artistry of nature

sometimes the artistry of nature is unsurpassed and only requires us to be observant. oftentimes the beauty of each day goes without notice and we need to be reminded that there is always something special to behold. i am venturing out to sequoia retreat center in ben lomond, california tomorrow to work with an Integrative Intentions comprehensive, amongst the redwoods. hopefully with schedules meshing i will have the opportunity to paddle on monterey bay before leaving. i am looking forward also to sharing an early birthday with my sweet daughter, calliope, in seattle before coming back. the twenty three years have gone by too quickly. where do the days go?

reflections

sometimes the Path ahead is clear and sometimes it is blocked. sometimes the water is calm and sometimes it scares the bejeebes out of you. on calm days, looking into the water, you can see everything as if it were a clear mirror. how many times do we find that those around us are either a clear mirror, reflecting back what we need to see about ourselves, or a collection of distorted waves that actually scare us to death.... surrounding ourselves with positive, energetic people will not make us more energetic or positive, but can create an environment where we can learn, change, and grow. just like in paddling, a calm day can create relaxation and peacefulness, and a stormy day can make us alert and allow us the opportunity to develop new strategies for success.

in july of last year my paddling friend, JC and i made a 123 mile trip along the north shore of lake superior. the journey held all extremes of calm and tempest; from serene foggy anonymity to battling two metre waves, wind and exposure. in both conditions we found something to acknowledge in ourselves. the calm part of yourself can match up to the frenetic and you can survive in any situation. man is said to be a social animal, not meant to live alone. even in all his writings thoreau extolled the virtue of communication and interaction outside of oneself. he appreciated the fact that nature provided a backdrop against which we measure our lives. it is the mirror that lets us see what is inside of each of us.

"The wilderness is near as well as dear to every man. Even the oldest villages are indebted to the border of wild wood which surrounds them, more than to the gardens of men. There is something indescribably inspiriting and beautiful in the aspect of the forest skirting and occasionally jutting into the midst of new towns, which, like the sand-heaps of fresh fox-burrows, have sprung up in their midst. The very uprightness of the pines and maples asserts the ancient rectitude and vigor of nature. Our lives need the relief of such a background, where the pine flourishes and the jay still screams." --henry david thoreau

let nature be the Lighthouse that guides us in our journey and keeps us from the rocks. put yourself into the position of guiding others too and let the Light shine brightly for everyone around you. it is known in holistic therapy that the Light inside of us keeps away the darkness, unless it is walled off by negative emotions. find that darkness, understand it, and replace it with Light so that you can continue on your Path unobstructed.

remember, darkness is the absence of Light, not an entity unto itself. you can not turn on darkness, but only forget the Light. let your Light shine brightly illuminating the Way for everyone you encounter and become the clear mirror that allows them to see themselves more clearly.

do'er in the headlights

a kayaking friend's blog (and picture) recently reminded me of my response to my grandmother when i was asked what i wanted to be when i grow up. without hesitation i replied that i wanted to be a "do'er". when questioned further about what that was i informed her that i was going to "do" everything..... a noble cause for a seven year old i was told. i think that at times, in the past years, that philosophy has gotten me into trouble more than not.... trying to do everything takes time and takes time away from everything else too. i've neglected friends and family in my pursuits, but have had good intentions, even if misguided at times. i always thought i was creating a better environment for those around me. i would call this phenomenon, "do'er in the headlights"..... we get so focused on what's coming at us that we forget to run the other way.

i am proud to have raised four very sensitive children to adulthood and know that their caring for those around them will take them far. there are always pitfalls to being sensitive, but it is a much better path Way than the alternatives. right now my youngest daughter is championing a rescue operation for dogs/puppies in Seattle, even as she is unable to find gainful employment in her field. she has a PhD in compassion for animals and small children.

if there are indeed "do-ers and be-ers" we might want to consider the problems when placed in combination. opposites do attract and sometimes the consequences of their combination can be dangerous. i had a friend that told me "two beers are better than one"..... and well, whenever there is one deer next to the road there will usually be two....... where is this going? i'm sure there is an analogy in here somewhere. i think that as the accompanying picture shows, do-ers and be-ers don't always mix; two be-ers together can be toxic at times, but definitely interesting; and two do-ers together can often times be pure trouble. that is the stuff of romance novels and auto repair shops i'd be willing to guess.

for now my only advice is to drive slowly, keep your eyes on the road, and your hands on the wheel; you never know when there will be a "do-er" in your Path...

distorted images

i've been working so much on a water trail grant proposal that using a computer for other than composition and emails seemed rather tedious. how often the focus of "what's on your plate" is distorted and the things that really matter get lost in the waves. living each day has a certain sense of joy and deliberation, but having a vision of something better does tend to keep the flow intact. it takes a few well placed comments to shake off the lethargy. it does help to have clear mirrors close to remind us of our frailties and our possibilities.

recently i had the privilege of working with children at an Integrative Intentions intensive in plymouth, indiana at a golf resort. the inclusion of fine powder snow each day allowed for cross-country skiing each morning before work and a chance to "get the head right" before tackling some of the toughest challenges i've seen to date. there are so many individuals out there just getting by with parental love and faith. it is humbling to see how much progress can be made and still know that there is so far to go. i had the opportunity to work with conjoined twins, a near drowning victim with severe neurological loss, and autistic children, but labels can't describe how much meaning there still is in their lives. i can't comment on their conditions or care, but to just say that i have all the respect in the world for their parents/siblings/caregivers. To be a small part of making their lives more manageable is extremely gratifying.

my favorite singer/songwriter, todd rundgren, once wrote a song entitled, "parallel lines". it ran through my head as i got up each morning to face a new dawn and ski. looking at the tracks of the previous day, covered with a new dusting of snow, reminded me that even though there are moments and people we'll never get any closer to, we will always be close; we will always be on the same path Way. when i work with my patients i remind them that even though those they love are not close, they are still with us closely in spirit. i'll include the lyrics:

Kindred spirits moving along the spiral
I can see you up on another level
It's too great a fall
And I can't reach you to pull me higher
But I don't seem to get much closer or any more far

What would you tell me, if
I could hear you speaking?
If you could touch me, how would I know the feeling?
I just can't imagine
But I try to do it anyway
I wish I was moving faster,
I wish you'd drift back
But it just wasn't meant to happen
Very soon I'll have to

Face the fact
Some things never come together
Parallel lines running on forever
And you can't turn back
There is never any starting over
Parallel lines never do cross over

Its a challenge
Gotta make myself remember
Facing the truth, well, that doesn't mean surrender
What is bravado and how much is a force of will?
I know that the world is full of opposites that attract
But unless we ignore the physics
Very soon we'll have to

So I send you the gift of empathy
If you'd once in your life acknowledge me
I have visualized so thoroughly
That when I think of me
I think of we

Can't face the truth
It means that we must surrender
Understanding won't satisfy the hunger
It whittles away at the destiny we fulfill
And like an animal running wild
You can't call it back
And its just gonna make it harder
When it's finally time to

It's like a train that's stuck running on a track
Parallel lines running on, running on, running on

when it seems like you'll never reach a crossing point, when you'll never make contact, know that you always have someone close while traveling on your Way