To wander on Wednesdays;
To sit quietly
by the shoreline of stillness;
To drop my mind down
below the surface chatter -
The radio waves of thought
and their compulsive agitations:
The insult channel; the gossip channel;
the channel of panic and confusion.
To drop down into the
deep quiet from which
all wisdom comes.
To rest in awareness
of all that is here.
I do not long for more projects
or lists,
No more doing
or ideas for doing.
I only want this.
This.
The holy embrace of the day.
~Ingrid
(Special thanks to my dear friend Lori, who helped me take out my schedule and block out this time. Tell me friends, how do you make time and space for stillness, contentment, for belonging and for love?)
~
If this is the result, we’ll need to send you out wandering more often! I love the “No more doing or ideas for doing.” — sometimes it is the ideas themselves that become overwhelming for me. Stillness and quietness — it always comes back to that for me as the essential ingredients. And isn’t that ironic since I am usually too-loud???? I just love knowing what you’re thinking. See you Friday!
Ingrid, this post was very inspiring and soul soothing. I make time in the early morning and late at night. This is when my home is silent and I can be more aware of my emotions and thoughts. I write best when there’s complete silence.
Ingrid,
You stir up the longing in me to meander in nature for a while. I’ve been putting it off because it is chilly here and I just do not like the cold. But this weekend I vow to be outside so I can touch my beloved trees and stroll by the shore. The lilacs are blooming now, as are the lilies of the valley and my yard is fragrant. The flowers, especially, invite me to sit and watch, savor, and gaze at their beauty. To soak in their fragrance and marvel at the rhythm of their growth. Soon they will be gone and iris will be here in their place. Then bright red poppies! To sit and ponder and witness the seasons this way brings joy!
Thank you again for visiting my blog. You gave us much food for soul thought. I treasure our unfolding friendship more than words can express. Love, love…
Lori, You most splendid person. I don’t think of you as loud at all- alive maybe, and honest. Funny how we perceive ourselves…and how others see us. Thanks for helping me see how much I needed to actually schedule permission to wander. I never though to-do lists or schedules could be our friends, but I guess it’s up to us what we put on them. Got to keep time and space for what nourishes the soul.
Tabitha, I work best in quiet too…. I always intend to get up way before everyone else…and I rarely do. It’s another goal, or gift I’d like to give myself. Like wandering on wednesdays.
Jan, I absolutely loved visiting on your blog. It was an honor. I felt like I had ventured out of my cave of introspection to find a whole party of fellow pilgrims. Delightful!
You’ve touched on just what is so wrong with the world. I am certain that if we could all just get back to center all our problems would just slip away, or seem so much more solvable! I love this poem, Ingrid. You have put into words what I really feel. I missed your guest spot at Jan’s blog as I’ve been traveling. Now that we are where we are, I will go back and review all you talked about! Many blessings!