January 25 2021
Monday, January 25, 2021
I leave you this month with a Rumi poem about welcoming all of the pieces of you.
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture, still treat each
guest honorably. He may be clearing
you out or some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
-Rumi
Previous Posts
September 20 2021
I really appreciate this line from poet Alice Mackenzie Swaim, “Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.” That is what it take...
September 13 2021
As we talk more about mustering courage in loss, let’s begin with the etymology of the words muster and courage. According to https://www.etymonline.com, the word muster means, "to display, reveal,...
September 6 2021
This month our theme is “Mustering Courage in Loss.” This is a very appropriate theme as we honor the 20th anniversary of 9-11. Koch Funeral Home was working with Alpha Fire Company to hold a Remem...
August 30 2021
For our final “Life with Tears and Laughter” themed post this month, I offer the poem, “The Guest House,” by Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet, scholar, theologian and Sufi mystic.
This being huma...
August 23 2021
People often ask me how I take care of myself since my work involves life with tears and laughter. One of the things I do is allow myself to freely express my tears and laughter. I’ve learned that ...
August 16 2021
Now let’s look at the laughter portion of our theme, “Life with Tears and Laughter.” Research has shown that laughter is healthy for us emotionally, physically and socially. (Please read the July G...
August 9 2021
Continuing with our theme of “Life with Tears and Laughter,” this week I’ll talk about the tears. As a culture we accept tears around times of death but, they often then make us feel uncomfortable....
August 2 2021
This month our theme is “Life with Tears and Laughter.” The work I do involves a lot of tears and laughter and as I often say, both are welcome and healing. Young children are great teachers of thi...
July 26 2021
To summarize the study we’ve discussed the past couple of weeks, we look to psychologist Noam Schneck, Ph.D. who states: “… healing and growth may continue even when a person is not actively thinki...
July 19 2021
As we continue with our theme of “Embrace Unconscious Grief,” last week we introduced the idea that the brain can find a balance between too much and too little focus on loss. Psychologist Noam Sch...
Find Us:
Comments