in my hands

I have been thinking about the purpose of hands. People don't usually think about them, or at least I don't. But, in pondering my hands, I began to appreciate them very deeply. I did a piece of art about my hands and their meaning. The following is a list of some of the actions that my hands do:

reaching, loving, touching, art-ing, collage-ing, writing, talking, waiting, living, breathing, wishing, washing, helping, grabbing, holding, sensing, grasping, clawing, telling, screaming, tickling, drawing, caressing, letting go, trading, growing, laughing, crying, squeezing, coloring, brushing, pouring, cooking, drying, being in silence, tasting, covering, praying, cupping, alternating, using, believing, hoping, sharing, giving, raging, feeling, calming, enjoying, relishing, curling, dying.

As I did this exercise, I was struck by my own words. Most of the uses seemed familiar- writing, sensing, growing. Others surprised me- raging, clawing, screaming. The piece taught me that just like my hands, I am a complex person with many facets, even those I don't normally recognize.

Take a moment to think about your own hands. How do they serve you each day? How are they an expression of you? Enjoy this process… and remember, it is in your hands.

a part of all that

Have you ever had one of those days where you opted to take the long way home? Today was one of those days for me. Choosing the alternate route allowed me to walk with the sunset.

Dar Williams sings a beautiful line in her song "After All"

The sun rose with so many colors it nearly broke my heart
It worked me over like a work of art
And I was a part of all that

It is an interesting idea to feel a part of something. The "something" piece can vary i.e. a relationship, a community, the universe. I love the notion of being a part of something so much larger than myself that I can almost observe it from a distance. No matter how small I feel sometimes, I am still an important part of the whole.

Maybe my spirit is a part of the sunset I saw today.

And it is a part of me...

here it is...

May I officially introduce, my button frame! It took a long while to get all of the supplies and complete the project, but I did it. I smile every time I look at those lovely buttons. The second step was to figure out what to put in the frame. I found a fabulous quote in Journal of Solitude by May Sarton. I read the book a couple of years ago and had underlined a passage that spoke to me:

It is only when we can believe that we are creating the soul that life has any meaning, but when we can believe it- and I do and always have- then there is nothing we do that is without meaning and nothing that we suffer that does not hold the seed of creation in it.

As it turns out, many people are drawn to this quote. Strangely, this is not the first time that this has happened to me. When I read On The Road by Jack Kerouac, I found a quote that I adored and later came to find out that it is one of Kerouac's most famous lines:

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace things, but burn like fabulous roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue center light pop and everybody goes "AWWW!"

How do some people have the ability to identify a universal feeling or thought? Where do those words come from? I often think about the various ways we can combine words and the beauty of expression. What are your words? How do you express them?

Let us all be open to the words of others- and ourselves. We may just find some gems...

what sends you?

I saw The Holiday this weekend. It brought many smiles to my face. In the last scene, the cast dances to “You Send Me” sung by Aretha Franklin. I have been thinking about this idea of sending. Dictionary.com defines “to send” as “to delight or excite”. I can see where this comes from. If something delights or excites you, it sends you to a different place, a place of elation and bliss.

Here is a little poem that will hopefully send you.

A butterfly sat down next to me
To whisper contemplations and joys
Days made of honey light
Spilling into morning sighs

It shifted its wings
To show colors of the night
Patterned images reflecting stars

Longing for rides on rivers
Gliding alongside tall trees
Visited by chipmunks and ants

Flights sailing over days of blue
Discovering newly formed caterpillars
Awaiting worlds of change

intentions…

We tend to make big resolutions on New Years. The word resolution is an interesting one- I resolute to do something. It sounds strict and finite. I prefer the word intention. With intention, the idea and hope exists without a feeling of guilt or shame when the task is not perfectly accomplished.

I too am a culprit of making grandiose resolutions on January 1st. However, I do set intentions for myself every day. I set intentions at various points throughout the day- in the shower, as I leave my apartment, before I go to bed, etc… I surround myself with physical reminders of my intentions as well. I also change my intentions every day.

Today, my intention is to grow. I would like to grow in wild vivid ways. To know that I am rooted in the earth and my branches are strong and free.