Reflections of Ruthie

What do you see here? No right or wrong. 

We are officially in the week of the year when all the numbers fall off the calendar and no-one knows what is going on. It's a privilege to be needed or 'in demand' during this potentially nebulous time. But what if we're really feeling stretched or pulled in multiple directions? Here are a few ideas that I try to embrace: 1. Listening to nature. I had a radical inclination to open the window in my bedroom today. I'd been lying down, not feeling the best following a summer cold. I was amazed by the way that bird sounds flooded into my room and my being, bringing hope and wonder. 2. Noticing movement. When we do seemingly basic things such as standing up, there is a complex set of movements that goes on, involving a wide range of body parts. It's worth paying attention. I also find it rejuvenating to notice movement in nature, such as birds flying, trees swaying in the breeze, clouds floating across the sky.  3. Appreciating fun and craziness. I'm fortunate t...

  Here are some of the sounds that I noticed over Christmas time: 1. Congregational singing of traditional Christmas carols and a kindly minister speaking. 2. Birds conversing beautifully with each other. 3. Television programs from news to the Vatican to well-oiled drama. 4. Happy, excited voices, earnest voices, struggling voices. 5. The thud of tennis balls. 6. Dogs barking. 7. My own inner voice, freelancing, as well as reading from books and psalms. I discovered this from Psalm 139 - For you created my inmost being. That resonated. 8. Quietness, accompanied by the tapping of keys and the hum of a refrigerator. 9. A clock ticking (and it's a bird clock!). 10. Coughing. 11. The house settling 12. Let me hearken back briefly to that exploding coke can that was thought to be 'something shifting in the night'. 13. A creaking armchair. 14. Water gushing from a tap. 15. My own breath and a bit of asthmatic wheezing! 16. Cars purring along the highway. 17. Feet and paws tappin...

We can all struggle at Christmas in different ways and to varying degrees. Sometimes things just get too much, despite good times and people. When feeling a bit more purple or blue than golden, there are a few things that I do: 1. Place both my hands on my heart and let my mind rest there for I while. I feel connection to something or someone bigger when I do this. 2. Close my eyes and listen to sounds, especially birds and sometimes voices on tv. 3. Listen to a favourite piece of instrumental music - in my case, the 2nd movement of the Hummel Trumpet Concerto in E flat. 4. Think of times when it was pouring with rain. Imagine standing in the rain. In this way, I can acknowledge sadness at the same time as entering into a calm experience. Rain can also bring a sense of happiness on occasion.  5. Remember that other people are experiencing a range of emotions at this time. It's not just me.  6. Phone or text a friend. 7. Walk around the house and feel the floor or carpet under ...

  School finished up about a week ago, along with most of my regular social commitments. This morning, I was struck by a resounding, almost echoing silence, in the absence of some of the voices that have been quite loud throughout the year. It occurred to me that, at the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph had also been transported to a completely different space, with new sounds and voices, and the absence of familiar ones.  I thought about the light that illuminated and guided the people in the story and was reminded of how I tracked Venus across the western sky for several months during 2016. Today, and other days, I perceived the light inside me. I know it as eternity, and it is very peaceful.  Then I pondered Jesus, in such a vulnerable state, and I felt enormously grateful for those who took care of me when I was a baby.  At that point, almost overwhelmed, I stopped and listened. Thoughts intruded. A car revved in the neighbourhood. Then I thought about returning t...

Dear all, I've launched a new blog. It's at whatdoyouperceive.blogspot.com I'll be working on a Christmas Reflection for here. The other blog is a bit of fun where you can look at fairly abstract doodles/ drawings and figure out if you see anything in them. I've had some wide-ranging responses to this in another forum! Warm regards, Ruth