Just Words....

Today it's just words....

I can't say yes,

and I can't say no.

I want to say yes to your tightrope to the edge.

To having too much fun.

To long lingering looks and soft touches.

Squeezes and deep kisses.

To being lost in a zone that's not often visited.

To being on the other side and to getting perspective.

I want to say no to my fears and convention.

To the unspoken broken trash heap that we've visited before.

No to usual, trivial, fearful.

Yes to acknowledging the complex.

To finding the balance and harmony in the tension.

To beauty and fragility.

To the bit that you let go in order to find the "sweet true spot'

In the other.

Connection and re-connection.

Individual yet seeking the other.

I want to say yes, 

I want to say no.

( To be honest it's not just words..

it's thoughts and wishes and dreams 

and a whole lot of what's hard to get right 

when dealing with relationships in the real world)

Guest Spot...

This is a reflection from "Maxie"
thanks for sharing darling...
love your work.

Ewe...

Faith gives ewe a tightrope to walk on...

The journey of life isn't just about
getting from point A to point B...

It's about lots of little things like...
 taking small steps, focus, balance and practice.

Having trust or belief that you're on a path
 that's meant to be...

That you're learning and noticing lots of little things along the way,
 staying in the moment.

Not being overwhelmed by the thought of what's ahead,
 realising how far you've come
 and that all of those little steps
 are going to make the next bit possible.

Rozie Does The Math...

Rozie wrote a "you and me" comparative list of priorities...

(Just to get the lay of the land.)

 She was hoping to get a bit of objectivity.

Really...  it didn't look promising.

Privately, she wondered about being back at square one...


Sometimes dear viewer you get disappointed,

For whatever reason in committing to a certain path of potential relationship
(read talking, texting and old fashioned.... "getting to know you")
you hope for certain relational  outcomes...

 You believe that there are reasonable obligations
 and positive ways of communicating 
that are ongoing...
( think flow and movement).

 When that flow or whatever,
 is interrupted with no explanation,
 one really does wonder what's going on.

  One contemplates the fact that one is dealing with
a distinctly difficult situation.

Which quite frankly has the potential to provoke feelings of rejection 
and loss that is all too painful.

It means one has a a whole lot of unwanted homework.

Join The Dots...

There's always a lot going on,
some good some not so good.

That's why it's important to take the time
  to find things and ways to celebrate.

Little Amelia...

Little Amelia felt a certain stirring of the winds of change.
She was restless with a quiet sense of hope and anticipation.

She knew that as all the little seeds
 were shaken loose and drifted on the breeze
they would eventually find places to settle.

  Growing and blossoming
into the fruit of dreams. 


That's the thing with hopes and dreams...
they start small,
but they're packed with potential.

What comes Next...

Little Amelia found she was always wondering
what was over there
and
what comes next...

She pondered, mused and used lots of imagination
 thinking about what might be possible.


In the end she realised that it was OK,
 she actually enjoyed the little distractions in her mind.

Although she still  had to deal with the
the present...
and do her best to live there.

Little Amelia...

She decided that she wanted to live life like she meant it...
with open eyes, arms, mind and heart...

She knew it wouldn't be easy,
but she believed that it would be worth it.

Life is always giving us opportunities
 to choose love over fear, it's never an easy choice,
but that's what's going to count in the end.

Amelia Goes All Botticelli...

Little Amelia wondered how different things would be if she was a great beauty.
How and why and if her life would  be better or more satisfying.
Would a different outside make a difference inside.

Would she be taken more seriously.
Would people think her wiser, kinder, more generous and loving.

Her conclusion was maybe...
but would it really be true.

It's always tempting to make judgements about the package...
that's the appeal of marketing,
however we know that it's not really a promise of quality.

When it comes down to it it's what's in your heart...

With A Little Help Fom Her Friends...

Amelia tried to take notice of "the moment"...
not rushing blindly forward or regretfully looking back.
Just trying to be "present' and see the special beauty of what exists now.

When all of that got a bit difficult or daunting
she relied on her friends to get her back on track.

She found that even her quirky and complicated relationships
had a way of helping her focus on or observe some important detail
that she'd previously missed,  overlooked
or just never noticed.
Sometimes that helped her get back to "the moment".

She found that when it came to friendships
variety was the spice of life.



Often our experience of the present is coloured by
 beliefs  about our life that really come from denial or blindness,
an inability to see things clearly because we're afraid....

A good way to get  perspective or deal with certain difficult situations,
 is to have trusted friends who can
help us reflect and negotiate some of our blind spots.
Sometimes those friends come in surprising packages.

Little Amelia...

When she looked at her reflection,
she found that she could see more than the surface.

It was possible to look deep inside herself
and to see her unique qualities.

It helped her to accept and get more comfortable with being her.

She knew it wasn't always possible for others
to understand or really see her.

But the more she understood herself,
the less that seemed to matter.

Amelia...

Her hands were so simple
and when she pressed them together
it was as if she made a wish or said  a prayer.

It seemed her deepest thoughts were set free to fly.
Winging their way to explore the big wide world of hopes and dreams.

Later they would return and whisper stories of courage, peace and beauty.

Although she seemed stuck in a certain place,
she always believed that she was part of much bigger things.

That's the thing...the struggle to believe.
 Even though you seem powerless in certain situations,
it's possible that life is  moving in a positive direction,
whether you can see it now or not.

Little Amelia...

Little Amelia could tell so much about a person,
by how they played, or interacted.

Because of her quietness,
others felt comfortable to share their doubts and fears...
 even their hopes and dreams.
or what was weighing on their hearts.

   She could recognise feelings and

      difficulties that were just below the surface.

It seemed that as people shared their joys and problems

they had a greater sense of themselves,

 and life made just a little more sense...

(Funny that at times it seems like we're doing nothing,

but really "the quiet little nothing"

is what gives space for a safe connection, 

and ends up to be "an important big something".)

  

Little Amelia...

For little Amelia it was all about imagination...
that was what made everything possible.

That's what made her real and bought her to life,
with imagination she could go anywhere
and do anything.

All she needed was someone to play with.

Little Amelia...

She had the sweet knowing smile of a Russian Princess...
 A poise and quiet  that cut through all pretence,
and went directly to the heart.

It was slightly disconcerting...
but the honesty of her connection was reassuring.

In reality she was no more than a wooden doll,
but mysteriously her delightful qualities
were all part of the imagination
of her creator....
In a way she was able to bring to life
some of the beauty and delight that at times he felt so keenly.

Lessons And Teachers...

Trying to "get" the lesson of the day
is sometimes like catching butterflies.

The ideas, or lessons that you're grappling with
can be so elusive and tricky to actually pin down.

But if by chance you take it slowly and fairly quietly,
 you may find that it's not so much about "catching" them
as much as letting them settle.

Then you may  have a chance to have a good look at what the lesson really is.

Rozie Thinks About The Path of Life...

When she thought about 'getting on with it',
she wondered what stopped her really deciding on a
particular path and sticking to it.

Making an intentional claim to pursue a certain outcome...
She thought about failing, disappointment and hurt,
she wondered how she'd cope if things went 'pear shaped'.

She kept thinking 'I couldn't cope...I couldn't cope'.
But her inner voice kept saying 'how bad would it be?'
So in the end she realised that it wouldn't be the end of the world,
she'd been through plenty of difficult things
and come through them in the end.

Then her inner voice said 'clear a path'
so she pondered this... and came to wonder
if it meant something like the little creek she had just crossed...
the path being the flow of water
with lots of rocks in the middle.

She thought about the rocks,
and how too many slowed down the flow.
But also how having a few rocks made the water dance,
 splash and tumble in such a lovely way,
you really wouldn't be without a few rocks.

So as far as the path of life was concerned,
she decided to take on a bit of a challenge,
 identify a few things that blocked her path
and try to deal with them.

However recognise that some of the 'rocks'were
necessary reminders, providing some structure,
 and were important in a bigger way...
too much change too soon would be too hard for anyone.

The Quiet Heart...

She thought about what she loved.
She realised that some of the loveliest things are the simple things.
Like flowers and candles.

But she also realised that she loved
warm gentle beautiful words.

The tiny bright points of light in the dullness of an ordinary day.

She loved them by herself
but she especially loved them when they were shared.

Great Friends...

Rozie wondered about many things...
for instance

What to do with herself when the phone didn't ring...
When she'd said good bye and got a bit too mushy...
When she took out her inner turmoil (read hormonal behaviour)
on her work mates...

She thought maybe the best thing to do
is something along the lines of making a nice dinner,
 with a glass of red.
Having a long bath,
 and then consoling herself with a long conversation
with "Mother Superior", or" The Oracle" or both...

She was ever grateful for great friends.

The Sub Conscious At Play...

Sometimes she found there were songs running through her head,
their colours changing as they skipped and finally settled.
Finding a place in her heart and nestling down like cats on cushions.
Some were all about the melody and some
were all about the words

They were a kind of inner harmony to her moods,
 adding light and shade to the experiences of past and present.

A bit like dreams...
she thought of it as
"the sub conscious at play"

Warm Words...

She noticed that the words were made
of little  letters with tiny wings.

They floated and shimmered and in their dance
formed a kind of thread which wound around and around
forming a cozy layer that
held all the warm thoughts and feelings close,

But was thick enough to be a protection
against the cold and dark beyond.

Reminders...

On my walk today,
the lonely path ahead struck me as some sort of metaphor...

It bought feelings of sadness, loss and a kind of resignation,
not quite hopelessness,
but never the less a strong sense of aloneness.

I questioned my feelings and was given the thought
 that my problem is somehow to do with time,
 being stuck in time.

Looking ahead means projecting into time
and that can be a complicated thing.

I was reminded that what we  have is now, 
the present
and we can all be part of that in a meaningful way.

Being  open to what is around us in the moment.

Just then I saw a beautiful Dandelion beside my path,
 not old enough to have been blown away 
but just perfect.
I picked it and thought about what it meant
 as I continued on my walk.

As children we called Dandelions "time o clocks"
You blow on them and say 1 o clock, then again 2 o clock
 and so on until there is only the stem left.

Again a reminder of time and the potential packed in there...
all the little seeds being blown in all directions
and settling to start life again.

It helped me think about the present, and the potential...
 to just look around in the moment,
to see the beauty of the sky, the clouds, the light and the lake.
The trees and the sounds of the birds and so many other things.

In a way it all seemed to sing...
 "you're not really on your own"
 you're surrounded by so much life.

One Step At A Time...

 Crossing the river of life seems like a matter
of getting from one stepping stone to the next.

Some are easy, broad and flat.
Some are difficult, slippery or seemingly a bit of a stretch.

We may pause, we may seem to get stuck...
but somehow dear reader we all have to keep on going.

Wishes and Dreams....

One thing leads to another...

The Quiet Heart...

She knew that so much of her mysterious inner landscape
would never be articulated,
it would remain in a safe but secret silence.

In a strong, deep and at times poignant way.

Even if it was beautiful
at times it felt painful.

 Though she held this knowing...
she was often searching for a connection or a dialogue
about the unspoken, searching for a way to share what she felt.

Life is always full of contradictions...
Things we can know but can't explain.

The Quiet Heart...

At times she felt the 'winds of change' stirring...

she wondered if her intuition was down to the gentle breeze
or the change of seasons.

 In the subtle shifts and movements,
she recognised a certain reticence,
in gesture, timing, what was said
and what remained unspoken.

Again, it meant that that the focus was actually on change...
which deep down she found unsettling.

Ewe...And The Tapestry Of Life....

There are times in relationships when someone leaves,
or when someone is lost
or for various reasons your connection is finished.

We need to believe that there are going to be other relationships
of all different shapes and sizes,
that take up the thread
and become an important part of the tapestry of life.

Each of our relationships has a unique place and ability
to bring out our various qualities.

As different parts of us are bought to light,
there is potential to find healing for those otherwise hidden,
broken and isolated aspects of ourselves which
we find hard to accept or place into wholeness.

Often it's the difficult relationships
that involve things like rejection,
emotional withdrawal, misunderstanding
and even betrayal
that have the potential to show us things
about ourselves that we need to face.

It seems that life is full of connection,
dis connection and re connection.

We need grace to recognise and accept the way things are,
 and hope and trust to move to where things are meant to be.

The Quiet Heart...

She knew that it would take time
for all that was necessary to finally fall into place.

Her foundation was hope,
and she was reassured by wisdom gleaned from careful observation.

She knew that everything beyond that was a matter of having patience.



--------------------

(this is from a comment I posted on facebook
 I thought some readers might find it interesting)

If you are asking about 'tension in the negative spaces'...

it refers to the contrasts that are created by light and shade, 

the balance between black and white, 

the interest that's created by spacial relationships...

It's often a term that relates to art, and how things react with each other 

or excite each other depending on how the artist uses space and form...

it's about what is shown, or not shown (negative) 

that builds a tension for the viewer... 

it's a bit of a play on words that for me means life has lots of grey areas

(it's not all 'black and white'.) 

 You can't always understand or resolve things easily, 

and sometimes the best thing to do 

is to somehow hold the tension between what could be seen 

as opposite concepts...or emotions. 

The 'quiet heart' tries to highlight the idea

 that in order to be at peace (in ones inner being/heart) 

one has to negotiate the depths and heights of emotion and experience.

It's not necessarily good or bad, 

it's the type of thing that life is full of...

However, being able to hold those opposing emotions 

in balance is the important thing.

I guess at the end of the day 

it's refering to accepting life's' contradictions with grace.

The Quiet Heart...

Knew there would be times of aloneness
stillness and silence...

She knew at those times it was important
to float on the waters of contentment...

taking in the beauty of the moment.

Just A Reminder...

The Quiet Heart...

Knew...
that despite
great joy.

At some later time,
there would be
great sadness...

Are Ewe Singing In The Rain...

Or wading through the mud...

Sometimes it's what you focus on,

Generally it's how you interpret or
think about the circumstances around you
that make it good or bad.

However there are times when it really is mud,
 and you might need to get to higher ground,

It's important to be realistic about what's happening...
get some help, get some advice,
get some "singing lessons".

The Heart...

Being brave...

It's all about the heart.

That's why the opposite to fear
 is love

What Ewe Say...

can and does at times have a life changing effect...

The trick is having the wisdom to know what to say
and knowing when it's the right moment...

Bridging The Gaps...

There are times in life when you become aware of the gaps,
where there are important bits missing.

 Perhaps you experience a certain loneliness, isolation,
 lack of understanding or support.

That's when it's important to "build a bridge"
find a way to span the divide.

 Sometimes the bridge is made of words,
 sometimes it's actions,
and sometimes it's a patient combination....

Sometimes the bridge is  being built from the other side
and you just haven't recognised it...

 but in order for it to be completed,
you have to allow, or make room for the connection.

What Ewe Want...

Is getting what you want what you really want,
or is it  better to get what you need.

In life there is lots of pressure from without and within
to conform to the norm...
Which when examined carefully
isn't ever going to deliver on it's promise...

It's all back to what you value,
and what nurtures your heart.

 things like...

Enough    
Hope        
Freedom  
Love        
Connection
Acceptance
 Collaboration
Peace        
Joy            
   

Sometimes Life's Like...

Making Bread...

You get some 'stuff' together,
all the right sort of ingredients...
then mix and knead.
Place the pretty round lump in a lovey oiled bowl...
covered with a damp tea towel...
somewhere warm and out of the draughts...
(in other words a lovely nurturing environment)

OK...wait...
everything 'proves'...or 'improves'...
Just when it's all big and beautiful and rises to the occasion, guess what?.
Time to knock it back.
That's right
just bang it back down to flat.
knock out all the 'hot air'
Then when its all curled up in a tight little ball
do a bit of shaping.
Leave it for another round of expansion
Then straight into a really hot oven.

 After a time it comes out all beautiful
crunchy, crusty, soft and tender in the centre,
smelling like home and all the best things about simplicity.
Just begging for butter
to become something that we think of as a staple.

Life is full of ups, downs, twists, turns and knock-backs.
And there are plenty of hot spots...

If it's like making bread, in the end it's going to be alright,
it's going to be beautiful...

Just A Reminder...

It's really important, and it's ok...
in the end it will help you do other things well.

Are Ewe Content?...

Sometimes it's necessary to just be...
 knowing  you are content with "the moment".

 Being happy with what you have,
 and who you have around you...
and what's going on,
 even if it doesn't seem very exciting.

Life is always changing
and it goes by so fast,
so settle right down,
 and take in the moments.

Thinking About Transformation...

Wondering about how things change,
and if it's always achieved through personal effort,
 or is it sometimes possible that there are greater unseen  forces at play.

The Misty Islands Of Ha Long Bay...

As you drift silently by...
it seems the Islands are much the same,
 but then you notice,
 the water, light, distance and perspectives all change...
It's all how and when you look at it.

You find yourself looking for something...
a connection...
Familiarity, stability, in the midst of the unknown.
but noticing and accepting change.

There are also things going on under the surface.
I'm reminded that's where pearls grow
in the quiet, still, dark,
 silence.

Back Again With A Holiday reflection...

Sitting on the bed in the beautiful cabin of the cruise ship,
 gazing out at the misty islands,
listening to the soft purring of the engines,
 and watching the subtle change and movement of the passing scene.

Rozie thought about floating, drifting and destination.
Peace, tranquillity and the journey.
Is it time out? or time in?..

Time to process and contemplate what's going on...

Sometimes it's what you think, and sometimes it's not.
The trick is going with the flow
going with the moment.