Roots

This particular contemplative reflection was inspired by the day I spent walking around Skagway, Alaska.  My Great Grandfather on my dad's side of the family spent time in Skagway before heading out on the Chilkoot Trail during the days of the Yukon Gold Rush.  We still have his diary of his days in the Yukon and I was able to read it before our trip to Alaska.  My day walking the ground he potentially could have walked got me reflecting on my own sense of rootedness and how it has developed.  

This poem seems a fitting way to end my journey back over my week in Alaska finding well established roots and creating some new ones as well.

Roots

Some have roots in place.

Some have roots in the passing of tales.

Both create a connection that draws one

Deep into a sense of belonging.

My roots come in the passing of tales.

These tales I pass on to my daughter,

Helping her to create her own roots.

These are more than stories.

They are the DNA of our family core values.

The DNA of

                     Hope

                     Faith

                     Strength

                     Risk

                     Tenacity

                     Family

It is these things that hold strong in my center.

That are my guides,

Even with out my awareness.

Having had my feet in the place of ancestors and history,

my awareness of my own rootedness dawns clearer and deeper.

With the awareness comes a settledness that I have not known before.

No more regret for rootedness of place.

Instead a prayer of thanksgiving for a rootedness that can go with me

Where ever life may take me.

A Joyful Gift

Some of the most play filled moments I have recently spent in my life was the hour I spent with a sled dog team while at a Summer Sled Dog camp in Juneau, Alaska. The dogs work hard, but more than that they love what they do. The joyful cacophony can be heard when they realize it is time to run and can only be fully appreciated in the hearing of it as they strain on their leads ready to run.  This poem is to celebrate the gift they gave me of their pure joy.

A Joyful Gift

Loud, joyful, ready.
Ready to run,
Ready to work.
Ready to take pure joy in their calling.

Eager to make a new friend,
A little girl a magnet for
the attention of sniffs and licks
and even a playful tackle.

Pure joy that is what I see.
That is what I hear.
Joy in the work of the pulling of the sled.
Joy in the freedom to run.
Joy in doing what they are made for.

I could take a lesson from them
In what it means to find pure joy
In a calling.

But for today I will simply accept their gift to me.
Of laughter.
Of play.
Of pure joy.

Renewal

Grandure and Majesty

Crisp air
              Pure
              Clean
              Cool.

Nature untouched and pure.
Cleansing me with it's beauty
The solitude feeding my soul.

I feel the grief and sadness of
Past weeks in this world
swirl away on the breeze.

I feel renewal floating into my soul.
Strong and Clean.
Much like the pure,
blue and white icebergs
floating by the ship.

These moments of solitude
helping to once again
prepare my soul to be
birthed stronger, restored.

Much like the strong, solitary glacier
That calves the iceberg-

Setting it free on it's own adventure.

The solitude will eventually set me free.
Back into the world -
But now I will be ready.

Stronger again.
Faith restored.
Whole once more.

As You Walked Away

The month of August I am going to be sharing with you my poetic reflections that came from my Sabbath time “unplugged.”  My soul burst forth blessing me with words that had been silent and missed for too long. I am sharing these words in hopes that at least some of them will bless you as the writing of them blessed me.

This first reflection comes from my experience watching my daughter walk away and join a group of boys at the youth activities on board ship. She walked away with out a backward glance or a good bye.  It was the first time she walked away into a group of boys.  She is not quite 9 and I know it was completely innocent kid friendship, but all my momma’s heart could see was those two boys with her in between them and her completely oblivious to her mom in the background.  My heart was not ready.

AS YOU WALKED AWAY

You have been my little girl for oh so long.

But today I saw a confident young lady 

beginning to blossom.

My Momma’s heart expands with pride and

constricts with a bit of panic at the same time.

I’m so not ready for this!

This next phase of your life.

But for now you are still in this place of in between

Not quite a little girl

But not fully a young lady.

You still will snuggle with me in public,

And be silly

Without a thought.

I’ll cherish this time for I know it will not last for long.

I know this because I watched you tonight walk away from me

And join that group of boys.

And as you did,

I saw you grow up just a bit more

Right before my eyes.

I barely even blinked.

I left quietly with a deep breath realizing

I’ll witness this moment of growing up

Right before my eyes

AGAIN and AGAIN.

And each time it will be hard.

And I will not be ready for it.

But I will gently blow my love and encouragement

like the wind,

Lifting your wings to help you soar.

Because as your Momma 

that is what my love for you calls me to do.

I Love You!