“It is said that young loves autumn best because it promises the fruits of maturity, but that age loves spring best because it recalls the freshness of beginnings. When we have come into that quiet place that age opens us to, into the secret, walled garden of remembrance, the deeds of our lives seem of less moment than the miraculous spiral of life. The old pains and joys, the treacheries and rejections as well as the sweets and pleasures, find their resting place. It is at such moments that we find windows to accept or bestow forgiveness, to forget injuries, to fully appreciate the riches that have come to us, and to accept and cease to regret the things we have not done..

The returning cycles of the year bring us ever nearer to the heart of things, to the core of ourselves, wherein all things cease to spiral. At the perfect heart of the still centre which is the soul’s home, there is a different vision – not the view of the traveller along the way, but the intimate perspective of age, which at last understands the motions of life from the heart’s stillness.”

From The Celtic Spirit: Daily Meditations for the Turning Year by Caitlin Matthews

“There is craft in this smallest insect,
With strands of web spinning out his thoughts;
In his tiny body finding rest,
And with the wind lightly turning.
Before the eaves he stakes out his broad earth;
For a moment on the fence top lives through his life.
When you know that all beings are even thus,
You will know what creation is made of.”

Sugawara no Michizane (845 – 903)

“The manner in which you get ready for work, go to work, and the way you are while you are there affects not only those you work with, but also the quality of your work. Everything we do in our lives has an effect on our work. I, myself, am a poet but I love working in the garden growing vegetables. One day an American scholar said to me,
“Don’t waste your time gardening and growing lettuce. You should write more poems instead; anyone can grow lettuce.” That is not my way of thinking.

I know very well that if I do not grow lettuce, I cannot write poems. The two are interrelated. Eating breakfast mindfully, washing the dishes, and growing lettuce in mindfulness are essential for me to be able to write poetry well. The way someone washes the dishes reveals the quality of his or her poetry. Similarly, the more awareness and mindfulness we bring to all our daily actions, including our work, the better our work will be.”

From The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

“Because the almond tree flowers before it bears fruit, some cultures have regarded it as a symbol of hope, but others see its blossom pattern as a warning against haste. As new projects develop this spring, some will hail them automatically for the hope they promise. Others will reflexively regard any new idea as too much, too soon. Perhaps we need universities to offer courses in Spring Studies, in the nurturing of new life. It takes vision and discretion to tell the difference between the numinous and the mere novelty.”

From Earth Bound: Daily Meditations for All Seasons by Brian Nelson

“God has blessed you when he lets you believe in somebody.”

Billie Holiday (1915 – 1959), born on this day

“Freedom.
How her spirit
Haunts,
Hooks,
Entices us all!
Freedom,
Will the time come
For my ideas to roam
Across this vast land’s deserts,
Through the caverns of the Empty Quarter?
For my voice to be sent forth,
Crying out in the stillness of a quiet people,
A voice among the voiceless?
For my thoughts, that hurl around
In a never-ending spiral,
To settle
Mature, grow and flourish
In a barren wasteland of shackled minds?
Will my spirit be set free—
To soar above the undulating palm fronds?
Will my essence and heart be unfettered,
Forever
Freed,
Of man-made Thou Shall Nots?”

The Longing by Nimah Ismail Nawwab

International Day of Conscience

“Somewhere in every heart there is a discerning voice. This voice distrusts the status quo. It sounds out the falsity in things and encourages dissent from the images things tend to assume. It underlines the secret crevices where the surface has become strained. It advises distance and opens up a new perspective through which the concealed meaning of a situation might emerge. The inner voice makes any complicity uneasy. Its intention is to keep the heart clean and clear. This voice is an inner whisper not obvious or known to others outside. It receives little attention and is not usually highlighted among a person’s qualities. Yet so much depends on that small voice. The truth of its whisper marks the line between honour and egoism, kindness and chaos. In extreme situations, which have been emptied of all shelter and tenderness, that small voice whispers from somewhere beyond and encourages the heart to hold out for dignity, respect, beauty and love.”

John O’Donohue

“We’ve got some difficult days ahead, but it really doesn’t matter to me now, because I’ve been to the mountain top, and I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life – longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And he’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. And so I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything; I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

From a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. on 3rd April 1968. He was assassinated on 4th April 1968.

“I try to be as uncomplicated as possible. The important thing in life is just living and loving.. I love to laugh. It’s the only way to live. Enjoy each day – it’s not coming back again!”

Doris Day (1922 – 2019), born on this day

“If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.”

Marvin Gaye (1939 – 1984), born on this day

“Peace begins at home. Many of us have peaceful intentions regarding the world at large, but what is the use of feelings of cosmic peace if our own heart is troubled? ..Peace will sprout only when we ourselves spill tears of release upon the hard ground of our hearts.”

Caitlin Matthews