“We’re almost into snow season. I’m okay with that. I’ve thought about it so much. In some ways, I look toward the time to reflect and go deep on my contemplative pursuits. But there is always an irksome measure of fear, pushing around the edges of winter. We all struggle, and sometimes, cold seems to punctuate our losses. However, this is not a given. Our fires are burning bright. If we feel we’ve been left behind, to cope, to manage, to ascend alone, well, we are built for that. The warm days we steal in October, become more and more precious, come November. So bring it on. Tonight, as I sit in my studio, working by lamp light, and the computer’s glow, my soul is bound and determined to complete work I’ve been tasked with. The wind is howling, and the rain is pelting the roof just above my head. Power could go out. So, bring it on. It’s been a long, slow fall, with renovations in full swing, at the general store. Despite the scary exterior of the building, a hand penned sign saying “Open” tells me all I need to know. We’re still open. I’m still open, though at times, I feel numb, and devoid of the love I so desperately seek to live by. Though it seems a deterrent, I’d say the deficits are sometimes are strongest allies. I can still feel the pulse of all the amazing beings who are still with me, as well as those who have passed on. Our outdoor work confirms this. Digging vigorously into the earth, touching with our hands the raw essence of plant life, we know we are real. Silent beings support us. The animals, who can’t speak in our tongue, the vegetation bursting with life aimed towards spring, the waters, that flow, even in drought conditions, from the heights of our sacred mountains. I wouldn’t say, we are without adequate expression, or nutrition, as long as we hang onto our heritage of dirt, planting, growth and the recycling of all that is biological, and not screwed around with. We can resolve so many things, in the garden. This may seem exclusive to gardeners, but it’s not. Life is a metaphor for .. life. Everything is attached to everything. Dialing back the anger, which is perpetrated by others’ presumptive words, we fall back on the peace of our natural stature, which is constructive, and inclusive. Oh my gosh, we hold all the power, and yet feel, so disempowered. Rain, rain, wash us clean of our misunderstandings. Thank you, my community, for showing me the way. I have seen so much beauty in the last week, time will have no sway, to erase it.”
