Context Matters

Overcast skies block both the sun's life-giving light and the its energy-draining heat. Here at summer's apex, the unexpected cloud cover counts a welcome blessing. I'm sure during winter's reign all prayers are for their dispersal.
The clouds themselves are neither friend nor foe. Context affects the lenses through which we filter reality.
I wonder what seasonal attributes I carry into this day.

So Obvious?

Tamper-proof renditions of the world according to
The next self-appointed guardian of circular truths
Whoever that may be.

The names hardly matter any more,
The modus operandi are
All the same.

Our eyes are clear, objective and strong.
Any applause corroborates the veracity of our creed.
Any persecution validates the threat such truth poses.

All others are
Fools to be mocked
Villians to be opposed or
Partisans to be dismissed.

It gets so old.
The evangelical preacher, the gay activist, the liberal academic, the conservative talk show host,
The union representative, the gun enthusiast, the vegan, the home-schooler, the border vigilante.
Will we ever learn?
It seems so obvious to me.

Eyes of Fear

How much of life do we live through the lens of fear? How dangerous are our relationships, our jobs, are we ourselves?
How often do we perceive legitimate criticisms of our work as attacks? How often do we conceal our desires out of concern not to be accused of selfishness? How many slights do we silently incur lest any protest be misread?
Opportunities for strengthening communication, building trust and deepening levels of maturity—albeit difficult ones—slip through our fingers when we react through the eyes of fear.
I'm preaching to myself, of course. One of the many lessons of life we learn more slowly than we would have hoped in retrospect. But we do not live in retrospect. We live and learn moving forward. So I do not need to waste time judging my mistakes, (like living through the lens of fear,) when I can more fulfillingly expend my effort learning to live through a lens of love.

Just the Two of Us

On the one hand, does anyone really need yet another visit to the Enchanted Tiki Room, joining with strangers from around the world in rousing choruses of, "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room?" On the other hand, there is nothing in the whole world that can replace any experience when it's just the two of us.
My youngest daughter and I spent yesterday exploring the Magic Kingdom together. We both revel in these exclusive experiences. Her wit rises to frightening levels of cleverness, even as she reaches for my hand in the dark. Whether sharing a frozen lemonade, pouring water over her head in the oppressive heat, or selecting the best spot to camp out on the parade route, we enjoy the unforced pleasure and safety of each other's company.
I'm fortunate that any combination of persons in my family is a rich and valued one. But there's a certain something special those times when it's just the two of us.

Back in the Saddle

Back in the saddle after some time off. Grateful for play and rest and changes in routine. Adjusting back to focus, schedules and to-do lists. The accountability of projects and cash flow requirements. The internal push to connect and reconnect, write and rewrite, create and recreate. It's good to be away. It's good to be back.

Vacation Rhythm

As rare as it is that I listen to my own advice, I'm off for a week of vacation. Not that I'm feeling the need for a break in this busy season of business building, but as a family it is time to get away together and have some fun. The kids are off from school, the extended family is gathering for our annual camping reunion, and the patterns of seasons and their cycles gift an underlying rhythm to the routines of daily life.

Turn of Phrase

The potential and
Limitations of
Words.

Both powerful.
Neither definitive.
Meaning flows where interpretation's boundaries
Stand to resist.

The not yet imagined frontiers of creation and
The crippling diminishment of the human soul
Both
Either
On a turn of phrase.

An Extra Measure

An extra measure of the spirit pays an unexpected visit, leaving a more centered clarity in its wake. No precipitating development... quite the contrary. With circumstances escalting that would normally undermine, tap into deep fears, or knock me off balance, I stand both within myself and outside myself. Comfortably both experiencing the dynamic and watching the dynamic. Strangely safe while much is at stake. Not needing to expend my energy holding on so tightly to what is not really mine. All I can think is an extra measure of the spirit.

Increasingly Myself

In knowing and understanding who I am, some forms of knowledge cannot be expressed in words. Cannot be reduced to words. I cannot be reduced to words.
I settle into myself. Like getting comfortable wearing a new suit that is a fresh yet surprisingly fitting expression of who I am.
It still surprises me to discover how good it feels to don new aspects of me as if for the first time and discover they are not awkward appendages. How good it feels to be increasingly me.