As we move through our days, busy with the chaos, the excitement, and the mundane, there are moments we are struck with deep gratitude for our aliveness—if we’re lucky. A spontaneous adventure with friends, a warm smile from our dog, a calm morning on the water as the sun envelops you. Weaved into this moment we feel the sense of implicit grief, knowing that this moment is not forever. A heavy gift to hold, this ill-fated joy that is called life. Continue Reading…
I am drawn into the silence and solitude; I feel more alive out here, when the talking stops, when I venture out into the enormous emptiness of nature. I love silence. I crave it. Observing the picturesque beauty, listening to the water rushing beside me, watching eagles and herons swooping, and the stunning landscapes surrounding me. Continue Reading…
We are wired to miss the vast majority of what goes on around us. As we hurry through the moments and people in our lives each day, most of us have nothing much to say or to think about it. Even with our propensity to snap photos of everything, we still do not stop to really consider what is happening in those photographs.
There is something all of us would benefit from, and that is attempting to draw the things we see around us, regardless of whether we have a talent for doing it. An invaluable practice, when we take time to draw, we are training ourselves to see the world more intimately. Continue Reading…
It was a stunning orange sunrise as I began walking the river’s edge, quietly searching for the perfect spot to be in solitude—with Kula of course!
Navigating the shore, while simultaneously navigating the tug of emotions inside my heart. Somehow no matter how hard you try to forget, life’s experiences seep into crevices of your psyche, and settle into the depths of your being. Like a river, they’re carried with you through space and time, tumbling beneath the surface. Continue Reading…
Slipping into the icy water isn’t comfortable. I can’t relax, I’m tense, and I really just want to get out of here, NOW. My mind tells me I’m freezing and should flee—but I stay in—I want to reap the benefits the come through withstanding the discomfort. Eventually overcoming what seemed like an insurmountable situation turned out to be thoroughly energizing and enlivening. Continue Reading…
An early morning bike ride leads me up the winding climb and into quiet solitude of the forest. This trail network doesn’t see as many riders—exactly what I was searching for. I brought my bear spray today, I considered that to be a better option than punching a bear in the nose in an effort to save Kula… Continue Reading…
Gazing into the woods, I see a lonely tree. No nearby trees touching its outstretched leaves, no cheerful birds sit atop its limbs—they have come and gone and only the wind whistles through now. I consider how trees stand lonesome, yet with strength and confidence; and silent fortitude as they endure the storms and the heavy blows. Continue Reading…