Healing the Whole

"...we may feel ourselves torn between the priorities of healing ourselves ~ resolving our own inner spiritual or psychological problems ~ and attempting to cure the social and economic ills that beset our culture.  While each of us undoubtedly has much inner work to do, this attitude ...continues to view the individual as somehow separate from the rest of the world.  But if we accept that we are totally part of this living Earth, then we must recognize that isolated health is an illusion.  Healing ourselves and working to resolve the contradictions in the human-earth ecology is the same work." - Earth Prayers

Divine Conversations

"If we have a wonderful sense of the divine it is because we live amid such awesome magnificence...While the distinction between spirit and matter is valid, no one can separate the two;  no one can draw a line between them.  Spirit and matter are not two different realms of reality, two different layers of the universe.  One and the same reality will be material or spiritual depending on how we approach it.  (Regardless) of where we immerse ourselves in the stream of reality, we can touch the spiritual source of all that is natural." ~ (from Earth Prayers)

The beauty of the trees,

the softness of the air,

the fragrance of the grass,

speaks to me.

The summit of the mountains,

the thunder of the sky,

the rhythm of the sea,

speaks to me.

The faintness of the stars,

the freshness of the morning,

the dewdrop on the flower,

speaks to me.

The strength of fire,

the taste of salmon,

the trail of the sun,

and the lite that never goes away,

they speak to me.

And my heart soars.

(Chief Dan George)

 

On the Anniversary of Your Leaving

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there.  I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glint on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush.

I am the swift uplifting rush

of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.

I am not there.  I do not sleep.

(Joyce Fossen)

Defined by the Sky

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe #6

 
Santa Fe is known for its art (being the second largest art market in the U.S. after NY City), its film industry, its downtown square and marketplace, its architecture and history.  But for me, Santa Fe is defined by its sky.  An expansive, deeply blue sky often populated by the purest white clouds.  I was literally captivated by the light, and that feeling never abated the entire time we were there.

I can see why artists flock to the area to paint, sculpt, photograph.  I can see why the arts community has created the incredible, nonstop collection of galleries on Canyon Road and throughout the entire downtown.  I can see why serious collectors, wanna-be's, and admirers of the arts flock to Santa Fe.  I, too, am irresistibly drawn to the light and the art it inspires.

Choosing Better

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe #5
Sometimes You Gotta Change Your Plans

Our getaway from Phoenix was going to be fast, straight and boring, given that we had driven the highway north out of town a gazillion times.  Fast track past Prescott and Sedona, turn right at Flagstaff and off we go to New Mexico.  But sometimes, plans get changed when something better comes along.

"You just have to take the Rim Route.  Scenic.  Circuitous.  Far more interesting than the interstate."  We jumped on it and headed northeast through Payson, Arizona eventually meeting up with I-40 on its relentless charge due east to the neighboring state.  Fifty miles shorter than our original route but a half hour longer in time, and it was worth every mile of the trip.

Which brings me back to the word "better."  It's subjective on some level because I am sure there are travelers who cringe at the idea of changing plans, or leaving their beloved four-lane super-highways.  For us, however, the journey between destinations is fully a part of the adventure.  So driving a meandering highway off the valley floor where desert plants abound, and making our way up in altitude with its completely different scenery, was worth every mile of the "detour," making it "better" than our original choice.

So I ask you ~ when was the last time you chose "better" over safe or it's-how-I-always-do-it or the-plan-is-the-plan?  You might find that "better" opens your world in ways you never expected.    

By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe #4
Beyond the Sites

The drive on I-10 from Joshua Tree to Phoenix is somewhat of a letdown after our glorious desert excursion.  Being on a four-lane highway driving 70mph+ with all the other transients on the road just isn't the same as the quiet, scenic tour-de-Joshua Tree. But Phoenix has an attraction that compels me to go.

 I have been to Arizona so many times that it's no longer about exploring the sites, discovering new restaurants, shopping for treasures and all the other usual touristy things.  I go now to engage in comfortable conversations that picked up where we left off, dine in familiar restaurants eating my favorite meals, stroll through certain neighborhoods to see who has made changes, and just generally enjoy the company of family and friends.

Sometimes trips aren't just about what we can see or experience.  Sometimes they are about stoking the fires of love with people who matter in our lives.

Other Worldly

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe #3
It's Not All About the Sand

 
If you have never visited a desert, then you can't fully appreciate the variety of life forms that have evolved over time to exist in its extreme and wildly fluctuating conditions.  Sure, you might see a cactus in someone's garden, but not until you see it in its natural setting can you fully appreciate its exquisite survival skills.  Not until you visit in the Spring after a good winter's rain, can you imagine the beauty of the flowers that briefly visit this harsh land.

Joshua Tree National Park offers an interesting intersection of high (Mojave) and low (Colorado) deserts, and with it, you can experience a wide range of desert plants.  The drive from the high desert western entrance to the low desert southern entrance is like none other as you experience a change in altitude, landscape and plant life.  An added bonus is an oasis that pops up throughout the park where land shifts have allowed underground water to rise to the surface.

 
 It truly is an other worldly experience.