magnificent and glorious day - the air so crisp and clean, I can almost taste it, and there is not a cloud in the sky. My heart is overflowing with gratitude and appreciation for this sacred time with a mystical companion. It is the Feast of St Julian of Norwich, whose sacred mantra has fed my soul for decades: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." My dear friend and soul companion and I, often ended our conversations with this gentle reminder through many challenges and trials and tribulations. Tonight, we will light tea candle holders with this beautiful prayer and aff...

As I watered my plants and waited for a dear soul friend to come visit me this morning, I thought of the many different ways in which we garden... Sometimes we garden in our yards... Sometimes we tend the garden of other people's hearts... This friend I awaited, has done this for me many times throughout the last few years... But sometimes we are gardeners to our own souls...We tug and pull out the weeds of what no longer serves us, and create room for our dreams to take root and for our souls to grow... Over cups of tea, my friend and I shared experiences from our meditation and yoga practices, which we do from time to time. I described an ability to plug into bliss very deeply in my sitting practice, but conversely mourned all I had lost in my yoga practice, lamenting that in many ways, I felt like a raw beginner. She wisely noted, that it did not matter - for it shed light on what was ultimately important - the essence of the practice - and the poses that were now elusive disclo...

More than a lover, I came into this world wanting a true soul companion. And while I waited a long time for this rare gift, what I received, in the long run, was a whole harvest of them! I have been truly blessed to have known many wonderful friends throughout my life, but I was always drawn to the notion of spiritual friendship. I wondered what it would be like to have a true friend of the soul - to be a St. Jeanne de Chantal to St. Francis de Sales , or St. Claire of Assisi to St. Francis of Assisi , or to be St. Louise de Marillac to St. Vincent de Paul . Or, St. Teresa of Avila - to St. John of the Cross . I could go on, and on, and on. One of my favorite spiritual works has been Spiritual Friendship by Aelred of Rievaulx . In my graduate school years, I often read the letters or correspondence between such titans in the world of Catholic spirituality. I envisioned writing a dissertation on spiritual friendship - but Dr. Wendy M. Wright , outlined many of these beautiful relati...