Further Up and Further In

Boundaries. It's a common word in psychology, in relationships, in the workplace. We toss it around as if boundaries are easy to put up and maintain. 'Just draw a boundary.' 'Make sure you have a work-life boundary.' 'Tell someone they crossed a boundary.' If you've ever tried having boundaries, you know it's not that simple. Boundaries can take a lifetime to learn. They can be rigid and they can be flexible. They can be temporary or for forever. They can be in every single area of life or only in a couple. They can be instituted by other people and by your own self. They can be respected and upheld and they can be broken and destroyed.  Can boundaries become selfish? Is my holding up or putting in boundaries around friends and family too much about me? What if I want it to be a certain way or I'd rather just hang out with these friends? Does saying no make me a bad person? What if I set up something a particular way and someone wants to change i...

Burning prairie is What the ancestors feared Frantically beating the flames with water-soaked sacks Digging trenches in hardened earth Desperately trying to save their lives and livelihoods Now the prairie burns with purpose It burns to create new life Blackened land with Twisted branches and stumpy remains Of brush and plants Seemingly tell a despairing story Yet the tale has just begun Scorched soil absorbs sunlight Warmth stimulating plants to grow Green shooting up through the black Birds gather for the feast of insects The burning is rhythmic To keep out unwanted invasive plants Cleaning up and clearing out Restoring nutrients and resetting cycles Native plants know how to survive Their roots go deep  When fire sweeps over us Do our roots hold us steady? Are we used to the rhythms of purging that bring new life? How are we strengthened for the next growing season? The fire gives and the fire takes away Blessed be the burning of the prairie Written for the  May 2024  ...

This is the first post I didn't want to write. There have been posts that felt yanked out of me or that clawed their way to the surface. If I'm being honest, this is one I didn't really want to touch. Each year I choose a word to be my anchor, reminder of truth, aspiration, etc. and my word for 2023 was 'courage'. Writing plays a critical role in how I reflect and all the more so in how I look back on each year. But I haven't desired to look again on 2023 because I needed so. much. courage. I stared fear, heartbreak, uncertainty, and pain in the face in fresh ways. Yes, I made it through by the grace of God, but not without new scars and aching undercurrents that are still with me today. Why would I want to evoke it all again if I don't have to? Because that is courage. Courage  (n.) - the ability to do something that frightens one; strength in the face of pain or grief The root of the word, "cor", means 'heart' in Latin. Courage can also b...