Food for Thought

in times of trouble

Stranger

I wonder sometimes
if we were brothers
in another life
or doctor and patient, maybe even lovers
you caring for me, or me for you
us for each other
lives intimately intertwined
as time stretches out
in a trajectory
we’ll never know, at least
not in this life.
And I ask myself
if wondering about that other life
could be enough
to heal the wounds
of this one.

Food for Thought During Times of Trouble

What forces are at work 
that you don’t see on the news? 

What makes a community 
feel full of life, even when people grow weary?

What's coursing through the ancient bedrock,
aligning with the stars, or nestling softly near the heart?

What keeps you grounded, 
mind, body, and spirit? 

How can you live life
in ways that tell the truth? 

What would it be like to change your mind, shift course,
hold space for others to change theirs?

What could it mean to practice peace
and also work toward life-giving reform?

What if tuning in to those things is essential 
to staying sane in the times? 

How does us and them force leaving out what we need 
to tap into to navigate this era of time on earth?

What's in in the space 
between us and them? 

What's possible when you step outside what you see on the news, 
not to bury your head in the sand, but to make sure you’re not excluding 

the energy that may well lead us closer  
to what's going to add healing of the world?

Waking Up in Winter

Turn off the news.
Walk to the front door.
Notice how the doorknob feels, 
cold and smooth against your bare skin. 
Step outside. Pause. Eyes shut. 
Wait just a moment more. Now.
Open your eyes. Look with your whole body.
Drink the vastness this space beyond holds, 
revel in the wildness of the winter sky, 
listen to trees cloaked in frosty glory—
a story older than others shared this day, 
a story true, no matter who pays it mind, 
a story worth waking up for, 
even—especially— 
in winter.

Even Now, Despite Everything

I hope you have days 
when you notice how snow sparkles 
even more when it’s really cold; 
when you choose to watch a fire 
instead of whatever’s on Netflix; 
when you can taste the love 
in a homemade loaf of bread; 
when someone reminds you 
how much a kind word impacts a day. 
I hope there are times 
when you lean deeply 
into the tiny things 
that make you glad to be alive.