Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

There are many silences: the silence after meaningful words or beautiful music, the silence in nature which is hardly ever really silent due to a breeze, the rushing of a waterfall or sounds from animals; the awkward silence of a misunderstanding, the silence of a group partaking in the same experience, the silence of heartbreak or loss, the silence after saying grace, the silence after a storm or the silence of deep communion.  But there is nothing quite like the silence when it begins to snow. 
Every year those of us who live in a seasonal climate have the privilege to experience this winter wonder again and again.  For me it is magical.  A blessing coming down and covering the earth in white.  Each snowflake is a different looking crystalline star, and when the sun shines on it the snow cover glistens and glitters in many colors.  The surrounding I look at throughout the year suddenly gets covered, the branches, fences, stones and roofs soften and have a new dress on!  Everything calms down, the landscape looks innocent and peaceful until one makes the first step into the snow or begins to shovel... a scene we often don’t want to disturb.  For those of us who watch birds, their colors are more vibrant against the white of the snow - a special highlight each year.  And their quick moves and liveliness are such a contrast to the deep peace and quiet the snow brings.  And as the earth gets covered, we too like to hover under the covers.  We experience warmth very differently than in the summer.  We have to work for it by keeping active and on the move, getting the wood for the fireplace, wearing sweaters, hats and socks.
When there is enough snow, as occurred a few days ago, schools close or open late and people get snow days!  I am always happy for everyone when that happens because then there is a chance to experience the magic and peace, even if it is only for a short time.  The reality of the challenges of snow, ice and cold sets in early enough!
    Snowfall evokes so much in us; especially if we have choices about how long we can be in it!  It impresses most of our senses: feeling, seeing, hearing, touching - our experience of snow’s effect on us can be enriching.  Our senses and emotions are very engaged when we stand outside as the snow falls, or when the wind has stopped after the snow storm has passed, or when all noise has disappeared.  The silence of the snow experience is full -  full of all the elements in us that are engaged with the experience!
    Snow silence is embracing and richly nuanced, because of what it draws out in me.  And here comes more snow!

~Claudia

Dogs and their Owners

My husbands’ family immigrated from Ireland to the United States to begin work with children and adults with special needs.  They took over a small residential school/home that was situated on a farm near Downingtown, PA.  After a year and a half of living on that property, the farmer who was hired to manage the farm, recognized that their old farm dog (a collie) would not live much longer.  So one day he brought home a puppy that he gave to his son.  However, the puppy immediately befriended seven year old Clemens.  Shortly after this friendship formed,  Clemens’ family and community of colleagues and special needs children had to move to a new home where expansion was possible.  Moving day came quickly and the family and the furniture moved in the cattle truck.  As the truck drove away from the farm down the long driveway, the puppy, which had been very agitated during that time, broke out of his house and chased after the departing truck for a long time before the farmer noticed and could catch him.
   
A few days later the farmer called Clemens’ father and said to him: ”The puppy has not eaten since you left and I am afraid that it will die.  His heart is broken.  I think you have to take it. ”
     In those years opinions prevailed about the benefits or not of having a dog in a community with children with special needs.  It had not been done before for fear that the special children would not handle a dog very well.  So Clemens received “the fatherly talk” and the decision was made since Clemens accepted to be responsible for the puppy.
    Princie and Clemens were one heart and one soul.  One of the stories illustrating their close connection happened on another large farm.  Princie, after a long car ride to that farm with the family, jumped out of the car upon arrival because he saw a bunch of chickens scratching in the soil.  His natural hunting instincts took over - and he took off after the unsuspecting chickens.  (Princie was a mix of English Setter and English Springer Spaniel).  Clemens noticed just in time and called out to him loudly, forbidding him to chase the chickens.  Princie came to a stop in mid stride and sat down but he was panting and his whole body was trembling.  Dog and owner sat there in the grass “talking to each other” and watching the chickens.  Clemens knew that if he would not have been quick enough, chasing (and killing) chickens would have been an ongoing problem.  Princie obeyed.  Never again did he chase chickens - but he just trembled at the sight of them.
    Princie was an essential part of the family but he clearly had one master.  He mostly liked people in the extended community but also had a few he did not like.  
    About eight years later, when Clemens’ interest in girls and other teenage pursuits grew, Princie died.  The outer reason for his death was that he had ingested some road salt that had been used on snow.  But Clemens knew that it was their close bond and life line that was changing and would not be the same anymore.

The benefits of living with pets have been well documented.  They too have your back!
Dogs and their owners often share many similar characteristics - sometimes comically so!  Princie clearly chose Clemens.  Their relationship set the groundwork for a lifelong appreciation of dogs which has now rubbed off on me!  I know the temperament and the name my dog will have.  Just don’t know what it will look like but I hope he’ll find me.

~Claudia

Holidays...what makes these days holy?

There is a world day for almost everything and Thanksgiving is one for gratitude.  Even though it is not celebrated in the whole world, I think it should be!  The air waves, bloggers, every business, family, community and person I know thinks about, speaks about and writes about gratitude.  And how important is that!  Gratitude opens the soul to insight, love and wisdom.  Gratefulness has it’s own kind of warmth.
Over the years I have come to love Thanksgiving very much!  It seems that at no other time in the year are there so many people volunteering, helping, collecting food and extending themselves to others in the community.  I love the dinners where we go around the table telling each other what we are grateful for.  I love the fact that just before Advent and Christmas (I am most familiar with the Christian festivals) we have this relaxing time, a kind of breather filled with warmth and coziness, leading up to the more contemplative mid winter celebrations.
Certainly, as it is with all “world” days, including Mother’s day, wouldn’t it be nice if we could maintain this way of being every day of the year?

A year can be experienced in many ways.  I have always lived in four season climates  and have celebrated and reflected upon the Christian festivals.  The years can be experienced like a spiral, again and again coming back to, lets say, Christmas but a notch higher, as on the spiral.  Every Christmas is similar yet different.  It is also very informative to see the Festivals on a circle.  Then the height of summer and the depth of winter are opposite each other and every week in between is opposite each other as well.  I have always loved looking at the year in this way because it sheds a new light on each Christian Festival and even each week of the year.
With the Yin and Yang concept in mind, every Christmas has a bit of summer in it and every summer a drop of Christmas.  Images come to mind of blossoms opening wide to the sun’s rays and warmth contrasted by closed, rounded seeds in the safety of the ground potentized by summer’s energy.  Or when the fireflies light up the summer nights and illuminate the trees, are you not reminded of Christmas?  And in as much as we lose ourselves to the warmth and exhalation of the summer months, in the winter this summer light has been internalized;  this is often symbolized by the candles we light expressing the thoughts and feelings we may have in this more internal part of the year.  Someone much wiser than me said, “that the bird songs that rise up in the summer come down in the winter as the Christmas songs!”  A magnificent thought pointing to another circle, an entirely audible circle of energy rising and energy descending.

In the circle of the year, Thanksgiving has as it’s opposite, the celebration of Whitsun/Pentecost which is the archetypal community experience.  The original Whitsun experience of the disciples was that they suddenly all understood each other because an individualized flame of the larger Spirit had descended upon each one of them, allowing them to communicate and recognize their shared humanity.
What a beautiful thought to build a bridge from deeply felt individualized gratitude for family, friends, the harvest and good things in life at Thanksgiving, to creating, living and experiencing community in late Spring, where the best in each of us is seen and respected, attempting to create peace and understanding among all people.

You surely know what makes a day holy for you in the way you celebrate holidays.
So much lies in the ever renewed connection we make to the holidays which, for me anyway, inspires my preparations.  The festivals are doorways and opportunities to connect with the year and the forces of the universe in ever deeper ways.  Addressing our spirit, soul and body in a more conscious way during holidays, including the well deserved rest, is so wholesome and good for our health and well being.
May your holidays be blessed!

~Claudia