Thank you Carrie. Wisdom here. I have held the one and been flabbergasted by the other. Maybe I don't need to understand it, just acknowledge it, name it, and then love more deeply. Peace to you.
When I feel the ‘good egg’ in you, it makes my ‘good eggness’ want to come out and play. And may the Beloved remind me of my ‘good eggness’ so that it will invite your ‘good egg’ to come out and play, too.
Yes… and as a pastor, hearing people who profess to be Christian say that Jesus’ most foundational teachings about peace and justice aren’t relevant anymore—it’s all about power now. It’s bewildering and maddening. So much to grieve.
I have observed that when we have a national disaster of some sort people from all over the nation drop what they have been doing and come to help the folks they don’t know. The volunteers are of all colors and faiths. We still have it in us to arise.
Once again you made my heart sing with your writing. It is not easy in this world right now but we must keep looking and keep being the goodness. But we cannot keep quiet when wrong is wrong. The quote came into my mind from John Lewis: "Speak up, speak out, be courageous. What can you do to get into good trouble? There is a light inside of you that will turn on when you get into good trouble. You will feel emboldened and freed." Let's all go and make "good trouble".
Thank you Carrie. You made me feel hopeful and joyful. That is a true blessing.
Before reading your post this morning, in my morning meditation I wrote that recognizing the both / and of life is somehow comforting. It's not easy to understand how far off balance our world has gotten, yet there are still small acts of kindness, beauty and wonder that help to sustain us to "hope" us to take the next step. Thank you for sharing your vulnerability and deeply felt honest reflections.
Carrie, your words and your music both inspire and encourage me.
Thank you for lifting up this moment in time as significant, then offering opportunities for me (and for each of us) to consider what deliberate actions I/we can take this day to make a positive witness for
I have a practice I sometimes use that I call Two Stones Wisdom. I hold a stone in each hand that are different from each other in texture or temperature, (warm/cool, or rough/smooth) to notice bodily that I can experience two different things at once and both are simultaneously true. I think I need to revisit this practice weekly as we enter a political season where I see otherwise kind-hearted people I love embracing things that are so incongruent with their lives.
I strive to always "lean in toward the Light" and hold the space for the Loving and the Light prevail! Carrie, you too are a Light Bearer as are many people known and unknown to us! Together we can outshine the darkness! Namaste!
Oh, Carrie … Words matter and your words and music illuminate all that is true, beautiful, good, even as you have the courage to name the bewilderment and hatred that must be named. May we hold the painful perplexing both/and in creative tension - living in hope, trusting the love that’s stronger than the hate- Deep bow to you and heartfelt thanks for reminding us - we can do this hard thing … together! And heartfelt thanks again for all the wisdom and beauty you shared at Shallowford in February- Oh, honey … the wisdom of the heart can be trusted to be true! ❤️
Hugs and a very gracious thank you, Carrie, for sharing your gifts so eloquently. “…’just when I’m at my most weary’ you ‘surprise and inspire me.’ We can do this hard thing.
Thank you for this wise essay, especially for pointing out how boorish mocking the other's imperfections is. I know how hard it is to carry on in schools and early jobs, for a stutterer. Only now, far into the second half of life, I generally find understanding and patience when my speech is not as fluent as expected.
"The news of the world" makes uncouth behaviours sensational. Our responsibility is to spread "the news of the heart", about people who are considerate, attentive and helpful.
Maybe, having read your essay, someone will notice a person in need, and will help them, in a similar way these wonderful travellers helped you.
We cannot overcome evil in any other way than doing and spreading good.
The day following the day I got kicked out of the Navy, I was hitchhiking to Vermont from Illinois. As darkness fell, I walked up a long interstate exit ramp. There was light coming from a restaurant and I opened the door.
"Oh, I'm sorry. We just closed." A woman around my age (early twenties).
My teeth chattered as I asked if there was any coffee left.
"Oh, no. I just poured out the last pot."
I asked if I could sit inside until she left. I was pretty sure that I would freeze to death in a cold Ohio night.
A minute or two later, my downcast eyes saw her feet in front of me. When I looked up, she handed me a cup of hot chocolate.
"Thank you" I whispered through my heart, which was now in my throat.
"If you don't mind me calling my boyfriend, I'll see if you can spend the night at our apartment with us.
My smile of gratitude was all the answer I could come up with, what with my heart being in my throat and all.
My higher power smiled the next morning as I patiently listened to their pitch about Amway, while I ate the breakfast they so graciously made for me. (Much better than the food I had been eating in the brig for the last couple of months.
They took me back to the highway and I remember their kindness nearly 40 years later.
I pray that they reached the top of their pyramid.
Thank you Carrie. Wisdom here. I have held the one and been flabbergasted by the other. Maybe I don't need to understand it, just acknowledge it, name it, and then love more deeply. Peace to you.
When I feel the ‘good egg’ in you, it makes my ‘good eggness’ want to come out and play. And may the Beloved remind me of my ‘good eggness’ so that it will invite your ‘good egg’ to come out and play, too.
May you know joy today.
Yes… and as a pastor, hearing people who profess to be Christian say that Jesus’ most foundational teachings about peace and justice aren’t relevant anymore—it’s all about power now. It’s bewildering and maddening. So much to grieve.
Such a splendid post. Thank you, dear Carrie.
"We are all walking each other home".
I am reminded of your poem, " I Don’t Know Why ".
I have observed that when we have a national disaster of some sort people from all over the nation drop what they have been doing and come to help the folks they don’t know. The volunteers are of all colors and faiths. We still have it in us to arise.
Once again you made my heart sing with your writing. It is not easy in this world right now but we must keep looking and keep being the goodness. But we cannot keep quiet when wrong is wrong. The quote came into my mind from John Lewis: "Speak up, speak out, be courageous. What can you do to get into good trouble? There is a light inside of you that will turn on when you get into good trouble. You will feel emboldened and freed." Let's all go and make "good trouble".
Thank you Carrie. You made me feel hopeful and joyful. That is a true blessing.
Before reading your post this morning, in my morning meditation I wrote that recognizing the both / and of life is somehow comforting. It's not easy to understand how far off balance our world has gotten, yet there are still small acts of kindness, beauty and wonder that help to sustain us to "hope" us to take the next step. Thank you for sharing your vulnerability and deeply felt honest reflections.
Carrie, your words and your music both inspire and encourage me.
Thank you for lifting up this moment in time as significant, then offering opportunities for me (and for each of us) to consider what deliberate actions I/we can take this day to make a positive witness for
peace.
I have a practice I sometimes use that I call Two Stones Wisdom. I hold a stone in each hand that are different from each other in texture or temperature, (warm/cool, or rough/smooth) to notice bodily that I can experience two different things at once and both are simultaneously true. I think I need to revisit this practice weekly as we enter a political season where I see otherwise kind-hearted people I love embracing things that are so incongruent with their lives.
I loved this post - that is all!
I am here. I do care. I am with you no matter and I will name the shadow and shine the light on it inside of me and in this world.
We Are All Just Walking Each Other Home.
Blessings Carrie for articulating exactly my daily conversation inside about why, how, and what to do.
I strive to always "lean in toward the Light" and hold the space for the Loving and the Light prevail! Carrie, you too are a Light Bearer as are many people known and unknown to us! Together we can outshine the darkness! Namaste!
Oh, Carrie … Words matter and your words and music illuminate all that is true, beautiful, good, even as you have the courage to name the bewilderment and hatred that must be named. May we hold the painful perplexing both/and in creative tension - living in hope, trusting the love that’s stronger than the hate- Deep bow to you and heartfelt thanks for reminding us - we can do this hard thing … together! And heartfelt thanks again for all the wisdom and beauty you shared at Shallowford in February- Oh, honey … the wisdom of the heart can be trusted to be true! ❤️
Hugs and a very gracious thank you, Carrie, for sharing your gifts so eloquently. “…’just when I’m at my most weary’ you ‘surprise and inspire me.’ We can do this hard thing.
❤️🙏❤️
Thank you for this wise essay, especially for pointing out how boorish mocking the other's imperfections is. I know how hard it is to carry on in schools and early jobs, for a stutterer. Only now, far into the second half of life, I generally find understanding and patience when my speech is not as fluent as expected.
"The news of the world" makes uncouth behaviours sensational. Our responsibility is to spread "the news of the heart", about people who are considerate, attentive and helpful.
Maybe, having read your essay, someone will notice a person in need, and will help them, in a similar way these wonderful travellers helped you.
We cannot overcome evil in any other way than doing and spreading good.
The day following the day I got kicked out of the Navy, I was hitchhiking to Vermont from Illinois. As darkness fell, I walked up a long interstate exit ramp. There was light coming from a restaurant and I opened the door.
"Oh, I'm sorry. We just closed." A woman around my age (early twenties).
My teeth chattered as I asked if there was any coffee left.
"Oh, no. I just poured out the last pot."
I asked if I could sit inside until she left. I was pretty sure that I would freeze to death in a cold Ohio night.
A minute or two later, my downcast eyes saw her feet in front of me. When I looked up, she handed me a cup of hot chocolate.
"Thank you" I whispered through my heart, which was now in my throat.
"If you don't mind me calling my boyfriend, I'll see if you can spend the night at our apartment with us.
My smile of gratitude was all the answer I could come up with, what with my heart being in my throat and all.
My higher power smiled the next morning as I patiently listened to their pitch about Amway, while I ate the breakfast they so graciously made for me. (Much better than the food I had been eating in the brig for the last couple of months.
They took me back to the highway and I remember their kindness nearly 40 years later.
I pray that they reached the top of their pyramid.
https://jeffastle.substack.com/publish/home