Stepping out of the shade

by Jill Schroder “When day comes, we step out of the shade…” is an excerpt from Amanda Gorman, the youth Poet Laureate’s contribution at the Biden-Harris inauguration. This phrase landed with me and then rippled out. It does seem like we are stepping out of the shade now, in January. The days are getting longer,… Continue reading Stepping out of the shade

Walking through the woods at dusk

by Lillian Ireland Walking through the woods at dusk, The silence seems to pierce the ‘ifs’ and ‘whens’ and ‘whys’ and other endless thoughts. A quiet overtakes my soul as I hear the nearby gurgling stream, It doesn’t question its future or from where it gets its strength. The cradling water and bottom sand gently… Continue reading Walking through the woods at dusk

A Christmas Prayer

by Maureen Killoran Not gold, nor myrrh, nor even frankincense would I have for you this season, but simple gifts, the ones that are hardest to find, the ones that are perfect, even for those who have everything (if such there be). I would (if I could) have for you the gift of courage, the… Continue reading A Christmas Prayer

The Blind Men and the Elephant – A Picture of Relativism and Tolerance

by Erlene Woollard and Patricia Plackett The Blind Men and the Elephant is a famous Indian fable that tells the story of six blind sojourners that come across different parts of an elephant in their life journeys. In turn, each blind man creates his own version of reality from that limited experience and perspective. The… Continue reading The Blind Men and the Elephant – A Picture of Relativism and Tolerance

A painful lesson in Zen and the art of honeybee reverence

by Heather Swan Nearly every summer’s day, I visit honeybees. Some days, I sit and watch them floating in and out the hive. Other days, I pry off the hive cover to see them building their gorgeous wax home, packing the pollen and nectar they have gathered into the comb, touching each other with their… Continue reading A painful lesson in Zen and the art of honeybee reverence