1000 thank you’s

A rose plant that I bought a month ago (hoping to eventually transplant at our new home) is in its second period of blooming!

I ran early this morning and the thought came to me to see if I could say “Thank You”, 1000 times over the weekend. Doing some quick calculations, I figured that if I sat for 3 minutes in the morning and evening, and dedicated those times to just thinking and feeling the words, “Thank You”, that by Sunday night, I would have said/thought this at least 1000 times (and I am not about to actually count because that would feel like a chore and this is not about struggle in any way).  I also wondered how this might change me: what doors would open inside. And then I thought about he power of doing this together as a community.

So, it is Friday and if you would like to join me in this practice/adventure/challenge then you are invited!  It would be wonderful to hear from anyone who would like to share about your experiences either giving this a try, or with a personal story of gratitude, a quote or a word. I’ll be doing this too; both checking in and posting when I feel moved to do so.

Four Rules

1.Only do this if it feels like a Good idea…this should not be another thing to feel bad about!

2.and even if you only get to say, 10 thank you’s, you are welcome to “borrow” from the group to meet your quota!

3. Comment as many times (or not) as you would like over the weekend.

3. If you are not feeling at all grateful,  maybe dip into the pool of gratitude that will be created here and just float and absorb the Love.

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough“. Meister Eckhart

Read Full Post »

One year ago today

Circle of Wisdom; I bought this mug yesterday to celebrate our year together here on the White Feather Farm Blog

One year ago today, I woke up and started writing a blog. What I didn’t know about this adventure was so much greater than what I knew; practically nothing. I didn’t have a sense that it would be a “success”, as a matter of fact, quite the opposite. As the first few days and months went by and it started to grow, I kept thinking that it had peaked, and would surely begin to decline; that people would lose interest in what I had to say or that I would lose the ability to write something helpful.

I still wake up, almost every day, and wonder if what I write will be wanted, needed or accepted. Sometimes the words just flow easily, but most of the time, I re-write, re-work, re-consider what I have written. I keep a constant intention to present ideas that are uplifting, and encouraging and refreshing, and yet sometimes my words are misunderstood, and cause pain and confusion.

There are days, many days, that I don’t feel like writing. I don’t think that I was born to be a writer. When I hear stories of men and women who just have to write everyday; who write in cafes and on street corners and stay up all night needed to get their thoughts down on paper I don’t even identify with that. I am a teacher and one of the ways that this is “being pulled through me” seems to be by writing, because even the days that I don’t want to write, something compels me to sit down at my computer and to try.

I am beginning to see that this pull is coming from the intentions of others as well. Possibly the biggest and happiest surprise for me has been the community of love and mutual support and wisdom that has come together here. You, who are reading this right now, whether you ever comment or not, are a part of this creation. I would not be doing this if it weren’t for “you”. I am sure of that. But what started as an idea, presented to me by my dear friend Jon, has grown into a vitally important part of my life. Even with all of the ups and downs, the doubts and the difficulties, I cannot imagine not doing this.

We may not ever meet face to face, but you are more important to me than you could ever know.

Thank you

Read Full Post »

Good news

I was a horrible student in high school, and prided myself on never taking home a book, which earned me the distinction of graduating at the bottom of my class. When I was in my twenties, I realized that I wanted an education, but had serious doubts about my abilities/intellect. I considered myself to be a poor student (which I certainly was), but didn’t know if this was just because I wasn’t smart, or because I never tried. By this time, I also had 2 small children at home.

During my second semester at a community college, I became friends with my Chemistry professor. She and I were about the same age, and occasionally went out for a drink (more about this part of my story at a later time!) after class with a few other students. One evening during casual conversation, she asked me how I was doing in my other classes. I said, “I’ve gotten mostly B’s”. She then looked me in the eyes and said, “That is not good enough for you.”

This woman, who had a master’s degree and was teaching at the community college level, saw me as an A student?! My life changed in that moment. I started studying like my life depended on it. Shortly thereafter, I transferred my credits to a University, graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, received a full scholarship to graduate school (to study Economics…this is a long story!) and eventually was accepted at Harvard Divinity School.

It was almost 30 years ago that Martha (I cannot remember her last name) said those words to me. I don’t remember much about Chemistry; what she had to teach me didn’t have anything to do with that. She saw something in me that I hadn’t yet recognized, and had the courage to say it. We are all teachers in this incredible classroom of life. Our words matter…more than we can ever know. Thank you Martha!

“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” Anne Frank

Read Full Post »

A birthday question

my mother (who gets the credit for the hard work she did 56 years ago today!)

I drove to Burlington, Vermont yesterday to meet with both of my sons and Lindsay (Tom’s girlfriend), and to stay with Tom and Lindsay in their new place for the night. It has been an intensely happy 18 hours for me. I love being with them; could just sit and look at them and be happy. They are full of creative energy, vision and “future”. I am a part of their lives, and yet I also know that I need to keep discovering the person that I came here (in this lifetime) to be. Dropping the masks that I have worn, becoming more authentic and less concerned with “appearances” and roles. It is scary sometimes. I feel like being myself (whatever that means!) also involves risking rejection. Someone may not like who I am, the way that I express this unique self and then…..what?  Time for a new question.  What do I love about me?

“You were born an original. Don’t die a copy.” John Mason

 

I have had many birthday wishes (starting Sunday it seems!) and they have been so wonderful to receive. Today, September 29th is my birthday. Thank you to all of you for making this part of my life possible.

Read Full Post »

Keeping the door, for a better future, open

beautiful door lock at the great camp Sagamore

Jack and I were talking about an opportunity that came his way several years ago, one that was fun, exciting, profitable, and totally engrossing. We can both easily remember those feelings of working on the project, first him alone, and then us together. During the conversation I said, “That was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” This statement led to a sigh on both of our parts, until we caught it.

To think that there will never be another______, implies that the best has already come and gone, and everything will pale in comparison from here on in.  Saying that something was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, insures that it will be.  It is a statement that closes off an expansive  future…just a little. That particular opportunity will not come again, but something with the same feeling quality is what I want to stay open to.

It is my intention to experience full connection, meaningful, rich relationships, work, and play for the entire time that I am alive. Remembering the feelings when things were really great, and then saying as my prayer, “Thank you for the incredible experience of _______I am looking forward to feeling this again”,  opens doors for more.

Read Full Post »

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Wake up call

As I was sitting at my desk at 5:45 this morning, answering emails, I heard a subtle clucking sound, rhythmic and soft. I didn’t pay attention at first. Then I sort of jolted myself awake and grabbed my camera and hustled outside barefooted, and still in my p.j.’s, to see a family of turkeys crossing the road in the early morning mist.

I believe that every experience that comes to us, also has a blessing (sometimes hidden) and that birds and animals show up at certain times with messages to pay attention to. Turkeys always remind me to say thank you. Just to say it for no particular reason; to say it for everything. Wouldn’t it be fun to see how many things that we could find today to not only be grateful for, but to say thank you for? Even if we just walked around our own homes saying thank you for the things that we usually take for granted. Thank you to our animals for their unconditional love, thank you for our computers, our cell phones, our pajamas! I am going to start right now:

Thank you to all of you who read this blog! Thank you to everyone who sent Jack birthday wishes yesterday (written or thought). Thank you God for turkeys, for reminding me to be thankful! Feel free to share your thankful thoughts on the blog today too!

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it“.
William Arthur Ward

Read Full Post »