Forest Bathing

Some years back, an old friend shared about the wonders of forest bathing.  Well, it seems that I've been doing that for a long time.

Just never called it forest bathing.

Being mindful with Nature, being in touch with sights, smells, sounds, and touch of Nature has been part of me since childhood.

But the reminder to be conscious of every step, sound, smell, sight, and touch helps to bring one back to being part of the greater universe.

Go back to Nature but with a more conscious mind.  And be aware of all around.

Life in the Past

Today, I conducted a session on Change.  I shared with my students how nostalgia is something we crave for but need to face the reality that the Good Old Days we remember aren't coming back.

I returned to the office and found an old photo from my past. Those were young and carefree days; days we spent running exploring the world and going on adventures we now reminisce.

London, summer of 1987. It was adventure of self-discovery. 

Now a story told to the next generation.

Christmas

It's a time to reflect, to dream, to do some good.

The year is almost over.

There has been much accomplished

and still much to do.

Each memory of the year cherished.

Each sad moment wiped away; each great moment magnified.

Each friendship remembered.

Each journey documented for the generations that follow.

Windows and Walls

 

Walls keep us safe from the world outside.
Walls keep the world outside from reaching out to us.

Windows give us a view of what is out there.
Windows allow others to see our lives.

Vows Made

Once again, the season for weddings, once again the vows.

Those words uttered that day, the promises made - they are harder to keep than one imagines.

 

Life as the Years Go By

In the quiet corner of a church, one reflects on life.

 

Over the years as one ages, there are more questions than answers we find.

 

And some questions never get answered.

Life and Death

 

We live in a juxtaposed world. Life and Death co-existed in contention.

Old and New alike share the space around.

We try to separate the two but deep in our hearts, we know that Life and Death are indeed partners in the cycle of the way things are.



Breath of Fresh

Little flowers decorate the wedding venue. It's spring time and the rebirth of life.

What colors bring to our lives as we venture into another year of unknowns and expectations, trepidations and anticipations.

We wonder what lies ahead of us as we leave the familiar behind.

We worry that the challenges in front of us may be insurmountable.

We worry unnecessarily.


 

Age

There are moments when we think of ourselves as the most important beings on this planet.

Then we see the majesty of the mountains and the wonder of Nature.

And we are reminded to be humble.



End of Chapter

The bags are packed, the cupboard emptied. The room is cleared and we take one last look before we closed the door.

It's been four years, a long time for some of us, too short for some others.

But we've come to college and we've graduated.

Today, we move on to another chapter.

To another phase of life.

To join the circle that our forebears have gone.

To join the circle that the next generation will follow.

Goodbye.

Hello.

Humanity's Minute-ness

As we stand in the face of the wonders of the land,

we stand in appreciation of how small we stand in the greater realm of just this one Earth.

And when we wonder in awe of all Creation,

we are less than a grain of sand on the beaches of everything.

Wide Open Spaces

The wide open spaces shouldn't be just limited to the physical world nut the mental spaces in our minds.

Oh beautiful, for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties,
Above the fruited plain.

Wonder of God's Creation

Been away too long.


The frightening thought of how much work life eats into our day tires me.


A need to refocus came with a reminder in the morning sky today.


God has bigger plans than the daily grind at work.


Stop.  Look.  Listen.


To your heart, to your mind, to your soul.


Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2

Wonder of God's Creation

Been away too long.


The frightening thought of how much work life eats into our day tires me.


A need to refocus came with a reminder in the morning sky today.


God has bigger plans than the daily grind at work.


Stop.  Look.  Listen.


To your heart, to your mind, to your soul.


Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2

Little Flower

In the rain, a little flower stands strong,
refusing to bend or droop in the torrent that falls.


We are stronger than the little flower


What, then, is there that holds us from standing firm and strong in the face of adversity?

Death

In passing,

we mourn our loss.

One an older woman, a great-grandmother

a ripe old age of 99

passed on quietly in the night

The other a younger woman,

not that much younger

struck by the cancer curse

both

mourned by some who felt the pain of the loss

while others felt the relief that she is gone,

that her pain and suffering are no more

relieved that they can move on.

and in the morrow after the last tear has been shed

after the last flame at the crematorium

had been extinguished,

we all move on

on to the daily grind that we must face

until our own journey's end

until our turn to cross the river

Goodbye Carol.  Goodbye Mary.

Similar but not the same.

Admitted but not accepted.

In the midst of the silence of

a church, or temple, or mosque,

there lies a certain tranquility

that can be found

in the stillness

of one's heart and mind.

Morning in the Tropics

Good to get out in the morning in the tropics and catch a little sunshine and warmth before the day gets too hot and humid.

Just about the time to catch the sun rising and the birds come through the morning air with their song.

This is probably one of the two best times in the tropics.  That one moment when Nature awakes.




The other best time comes as the sun sets - that brief moment before the world plunges into darkness and the jungle comes alive with new sounds and noises that trembles the human souls.




But for now, savor the morning freshness as the earth dries itself of the dew that comes from the night's cool air.

Moon

A couple of months back, I took a shot of the moon from my window. Don't get to go out much these days. It's been a long and tiring time since Christmas.


But by not going out enough and not moving on, one stagnates into a wallow of questions that cannot have simple answers.


Instead, one should step out into the world and see everything with fresh eyes.


How many countless pairs of eyes have seen the moon over the millennia. But tonight, the moon is mine and it calls to me.


When will we, as a race, live on the moon? I hope by then, we learn how to take care of the gifts given to us.