For Kate and Judy and Van

For Kate:
“I am seeking.
I am striving.
I am in it with all my heart.”
-Vincent van Gogh

For my aunt, Judy, and my uncle, Van: "Sometimes we speak out to try to change the world, and other times we speak to try to keep the world from changing us." –Shane Claiborne

Wanting Nothing More

I want nothing more than this moment.
I want nothing more than this day.
I want nothing more than this:
the rays of hesitant sun on my back,
reminding me of the warmth of unencumbered joy;
the sound of waves greeting the shore,
bringing to mind the glorious beating of my heart;
the call of a gull despite the wind,
signifying that I, too, have a voice;
the fog, blocking my vision,
lest I forget how small I really am;
the friend sitting beside me,
showing me that I am never alone;
the stranger meandering by and by,
to shed light on all those I have yet to meet;
and the sand rising up between my toes,
reminding me that there is a time for everything,
even a time to be still.
How could I want more than this,
when it is by these shadows
that I know that I am truly alive
and that all things in life have meaning?

Happy Easter!

Have a blessed day!

Picture Frames

Michaels, the craft store near me, had plain wooden frames for a dollar, so naturally I bought a bunch. I really enjoyed decorating them, but I definitely had a hard time choosing pictures, since I have so many great photos. Anyway, here are the results (obviously the focus here is on the decoration of the frames, not on what is in them):

Gorgeous

Regardless of my frizzy hair,
my wrinkled pants, my baggy eyes;
no matter if my shirt fits right
or if I’ve munched on one donut too many;
even when I’m exhausted, frazzled, worn—
Marcell looks at me
and calls me “Gorgeous.”
With a big grin on his face,
with eyes full of love,
with hands high in the air,
Marcell shouts his announcement:
that I am “So pretty.”
I wonder what the world would be like
if we could all disregard
a mismatched outfit, a missing tooth,
a crooked nose, a shade of skin,
an accent, a stain, a stench,
one shower too few,
one cigarette too many.
What if we saw everyone as gorgeous,
the way Marcell does?
And what if—like Marcell—
we didn’t hesitate to tell them so?

For Sarah and Doug and Connie

For Sarah, my balla cousin studying at Virginia Tech: "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." –Jimi Hendrix

For Doug, my coworker at L'Arche whom I love and respect and look up to constantly, and his wife Connie: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You." -St. Augustine

An invocation

We make the drive last for countless days,
though we could easily do it in two.
We allow ourselves the curious pleasure
of taking the back roads
through nameless, mundane towns
and of stopping whenever and wherever
the mood happens to strike us.
We meet men who have touched
the four corners of the earth
and women who have stood against
storms beyond comprehension.
We hear stories that reach in to
the mystery of our hearts
and whisper longing, hope, and joy
into our wandering souls.
We do not rush through the journey,
but allow the journey to rush through us.
In each slow step we take,
we become more broken.
And in each beautiful person we meet,
we become more whole.

For Kathleen and Jen

For Kathleen: “When we first begin fighting for our dream, we have no experience and make many mistakes. The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” -Paulo Coelho

For Jen: “If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.” –St. Clement of Alexandria

What are we creating?

The movement of many people on the beach reminds me of ants scurrying about. They carry food, grains of sand, sticks. They are building a castle to support their lives. Which makes me wonder, what are we creating?

Businessmen in formal suits remind me of penguins. They guard their eggs, raise their young, and remain devoted to their partners. They are building families and future generations. Which makes me wonder, what are we creating?

Children in a park, running and playing, remind me of the unpredictable motion of bees. The collect pollen from flowers and produce honey. The devote their lives to building intricate hives for the glory of one leader. Which makes me wonder, what are we creating?

For Allison and my Grandparents

For Allison: "Begin your day with gratitude and your day will end with contentment." -Ellen Reid

For my mom's parents, who were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary: “The secret of man's being is not only to live but to have something to live for.” –Fyodor Dostoyevsky