“How was the weather?” people ask when we return from our cottage. They assume we would wish for nothing but sunshine and warmth.
But wet weather is a wonderful part of vacation life too. Rainy days are perfect for cocooning with a good book, or for settling in for a nap.
There are few sounds more soothing than rain on a cottage roof . . .
According to the ancient Polynesian wisdom of Ka Huna, we should bless that which we want.
The shamans of Hawaii use the power of words and mind to heal the self, others and situations. They believe:
Resentment and feelings of unworthiness are both negative emotions. When we bless, there’s no room for negativity. Blessing nuzzles it out of the way.
Blessing has no space for thoughts like:
When we bless others, their day gets a little brighter, and we feel better too. The positives grow in an ever-expanding ripple.
What do you want to bless today?
I’m taking a mini- vacation. I’m re-posting something from nine years ago, because I love it.
Our family was heading to our favourite bakery to pick up cream-filled doughnuts. But . . . our way was blocked by road construction. We had to detour.
We grumbled. The detour stood between us and our doughnuts, and we weren’t happy.
That is, until we read the sign for the upcoming cross street.
My husband said: “Look. It’s Easy Street. I’ve got to turn down there.”
My daughter said: “Awesome! Wouldn’t it be cool to live on Easy Street.”
My son said: “You know, there are never any streets named Difficult Street, or Challenging Street.”
The personalities of my family revealed in a few short sentences.
We turned onto Easy Street, and immediately felt wonderfully, irrationally great.
“Oh yeah, we’re on Easy Street now, baby!”
The whole family was laughing and smiling. The name had amazing power to make our day.
But then . . . . we looked ahead. More construction at the next intersection meant that we could only enjoy our ride on Easy Street for one block. Isn’t that always the way? When you finally make it to Easy Street, it doesn’t last.
From this I learned three things:
Do you ever hover between yes and no?
Saying yes can
Saying no can
Some days, on the surface, it seems hard to decide. You have to dig deep before the answer is clear. When you do, you discover you just . . . know.
Other times the answer is spelled out.
In my cottage area, garbage must be protected from wild animals. Waste management workers need to access the containers, so parking in front of them is a definite NO.
I love the simplicity of the sign. One word. No explanation required. If you’re the person thinking of parking in that space, just . . . no.
You just know, or just no. The answer is always clear.
This time of social distancing is easy for me. I’m in my home. I love my home. It is my sanctuary.
Or one of the anyway. I also find sanctuary in other places: the woods, friends’ houses, and, yes, church.
Are you in a sanctuary? Which sanctuaries do you miss?
For the second consecutive year at my church, we were given a Star Word. It’s word to focus on, work through, or look for in the coming year.
We select it in much the same way a person picks a card from the deck during a card trick. The words written on pieces of paper placed upside-down in a plate, and we pick one without knowing what we’re going to get.
This was mine.
If I focus on it, work on it, and look for it, 2020 could be a jubilant year!
Somerton Smith 