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Thank you,
-erie
Journal of Sacred Work
Caregivers have superpowers! Radical Loving Care illuminates the divine truth that caregiving is not just a job. It is Sacred Work.
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8 responses to “Days 221-223 – Open Forum”
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An image of the great circle of life surfaces for me today as I think about how we divinely manifest from the invisible, are born into the world of form to live on a circling planet within a universe of mystery.
Life flows in a circular motion as creation unfolds in one miraculous intelligent design. I value the following famous passage by Black Elk.
“Everything the power of the world does is done in a circle. The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball and so are all of the stars. The wind in its greatest power whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same. And both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.”
When I think of God, I perceive a sacred image of unending Love, a circle with no beginning and no end. Yet, we struggle in thinking we are the author of our lives and can make life conform to our will. Struggle ends in awareness that we are born of Love. As we accept this precious gift of our origin we can relax in joyful peace, confident in Love’s abundance.LikeLike
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I offer this from Hafiz:
In a Handful of God
Poetry reveals that there is no empty space.
When your truth forsakes its shyness,
When your fears surrender to your strengths,
You will begin to experience
That all existence
Is a teeming sea of infinite life…
…In a handful of of the sky and earth,
In a handful of god,
we cannot count
all the ecstatic lovers who are dancing there
behind the mysterious veil.
True art reveals there is no void
or darkness…LikeLike
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The image of the Circle of Life causes me to reflect on the world being as in a circle – which reminds me of the saying, What goes around comes around”. In noting this, it’s important to use when dealing with others, whether you give direct support, or pass them on the street. I love that and work on using the ideal in my daily life.
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Thank you, Karen, for sharing a sweet cup of Hafiz with us. I enjoy the poetry you share, immensely.
~lizLikeLike
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I wish to share this lovely passage from the book “Eternal Echoes” by Irish poet, philosopher, and Catholic scholar John O’Donohue (1956-2008).
Soul: The Beauty of the Broken Circle
The one who dreamed the universe loved circles. There is some strange way in which everything that goes forward is somehow still traveling within the embrace of the circle. Longing and belonging are fused within the circle. The day, the year, the ocean’s way, the light, the water, and the life insist on moving in the rhythm of the circle. The mind is a circle, too. This is what keeps you gathered in yourself. If you were just a point in space, you would be forever isolated and alone. If your life were simply a line through time, you would be always trapped at this point with all past and future points absent. The beauty of the mind is its circular form. Yet the circle of the mind is broken somewhere. This fracture is always open; it is the secret well from which all longing flows. All prayer, love, creativity, and joy come from this source; our fear and hurt often convert them into their more sinister shadows.
The breakage within us is what makes us human and vulnerable. There is nothing more sinister than someone whose mind seems to be an absolute circle; there is a helpless coldness and a deadly certainty about such a presence. When you discover this inner well of longing it can frighten you and send you into flight from yourself. If you can be tranquil, amazing things can flow from it. Your body is open physically to the world and the well of your mind flows out of ancient ground. This is reminiscent of the mountains here in the Burren, in the west of Ireland, where there are many wells. The face of the well is on the surface; it is such a pure and surprising presence. Yet the biography of the well is hidden under eternities of mountain and clay. Similarly, within you the well is an infinite source. The waters are coming deep down. Yet as long as you are on this earth, this well will never run dry. The flow of thought, feeling, image, and word will always continue. The well of soul flows from fracture in the circle of the mind. This is, in a sense, a frightening inner opening—anything can flow from the distant and unknown mountains. Part of the wonder of living a real life is to make peace with the infinite inner opening. Nothing can ever close it. When you listen to the voices of your longing, you begin to understand the adventure and the promise of life with which you are privileged.
I wonder what circles through your mind and heart as you read this?LikeLike
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Oh, the circles of life! What delightful images. Thank you Liz for opening us again to or reminding me of the wisdom and exquisite poetic language of John O’Donohue. John has the wonderful gift to encircle us in his dreams and take us to a deeper part within ourselves. We are entwined in so many wondrous ways. We all know the ripple effect. Reading this message from Liz encourages me to drop the pebbles of love, joy, enthusiasm, hope wherever I step today so that their life will reach out to embrace those most in need of those gifts and continue encircling our world with love and life.
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Today I journal and reflect on a special person (Liz Wessel) who took on the added responsibility to an already busy work schedule; of accepting me as a graduate student for the summer. Therefore, this is my way of saying thank you to you Liz and to share with everyone one a little bit about what I consider to be one of the best preceptors and leaders that I have had during my graduate program.
First and foremost, I believe that Liz demonstrates a genuine concern and brings awareness to the suffering of the human response of patient’s physical, emotional and spiritual pains. She advocates for the care of individuals and their families. She presents with competency through actively sought advanced knowledge and experience through scholarly inquiry. She strives to include enhanced care and treatment outcomes for all patients. She contributes to a supportive and healthy practice environment through the sharing of knowledge and skills with colleagues, providing constructive feedback, and mentoring others within the health care team. These were the leadership characteristics that I had the opportunity to observe during my clinical rotation with St. Joe’s Home Health. Since our first meeting, I knew that I would be in great, caring hands and for a student that means everything. So I dedicate to you, Liz the following poem and again say thank you for expereince:
Thank You for Being You
Thank you for your kindness.
Thank you for being the person you are:
kind and thoughtful,
sensitive and considerate,
a generous and thoughtful giver.
You are unselfish always,
putting others before yourself,
making me feel special and important.
It has been a privilege and a pleasure to have known you.
By Joanna Fuchs
Lastly, I want to also extend an additional thanks to everyone else at St. Joes home Health and Hospice for being so kind and welcoming to me. You are a great team. Thank you!!LikeLike
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Yvonne, thank you so much! What a loving surprise! I appreciate your kind expressions and thoughtful acknowledgment of me. You are a shining star who lights the way for others with your beautiful heart, compassionate presence, expert knowledge, skill, and professionalism. I know you will continue to develop your special gifts and bless many, many people in profound and tender Loving ways. You have so much to contribute to a hurting world in need of healing. Congratulations on all of your excellent accomplishments and most especially for choosing a path of the heart!
“Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life…” Psalm 26:3LikeLike
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