gratitude – Page 2 – Carrie's Bench

Monday morning…

In the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Quote: Kahlil Gibran

Photo: Sanna Jâgas

Yes
It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.
Or sunshine, love, salvation.
It could, you know. That’s why we wake
and look out – no guarantees
in this life.
But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.

Quote: William Stafford, “Yes” in “The Way It Is”
Image: Pinterest

Seen…

“…And in the darkness, before the dawn has begun, all that (Mary) finds is emptiness: there is no body, no beloved, only an absence that must echo the hollow she carries in her own heart. And then, angels; and then, one who comes to her, calling her name. Confusion turns to clarity, and tears give way to astonished joy. The Magdalene sees. Oh, my friends. It is Easter Day. Even in the shadows, resurrection is beginning. In the emptiness, in the echoing hollow of our heart, may we hear our name called with a love that breaks into our bewilderment and fear. May we know and see anew the Christ who comes to us in the darkness and in the day, beckoning us to begin again.”

Seen

A Blessing for Easter Day

You had not imagined

that something so empty

could fill you

to overflowing,

and now you carry

the knowledge

like an awful treasure

or like a child

that curls itself

within your heart:

how the emptiness

will bear forth

a new world

you cannot fathom

but on whose edge

you stand.

So why do you linger?

You have seen,

and so you are

already blessed.

You have been seen,

and so you are

the blessing.

There is no other word

you need.

There is simply

to go

and tell.

There is simply

to begin.

Quote: Jan Richardson
Blessing: Jan Richardson from Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons

Image: Pinterest

what really matters

Heartbreak and hope are not mutually exclusive.

We can be angry and sad and filled with longing for something we cannot have,

and simultaneously we can be grateful for what we’ve got —

aware, for reasons we’d never choose, of what really matters.

Quote: Lennon Flowers
Image: Google images

thank you, Karl Duffy on Mindfulbalance.org

Follow your truth

And if you follow your truth down the road to peace and the affirmation of love,
if you shine like a beacon for all to see,
then the poetry of all the great dreamers and philosophers is yours to manifest in a nation,
a world community, and a Beloved Community that is finally at peace with itself.

Quote: John Lewis
Image: Melissa Askew