My ears delight in the sound of the surf.
My skin tingles as it welcomes the waves that have travelled so far.
My eyes, they glow with thanks for the beauty around me.
My body. . .breathes deeply,a long sigh of appreciation for the warmth of the sun
My heart beats time with the source of it all.
In your life, what makes your senses come alive?
“The ocean takes care of each wave ’til it gets to shore.” – Rumi
I’ve always loved the ocean.
It soothes me when troubled.
Inspires me when open.
And calms me when in need.
Reliable as the tides.
You are the same as the people you admire and respect.
They’re just riding a different wave.
It’s easy to forget you are part of something bigger than yourself.
Something as big as the ocean.
You’re afraid to believe that you are that big.
But believe it or not. . .
You are that big.
It bubbles up uninvited in the middle of the night like slow-moving lava, so hot it burns through everything in its path.
Burning, it makes room for a host of dark allies: doubt, cynicism, resignation.
You can’t breathe, your heart beats faster and your mind? It’s way ahead, having conjured up some grisly outcome worthy of Masterpiece Theatre.
Oh wait. . .
That was me in the middle of the night imagining various worst case scenarios of a health challenge that arose this year!
And I am (like you) so very good at worst case scenarios, thanks to my old friend the lizard brain.
Back to fear. . .
Fear has a tendency to stop you.
Today is my dad’s birthday and that displaces any spotlight, coaching tip or wise words I could offer. Instead, I’m sharing my dad, hopefully in such a way that you get what an extraordinary man he is and he gets how very much he is loved.
I love how my dad can look at something and instantly know how to fix it, improve it, or build it better.
I love how much he looked like a Hollywood heart-throb in his army photo!
I love how even though he was a strict dad, he’s a big softy as a grandpa.
I love how he has always put our family first. Always and all ways.
I love how he shares stories from his past. Truth be told, he was a mischievous rascal!
I love the twinkle in his eyes.
I love his green thumb, his abundant garden, and most of all his home-grown tomatoes.
I love how he fixes something every single time he comes to visit.
I love that he grew up street smart and didn’t let other kinds of smart stop him from living life fully.
I love how he fell in love with a brown-eyed beauty and swept her off her feet.
I love that his dream of a better life fueled his immigration to Canada.
I love his accent and the richness of his voice, still tinged with his native tongue.
I love that he mixes up sayings and metaphors, and I still know what he’s talking about.
I love how he reads the newspaper from cover to cover, from a desire to understand his community and the world around him.
I love how he enjoys his retirement, using it as time to do more of what he loves.
I love that he always remembered his roots.
I love the energy in his voice when he speaks to his brothers on the phone and I imagine them all as kids looking out for each other.
I love that he makes time for his grandkids, how he teaches them, plays with them and lets them melt his heart.
I love how he loves my mom. 50 years of love.
I love that he taught me about integrity and doing the right thing.
I love his sense of humour and his great big chuckle.
I love that I’m like him in so many ways.
I couldn’t have asked for a better man to raise me and send me out into the world.
Know that you are loved and appreciated, probably more than you can ever really know.
Please take a moment and join me in wishing my dad, Manuel Amorim, a very happy birthday with a comment below.
The plan was to take a few days off, meander through rural Washington and spend some time with my husband Mark.
Masters of the road trip, we often leave town for 3-4 days with his camera and my laptop in hand.
Time together pursuing our passions. His passion for the seaside towns of the Pacific Northwest often get him out of bed early, while I settle in with a cup of coffee and my laptop. Usually, I organize or find Internet access so that I can check in. Not quite unplugged, but the volume turned down considerably.
This time however, I unplugged completely.
We wandered, relaxed, took photos, read books and enjoyed each other’s company.
Silence crept in, at first like an uninvited guest.
But I soon found myself appreciating it, my mind no longer wondering what was happening elsewhere. I know from past experiences with silent retreats that I am nourished by silence, but in the busyness of life I forget.
Be here now.
Easier said than done sometimes.
Most times.
I went from Me to We.
I chose to spend my life with one person.
About a month before our wedding we met with a marriage commissioner who shared the wisdom gained from 10 years of marrying people.
She said agreeing to marry is a choice, the first of many. For marriage to work it takes more than love.
It takes choosing every day.
Every. Single. Day.
Choosing when you don’t feel like it or don’t want to.
Choosing through all the emotions and moods and resistance.
Resistance?
Yes, because resistance comes up any time you choose to do something that threatens the status quo, threatens the safety and security of your life.
Relationships do just that don’t they?
But they also do so much more.
They open you up in ways unexpected. Like the time Mark wrote me a love note every day for a month. Each note, cracked me open just a little bit more.
They challenge your old stories. Like the story I’d created that lived as the truth for many, many years. That story kept me single and safe.
They grow you up. After years of being single and doing whatever I wanted when I wanted, it took something for me to consider another person and their needs. There are still days I don’t want to.
I choose to do the work it takes to honour our commitment.
I choose to be responsible about my feelings.
I choose to to keep choosing.
Two years ago today I chose Mark Faviell.
Creative. Intelligent. Unconditional.
When I think of what I love most about him, these three words come to mind.
I chose him.
And he chose me. We have a pact.
730 days of choosing.
With many more to come.
Happy Anniversary to us.
Dearest,
Life can be challenging.
Fear and anxiety show up for a visit and the urge is strong
But listen. . .
You’ve got to keep going. You can’t give up.
Because you – of all the people I know – have a gift to offer.
A gift so remarkable, so uniquely you, it would break my heart if you stopped offering.
Every time you’ve been tempted to give up and take the easy road, you’ve followed your own light. Some days barely visible but enough to illuminate the path ahead of you.
That light can not be extinguished.
You may not know this about yourself, but you are a warrior of the light.
A torch-bearer, a fire starter, a beacon.
When you think you have nothing left to give, your greatness – radiance – shines through.
Some are blinded by it. Pay them no mind.
The world needs you to keep shining.
It’s why you’re here.
xoS
p.s. Wherever you go, go with all your heart.
They come out of nowhere and take you by surprise don’t they?
One did just that as I came across a wild garden at the side of a building. So many pretty flowers I thought.
These ones caught my eye; made my breath catch in my throat. They reminded me of my grandmother you see. My Nonna, the woman I was named after.
Santina. A name I wanted so badly to anglicize as a child. Now as an adult I keep it close to my heart and pull it out for special occasions.
Memories of…
Memories.
They sneak up and catch you off guard.
These ones – Hollyhocks – took me back to my childhood. I never knew what they were called, just that they grew at the side of Nonna’s house.
Today they wound their way around my heart.
Fear doesn’t stop you. YOU stop you.
I’ve wanted to write this post since my father-in-law’s sudden death, but the wanting was tinged with fear.
Fear that you would be put off, not get my point or worse, ignore me all together.
I’ve been headed in this direction for some time, but I’ve allowed fear to slow my steps.
Then death jolted me out of my comfort zone.
“You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.” – Joan Baez
So it’s time to call bullshit…
You live like you have all the time in the world to pursue your dreams and follow your passions.
Plenty of time to shine… later.
“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” – Joseph Campbell
Malcolm gave life his all. In that sense, he was a hero.
He pursued his passions with an uncommon intensity and commitment to excellence that was inspiring.
Last night the hero’s journey was completed.
Rest in peace Malcolm Faviell.
You will be sorely missed.