Habitat Restoration

It was beautiful. It was fun. It was hard work. We brought our love of beavers, nature, and our lunch to spend the day tackling a habitat restoration project under the care of Beaverworks. We worked very hard with hand tools for hours. You must have wit, grit, and a sense of wonderment to complete… Continue reading Habitat Restoration

Flotsam & Jetsam

If you don’t know what to do, pick up litter at the beach. It’s never the wrong move. At one point I am alone by the surf and this is where loud singing is released. I went to Heceta beach in Florence to pick up trash and I remembered a Mary Oliver poem that goes… Continue reading Flotsam & Jetsam

Help with less answers and more listening

We often seek solutions or fixes to complex questions. There is a way to pause. A way to absorb what is going on before problem solving. Some would describe spiritual direction as a movement toward soul wholeness. A spiritual director is there to help us tune into ourselves. They are not there to tell us… Continue reading Help with less answers and more listening

Confidential Conversations

We end up together in a small room and I listen. It goes like this: a person comes in, and they speak a stream of images regarding their condition. First, they might say, “COW BUCKET WINDOW BREAD SUN ECHO.” And I say, “oh, ok…,” and I address this list. The subject is aches and pains,… Continue reading Confidential Conversations

From injury to function

The lotus lifts from mud.

Injury and wounds call for attention, mindfulness, focus. They demand us to care for ourselves, which is a gift. To learn this is a gift. Below is a list of suggestions brought about by conversations with patients: things to do and not do every day toward recovering from pain, injury, illness. Do the work. Don’t… Continue reading From injury to function