Dust of Snow

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

Reading this little poem, written by Robert Frost in 1923, reminded me that it can take very little - perhaps a smile, a flash of light, or a starry night - to break us out of a sour mood if we are open and observant.

Winter is a time of inner reflection and hibernation, yet, mixed in with the hubbub of living in a culture and time period that follows the clock instead of the season, it’s easy to feel tired and out of sorts.  The “dust of snow” is a tap on the shoulder to reconnect us with the core of life.

Hook into that, and let go.  Release the stuff that really doesn’t matter in the bigger scheme of things.  Nature reminds us that life ebbs and flows.  If we ride along, living the questions, we will evolve, perhaps not into answers, but into a sense of comfort with what is.

Namaste

Amy

Add comment December 29th, 2006

Fewer Targets

Thoreau stated - In the long run we only hit what we aim at.  Northwest calligrapher, Jo Uhlman, combined these words with her own byline - Feel your power rise when you focus your energy on fewer targets. 

I don’t know about you, but with too many targets, my creative energy gets diverted in many different directions leading to physical and psycholgical clutter.  So I keep Jo’s calligraphed advice visible in my studio.  When her words gets dwarfed by clutter, I know it is time to put things away, rethink and refocus. 

The Holiday season is one that can drown us all in a sense of urgency to keep up with the expectations for shopping, wrapping, shipping, cooking, visiting, even celebrating, to the point that the original motivating factor - a desire for peace in this world and love for family, friends and neighbors, is overtaken by obligation.

Take a step back.  Focus on fewer targets and feel your energy rise. 

Wishing you peace and joy,

Amy

Add comment December 14th, 2006