V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #32: Stillness

January 21, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

It is not in my nature to be still. If there is a current, I will push against it. When my body fails me, my mind is churning. Emotionally, I am in a constant state of restlessness. Stillness does not come naturally. And yet, when I take time to calm the body, release the mind, […]

Getting Where?

January 20, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

I’m lying here with the heating pad, altering it’s position every so often to ease the pain that has set in since my trip back home. I can’t quite shake the lingering exhaustion. Three things are running through my mind, disrupting sleep: the book I’m working on (and have set aside for far too long) […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #31: Destination

January 14, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware.” Martin Buber I walk to the kitchen, planning to put the kettle on, but as I pass my purse, I remember that I meant to write myself a note, so phone in hand, I return to the couch and type up the memo. Satisfied with that […]

And So, We Turn the Page

January 6, 2019.Reading time 3 minutes.

Years gather as links in a chain, some unremarkable, some adorned with jewels, and some bearing the marks of hardship. 2018, for me, would have an arrow shaped charm, pointing upwards, as this year heralded many firsts – a rebirth of sorts. For 2019, I pray to keep the momentum rolling – that I will […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #29: Transition

December 31, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Setting New Year’s resolutions is not my thing. I do, however, honour the passage of one year to another by reviewing what the passing year has entailed and consciously deciding where I would like to focus for the next. For example, as a young mother of three, having returned to work, I learned to prioritize […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #28: Recipe

December 17, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

This time of the year, I find myself perusing recipes – looking for the perfect gluten-free dessert, or a new appetizer to take to a potluck, or maybe an easy way to use up leftovers. I am also concocting a recipe for the perfect get together – imagining the ingredients and timing for holiday […]

Unintentional

December 16, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

The excitement of travel, friends visiting, and the overabundance of photo opportunities has left me exhausted. Yesterday was the first day in four that I ventured outside briefly. So much for intentionally practicing peace. I feel a bit like a dog chasing its own tail – so much I want to do and see, yet […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #26: Titles

December 3, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

In the late 1980’s, I began to study the psychology of dream interpretation as offered by our local university. One of the exercises our professor recommended when doing dream work, was to give each recorded dream a title, and then periodically list those titles, in order, to elicit new understanding. The assumption behind the exercise […]

A Healing Place

November 27, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

“Take her to Arizona,” doctors advised first my parents and then my husband, as if going to the desert was some magic remedy for all that ailed me. Might as well have told me to go to the moon, the possibility of such a journey always just beyond our reach. Until my husband found a way, deciding […]

Deviating from the norm:

November 25, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Typically, this is where I tie up the week’s challenge with an anecdote, then a link to all the participants. However, this time I’ve decided to do something different. Using the title of each post, and borrowing a line, I’ve created a collaborative poem. Links to the originals are highlighted. Glass Casketsauthenticity oppressed Deviation becoming the […]

Is This War?

“War is hell. You can’t photograph a flying bullet, but you can capture genuine fear.”– unknown The bomb has droppedcontrol slips from our grasp We pray for a parachutefor someone to pull the cord numbers escalate,lives plummet We offer encouragementisolated voices faltering moment of impact imminentthe implosion inevitable impact reverberatesresponsibility moot. ( Image my own.)

Promises

Imagine

If we could lift understandingto indigenous teachingsexpand our loveto earth, sky, and seaMake personal gain tabooand Ancients a weigh point If we could witness the mountainsslow floating across the skyand touch the dolphin’s soulanxiously swimmingwhere tuna are netted Would we cower at our insignificanceor move forward, learning to acceptthat all of life is deeply woveninto […]