Taking a Deeper Breath

"A witness to the world." As I mentioned yesterday, that's how Kim Stafford describes himself as a poet. But we are all witnesses to the world, and this week we have seen a ghastly sight. Although this blog was designed -- and is still intended -- to be a break from the ongoing bad news, this is a time when I must make an exception. George Floyd's death demands it. We cannot ignore what we have seen this week. But we do not need to lose heart or give up. On the contrary, this is a time for us to rise up and stand together, and to do what we can, each of us, to make justice for all a reality in our nation, and to finally begin to dismantle the systemic racism that has defined us for too long. If you are heartsick, you are not alone. But here are some concrete ways to take action today: Join Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and other organizations as interfaith and community leaders gather to speak out for justice and nonviolent protest, and to reaffirm our commitm

I have previously shared poetry by Kim Stafford, Oregon's ninth poet laureate (April 23). Stafford says that he sees his duty as a poet to be "a witness to the world." He surely is that. He has been writing a series of daily pandemic poems, which you can find here: Pandemic Poems Here's one of them: Pandemic Kinship This old codger can breathe without pain because a random girl he's never met didn't touch a handrail. This mother will live to raise her children because a clerk wore gloves and mask. At dawn a grandmother at the coast can keep looking for shells, humming along through the fog, because a city family didn't make a day of it, didn't drive down to breathe the salt air, then rummage the local store, touching this and that. A doctor has just enough  stamina to save a hundred, because thousands performed the moral etiquette of restraint. What we don't do saves strangers, and wha

Carl and I have some greeting cards that we bought on a trip somewhere. They have messages like, “Lessons from a Bear” and “Lessons from a Turtle,” and then each one has a list of real-life lessons that relate to the particular animal. The polar bear, for example, advises us to “live large” and “have some good icebreakers,” while the penguin suggests that we “dive into life” and “stand together.” The cards are clever but realistic. These really are good lessons for us. It got me to thinking about what other lessons we might take from animals, especially for this time of pandemic. Our best friends (mine, anyway), dogs, have lots of good lessons for us now:      Play lots of games.      Get exercise every day.      Enjoy a treat now and then.      Drink plenty of water.     Take naps. Annie  (Photo Credit: Michael Arellano) Here are some others that come to mind: Hummingbird : “Skip the sugary drinks and eat natural foods when you can.” Butterfly : “Sav

"Look, Mimi, look! A mushroom! And another!" It's a sunny day in May and I am making the most of my COVID connection with my three-year-old grandchild. I can't hug and hold Cedar as I'd love to do, or play close together as we've always done in the past, but we can wear our masks and roam around the backyard at a careful distance from each other. And nowadays, that's joy for me. Cedar's family has planted a good garden, and Cedar is giving me a tour. Here are the snap peas. They're climbing energetically up the supports, but "don't take one, Mimi. They're not ready yet." We're headed for the strawberries when Cedar notices a shimmering reflection on the house from a bottle of water on the back steps. Wow! We stop to marvel at it. The strawberries are starting to ripen. I see a big one that's turning red. Is it ready to eat? Cedar says no, not yet. We inspect the potatoes, and Cedar inspects a tiny blue flower in the gr

A few days ago, I opened a post about birds with a quote by Brian Doyle. I said then that I'd write about Doyle soon. Today's the day. Brian Doyle knew how to inhale the sweetest fragrance of life. He did it every day until his untimely death from cancer in 2017. If you’re not familiar with his work, pick up any of his novels and prepare to be transported. I recommend  Mink River, Martin Marten,  or  The Plover  to get you started.  Doyle had a singular gift for finding grace and hope in this world. I used to periodically change the message I wrote on the blackboard by my desk. But I put up a phrase of his a couple of years ago and have not wanted to touch it since. The chalk is pretty well fixed by now. And the phrase speaks to me more every day. It’s simply this: “…gentle patience and affection and respect and reverence for each other.” That’s how Doyle lived; he embodied these qualities. Aren’t they what we need in this difficult time? His la

Last week I shared some insights I've gained from being a motorcycle mom ("Target Fixation," May 20). One of the things I mentioned was that we can stay upright and more balanced ourselves if we don't let today's stresses hijack us. I was thinking first about physical balance. There's the natural balance of breathing, with each in-breath in leading to an exhale. Our body requires sleep at regular intervals, to restore us after hours of wakefulness. We move in patterns of activity and rest while we are awake. We need food and hydration to fuel our bodies, and our shifting energy levels reflect these needs. We can tell when each of these systems is in balance. We feel physically better when we are rested, fed, we're breathing fully, and we have had sufficient exercise without harmful over-exertion. Our bodies both require and desire balance on a physical level. We also know when our body is out of balance. Have you been feeling stress in your body

It's Memorial Day. This is the day set aside each year to honor those who died while serving in the United States military. While it's become more familiar as the unofficial start of the summer season, it's actually a sacred and solemn day. Do you know much about Memorial Day? It was originally known as Decoration Day, for the flowers, wreaths, and flags placed on graves, and began as a day to honor those who died in the Civil War. In early May, 1868, General John A. Logan, the leader of an organization for Northern veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance on May 30. He chose that date because it did not correspond to any particular battle.  From 1868 to 1970, the observance was on May 30. Over time, it came to be known as Memorial Day, and was extended to honor the dead of all American conflicts. Since 1971, we have observed Memorial Day on the last Monday in May, which has led to the three-day weekend becoming a celebration unto itself. Some veterans'

Yesterday I shared some of the signs that we've seen on our recent walks. Today I'm happy to offer some videos, photos, and links for those of you who might want to take a virtual walk, or see sights that aren't readily available on your own route. For a sign of spring that might bring you a welcome smile, take a peek at Bella the hummingbird, feeding her babies. Bella and Babies   Click here for a live webcam, along with photo galleries of Bella and her many babies: Bella This is a video of an osprey nest that is sort of like watching a televised yule log. It's mesmerizing after a time: Osprey   And here's a gorgeous gift from the New York Botanical Garden: streaming versions of walks around its grounds, which are in full bloom. There are lots of options to choose from, including Tree Peonies , Dogwoods , Tulips ,  Daffodils , and more. These are all brief; for a longer virtual walk, choose a Spring Tour . There are even more choices here: Virtual Botanical

Like many of you, I suspect, we have been walking more than usual. And no doubt all of us out walking have been seeing plenty of signs on our routes. Here are some that we've seen lately: The last sign bears a quote from St. Teresa of Calcutta, still best known, perhaps, simply as Mother Teresa. It seems to me that the other signs are all examples of what she urges us to do. I don't know about you, but I feel lifted up by signs such as these. And that's energy that I can use to spread my own kindnesses. It's another kind of contagion, isn't it? Goodness rippling out from something as small as a sign. Until tomorrow, I wish you good health and a peaceful Saturday. What signs have you seen lately? And what impact have they had upon you? Love, Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma

Among the many truths about this time, we have learned that it is a time of waiting. We all want things right now that we simply cannot have. Whether it's being with our loved ones and friends -- up close, hugging again -- without the barriers of distance and masks, getting a haircut, going to the playground with our children or grandchildren, or having a birthday party in our home, we are all having to wait. And we are getting weary. This frustration is starting to play out in unhelpful ways. We see people putting themselves and others at risk; perhaps we are doing that ourselves. We may find that we complain more, grow exasperated more easily, or feel less inclined to support family and friends who want our help. Maybe we are leaning into negative thoughts and behaviors. Perhaps we are starting to lose hope. It makes sense that we would be struggling now. We are all under great stress. As I've said so many times already, this is a time for extra grace for ourselves an