writing : blog
always, at the end of every day It comes to this: the fall to bed. Despite Herculean hopes to repair the broken furniture, to birth works of unassailable beauty,despite a heart with its tongue out, panting for love, or the hawk starewe train on our most extravagant intentions. Despite the toothyrigor of the bad habits we can’t break, and the…
Read the rest…
Even after all this time The sun never says to the earth, "You owe Me." Look what happens with A love like that, It lights the Whole Sky. – Hafiz Love without a balance sheet. Without measuring return on investment. Without bar charts and Excel spreadsheets. It lights the Whole Sky. With many thanks to Kerrie Blazek for pointing me…
Read the rest…
The First Night The worst thing about death must be the first night. —Juan Ramón Jiménez Before I opened you, Jiménez,it never occurred to me that day and nightwould continue to circle each other in the ring of death, but now you have me wonderingif there will also be a sun and a moonand will the dead gather to watch…
Read the rest…
I promised my friend Nina I would not let her die alone. And so I wait with her, for her. Today, someone in the nursing home (not a staff member) said, "She doesn't know you're here. You should go home." "But I know I'm here," I said. I told Nina I would be here–there weren't conditions attached to that. Not…
Read the rest…
Otherwise I got out of bed on two strong legs. It might have been otherwise. I ate cereal, sweet milk, ripe, flawless peach. It might have been otherwise. I took the dog uphill to the birch wood. All morning I did the work I love. At noon I lay down with my mate. It might have been otherwise. We ate…
Read the rest…
mind :: my brain and yours Here's what I'm reading now: Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence, The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School; and Medium Raw. How about you? What should I add to my book stack? Put more in. (Thanks to Malaprop's Bookstore for the link) The Rejection Gene: "One of the reasons entrepreneurship so…
Read the rest…
Forgiveness Forgiveness Is a thousand pains Placed one by one In small boats Kissed tenderly And sent out to sea Sometimes a few float back The exquisiteness of the pain Remembered Kissed yet again Then placed in its boat and sent out As many times as it takes Will they ever stop coming back I can’t know I can only…
Read the rest…
mind :: my brain and yours I am posting this "thinking thursday" from 37,000 above ground. I AM SITTING IN A CHAIR IN THE SKY. That's amazing. Think you're operating on free will? Think again. learning :: my education and yours U.S. public libraries: We lose them at our peril (Thanks to Clara Boza) body :: my place and yours…
Read the rest…
The Journey Above the mountainsthe geese turn intothe light again Painting theirblack silhouetteson an open sky. Sometimes everythinghas to beinscribed acrossthe heavens so you can findthe one linealready writteninside you. Sometimes it takesa great skyto find that small, brightand indescribablewedge of freedomin your own heart. Sometimes withthe bones of the blacksticks left when the firehas gone out someone has writtensomething…
Read the rest…
mind :: my brain and yours One day I sat on a plane beside a man who studies teen brains. "Really?!" I said. "Tell me." "They aren't like adult brains," he said. I smiled. "Even the most academic question lights up the emotional part of teen brains. They don't process information like we do. To expect them to respond rationally…
Read the rest…
Patti Digh is the author of six books, including bestsellers Life is a Verb and Creative is a Verb. She travels the world teaching others about mindfulness: to live fully, love well, let go deeply, and make a difference. Patti's comments have appeared on PBS and in The New York Times, Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, the London Financial Times, and many other international publications. She writes a thank you note every morning.
