Lightarted Living: A Dog Blessing

Lightarted Living: A Dog Blessing: 

A Dog Blessing

A blessing on all the dogs 

who grace our homes.

A blessing on all the dogs 

who welcome us home.

A blessing on all the dogs

who followed us home.

May peace live within you

for all of your days.

Thank you for blessing us

with your come, sit, and stays!

A Dog Blessing

A blessing on all the dogs 

who grace our homes.

A blessing on all the dogs 

who welcome us home.

A blessing on all the dogs

who followed us home.

May peace live within you

for all of your days.

Thank you for blessing us

with your come, sit, and stays!

Lightarted Living: The Sweetness of Life

Lightarted Living: The Sweetness of Life:   

The Sweetness of Life

 

A Slice of Life

Today I'm imagining making a sweet life pie 

to fatten my spirit with love, comfort, and joy.

It's full of Bright-Eyed Optimists

and Spirits made of sugar and spice

overflowing with sweetness and joy.

OH BOY!

Taste the sweetness of life!

Enjoy a sweet, sweet slice!

Dig in!

Let the happiness begin!

The Sweetness of Life

 

A Slice of Life

Today I'm imagining making a sweet life pie 

to fatten my spirit with love, comfort, and joy.

It's full of Bright-Eyed Optimists

and Spirits made of sugar and spice

overflowing with sweetness and joy.

OH BOY!

Taste the sweetness of life!

Enjoy a sweet, sweet slice!

Dig in!

Let the happiness begin!

Lightarted Living: Friendships Mushrooming

Lightarted Living: Friendships Mushrooming:   

Friendships Mushrooming

 

Where friendships mushroom and love abounds, 

that's where symbiotic relationships are found.

When we grow together 

and support one another's needs,

love and hope mushroom

letting everyone rest easy and just be.

Reach Out! Reach Out!

Be a good friend.

Find out who around you 

could use a helping hand.

Mushrooming on a Tree

By Lee Bryant

Friendships Mushrooming

 

Where friendships mushroom and love abounds, 

that's where symbiotic relationships are found.

When we grow together 

and support one another's needs,

love and hope mushroom

letting everyone rest easy and just be.

Reach Out! Reach Out!

Be a good friend.

Find out who around you 

could use a helping hand.

Mushrooming on a Tree

By Lee Bryant

Lightarted Living: Alone at Last~ Seeking Solace in Solitude

Lightarted Living: Alone at Last~ Seeking Solace in Solitude:  

Alone at Last~ Seeking Solace in Solitude

 

"It is not that

I avoid mixing

with the world;

but I do better

playing alone."

Ryōkan

Anti-Social or Honoring a Need for Solitude?

"It's curious but I'm getting a tad anti-social in my old age," a friend wrote. 

"I bumped into an old friend recently while vacationing in her town. Surprised to see me, she immediately castigated me for not getting in touch with her so we could visit. I felt badly about quietly slipping into town without contacting her, but I just felt a need to slow down and stop trying to do so much when I travel."

I totally understand where she's coming from. She--like me--is an outgoing and gregarious fun-loving person who enjoys the company of others. Yet for balance, sometimes we all need to seek solitude and limit our interactions with others to get back to our own center.

"I don't think of it as being anti-social, I wrote her. "I think of it as being more contained and thoughtful for how I want to spend my time in the moment. Sometimes I just need time to sit with my own thoughts and share my own company."

No Guilt-No Expectation Friendships

One of my best friends and I have a no guilt-no expectations relationship. We do not get mad at each other for failing to call, visit or follow through on what we were going to do together if it gets too cold or whatever.  And we don't get upset if  the other chooses to spend time with other people instead of us.

Although we love each other dearly we leave lots of room for being ourselves with each other--fully understanding each other's need to get together--or not. We never take offense if we don't get together. We are simply appreciative of spending time together when we do show up. 

While we do need to nurture and grow our important relationships we also need to nurture ourselves. Just because we have space open up in our schedule that doesn't mean we need to fill it up. 

Alone at Last

To honor your need for alone time, let go of your expectations for being on-call for others at all time. Turn off your phone, leave emails or text messages unanswered, or take a walk in nature alone. 

Chose to come together with others out of genuine desire to spend time with them rather than guilt over leaving them out. 

"Let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you."

Kahlil Gibran

Solitude: A Gift from Nature

"The cool water whirls between my toes

Jeans rolled up above my knees

Dirt from the pathway above trickles down the hill

Trees spinning in every direction

Protecting me in my spot

My territory

A bird in the distance echoes a sweet lullaby

I could almost dream to the sound

But I would rather stay here

Indian paintbrush spreads like wildfire among these ditches

It's as if you could pick it and eat it for dinner

Connecting with the universe

Through soil

My spot swallowing me whole

And I would not have it any other way

In the sweetest abyss of solitude

Alone at last

White noise of nature

A streak of sky through the tree tops

The waterfall only big enough for a fairy

I can see the remains of the dust from a previous visitor

Footsteps getting closer

Closer

I duck into my cavern among the sweetest lullaby and edible flowers

Only I know the password

Away from the outside strangers with nothing but bland points of view"

Tracy A Gibbons

Alone at Last~ Seeking Solace in Solitude

 

"It is not that

I avoid mixing

with the world;

but I do better

playing alone."

Ryōkan

Anti-Social or Honoring a Need for Solitude?

"It's curious but I'm getting a tad anti-social in my old age," a friend wrote. 

"I bumped into an old friend recently while vacationing in her town. Surprised to see me, she immediately castigated me for not getting in touch with her so we could visit. I felt badly about quietly slipping into town without contacting her, but I just felt a need to slow down and stop trying to do so much when I travel."

I totally understand where she's coming from. She--like me--is an outgoing and gregarious fun-loving person who enjoys the company of others. Yet for balance, sometimes we all need to seek solitude and limit our interactions with others to get back to our own center.

"I don't think of it as being anti-social, I wrote her. "I think of it as being more contained and thoughtful for how I want to spend my time in the moment. Sometimes I just need time to sit with my own thoughts and share my own company."

No Guilt-No Expectation Friendships

One of my best friends and I have a no guilt-no expectations relationship. We do not get mad at each other for failing to call, visit or follow through on what we were going to do together if it gets too cold or whatever.  And we don't get upset if  the other chooses to spend time with other people instead of us.

Although we love each other dearly we leave lots of room for being ourselves with each other--fully understanding each other's need to get together--or not. We never take offense if we don't get together. We are simply appreciative of spending time together when we do show up. 

While we do need to nurture and grow our important relationships we also need to nurture ourselves. Just because we have space open up in our schedule that doesn't mean we need to fill it up. 

Alone at Last

To honor your need for alone time, let go of your expectations for being on-call for others at all time. Turn off your phone, leave emails or text messages unanswered, or take a walk in nature alone. 

Chose to come together with others out of genuine desire to spend time with them rather than guilt over leaving them out. 

"Let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you."

Kahlil Gibran

Solitude: A Gift from Nature

"The cool water whirls between my toes

Jeans rolled up above my knees

Dirt from the pathway above trickles down the hill

Trees spinning in every direction

Protecting me in my spot

My territory

A bird in the distance echoes a sweet lullaby

I could almost dream to the sound

But I would rather stay here

Indian paintbrush spreads like wildfire among these ditches

It's as if you could pick it and eat it for dinner

Connecting with the universe

Through soil

My spot swallowing me whole

And I would not have it any other way

In the sweetest abyss of solitude

Alone at last

White noise of nature

A streak of sky through the tree tops

The waterfall only big enough for a fairy

I can see the remains of the dust from a previous visitor

Footsteps getting closer

Closer

I duck into my cavern among the sweetest lullaby and edible flowers

Only I know the password

Away from the outside strangers with nothing but bland points of view"

Tracy A Gibbons

Lightarted Living: She Fell Gently to the Ground

Lightarted Living: She Fell Gently to the Ground:   

She Fell Gently to the Ground

 

My Loyal Weeping Willow

I had to go back to shed a tear 

and thank my weeping willow

who finally had enough.

For years she stood strong alongside me. 

She was a diligent and loyal companion 

who provided me comfort and shade 

during my many times of trouble and turmoil.

Together we grew old

and our bones and boughs grew tired.

But she held her ground until I moved away 

before she let go and fell gently to the ground.

Until the day I left the house,

she stood strong and diligently provided me 

her comfort and shade against the world,

and then her service was done.

As her boughs broke 

she fell gently to the ground,

releasing her infinite uplifting spirits 

to branch out and scatter 

and to fertilize new ground

upon which to seed and flourish 

and once again provide shade 

and comfort to a weeping world.

For Brandy Carson

Brandy's beloved tree fell so she sent me

a photo of the tree to do homage to her.