Love these lines:Perhaps you have simply been pouring for too long.
When the cup is empty, our first impulse is often to fill it as quickly as we can. To try harder. To become more efficient. To reach for whatever might allow us to keep going without stopping.
But an empty cup may be asking something else of us.
To lean into the emptiness.
To sit with it for a little while without trying to fix it....
Sending blessings on your Sabbath time in Germany. As I write I feel a breath of peace wash over me as I look out my window and watch the gentle swaying branches of the huge tree across the street. We live on the third floor of our building, so only the top half of the tree is in view. 'Giving thanks for this gift of beauty.
Aaron Copland's Grover's Corner is a song I go to time and again to renew. A song composed for the movie Our Town, it evokes a quiet time. I breathe deeply and almost feel weightless. It creates for me visions of love and hope and quiet peace.
O dear friend, my child knew first. I am humbled by your kind words and sharing. Thank you so very much. And yes, I might even have thought about you and all the other parents stemming jobs, kids, farms and writing all at once! Your ways of refilling sounds very familiar, though I never tried the frozen fruits in the bathtub 😎
How perceptive your daughter is! I'm sure you and Chuck have nurtured that gift. "Trees release what they can no longer carry." That sentence jumped out and just made sense to me.
blessings on your sabbath time and safe journey to visit your family. how lovely that you can take this time to refill the empty cup and refresh your spirit. the last several weeks have been fraught with much illness of dear friends. when i woke up this morning i knew that i needed to take a monastic day - staying quietly at home, reading, praying and taking a walk. sometimes we simply need to take a break . . . .
oh, Greta, that sounds just right. I often need a whole monastic week to fill up again :-) But I keep forgetting that I need it! So yes, we are looking forward to our travel. Much thanks for your kind wishes.
I will be praying for you three as you journey to visit family and some of the special places from former times.
My cup has been empty so many times in the months since my Beloved died. Soon I will embark on a new chapter, by moving into an apartment in a senior living community. It is bittersweet because it's something we planned to do together. I have had much help from our children all three of whom have adopted various pieces of furniture and helped with the packing. Their spouses and the grandchildren have also shared in this. I pray that I am ready take advantage of many of the opportunities available to me.
"To sit with it a little while before trying to fix it." Such a challenge in this world. Which is what makes it soooo important. Happy Sabbathing.
Love these lines:Perhaps you have simply been pouring for too long.
When the cup is empty, our first impulse is often to fill it as quickly as we can. To try harder. To become more efficient. To reach for whatever might allow us to keep going without stopping.
But an empty cup may be asking something else of us.
To lean into the emptiness.
To sit with it for a little while without trying to fix it....
Safe travels with your family this season.❤️
Thank you, Kathleen, and greetings from the road 🙏
Sending blessings on your Sabbath time in Germany. As I write I feel a breath of peace wash over me as I look out my window and watch the gentle swaying branches of the huge tree across the street. We live on the third floor of our building, so only the top half of the tree is in view. 'Giving thanks for this gift of beauty.
Aaron Copland's Grover's Corner is a song I go to time and again to renew. A song composed for the movie Our Town, it evokes a quiet time. I breathe deeply and almost feel weightless. It creates for me visions of love and hope and quiet peace.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=1V9p1b1Sg80&si=A21Ehky3uVxVmeqQ
Almut, safe travels to Germany with Chuck and the not so little one. May the time be joyful and filled with peace.
Safe journey and every blessing for your time with your mother
Bless you, Sally, so kind of you.
How did you know this was what I needed to read today? Oh, and out of the mouths of babes!
Here are some of my prescriptions for filling my cup:
Walking by myself in my woods
Reading poetry in a hammock
Snuggling with whichever kiddo will oblige me
Listening to taize music while watering my plants
Sending texts to friends I haven't chatted with in a while
Eating frozen strawberries in the bathtub
O dear friend, my child knew first. I am humbled by your kind words and sharing. Thank you so very much. And yes, I might even have thought about you and all the other parents stemming jobs, kids, farms and writing all at once! Your ways of refilling sounds very familiar, though I never tried the frozen fruits in the bathtub 😎
And blessings to you on and your fam on your time in Germany!
How perceptive your daughter is! I'm sure you and Chuck have nurtured that gift. "Trees release what they can no longer carry." That sentence jumped out and just made sense to me.
One piece of music that has also given me peace is Schubert's vision of the glow of a beautiful sunset: "Im Abendrot". Here is my favorite recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP28eWeBvzg&list=RDUP28eWeBvzg&start_radio=1
For an English translation, one may go to: https://oxfordsong.org/song/im-abendrot-2
blessings on your sabbath time and safe journey to visit your family. how lovely that you can take this time to refill the empty cup and refresh your spirit. the last several weeks have been fraught with much illness of dear friends. when i woke up this morning i knew that i needed to take a monastic day - staying quietly at home, reading, praying and taking a walk. sometimes we simply need to take a break . . . .
oh, Greta, that sounds just right. I often need a whole monastic week to fill up again :-) But I keep forgetting that I need it! So yes, we are looking forward to our travel. Much thanks for your kind wishes.
Wishing you peace and quiet and hope and love on your journey
bless you, dear friend, for those lovely wishes. I will hold them dear.
Traveling mercies dear Almut. May your heart be strengthened, your spirit replenished, and may peace and all good meet you at every turn.
I will be praying for you three as you journey to visit family and some of the special places from former times.
My cup has been empty so many times in the months since my Beloved died. Soon I will embark on a new chapter, by moving into an apartment in a senior living community. It is bittersweet because it's something we planned to do together. I have had much help from our children all three of whom have adopted various pieces of furniture and helped with the packing. Their spouses and the grandchildren have also shared in this. I pray that I am ready take advantage of many of the opportunities available to me.
blessings, kathryn, on this new step in the journey of life. may it give you peace and respite and community.
I can only imagine, dear Kathryn. May your new journey fill your cup, slowly but steadily.
I intended to say how lovely it is when a child has such wisdom at a young age!
Yes, I think every child has this deep seeing. But we often don’t bother to ask. 😇
❤️ safe travels
🙏thank you, Bruce. We start next week.