International Day of Families

“I wish you a single story, not a simple
fairy tale with only happiness, but one life
without secrets or omissions, without the need
for fake faces, one pointed outward,
the other, inward and real.
I wish for you the twin beauties
of clarity and consistency, knowing the singular
word that holds all of you together,
all of you at once, all of you.

I wish for you no need to hide. No reason to live
in shadows or half-truths. No need to cover the
spark and sparkle of your heart, to keep it
from catching the light of sun or moon.
I wish you whole-heartedness that arises
from the liberty before needing to be freed,
the completeness that precedes breaking,
the integrity of your being, a unity,
undivided and boundless.

I wish you a far-reaching welcome from within,
full and absolute acceptance, nothing withheld
from yourself, unrealized or unfinished.
And I wish you a place and a people who
do not want you in pieces, incomplete and partial,
a world that no longer asks anyone
to wrench apart their heart or divide soul
from mind, from nature, from core.
I bless you with all that is Whole.”

Blessing for Kin by Sean Parker Dennison

“Keep in mind that each of you has your own vineyard. But everyone is joined to your neighbours’ vineyards without any dividing lines. They are so joined together, in fact, that you cannot do good or evil for yourself without doing the same for your neighbours.”

St. Catherine of Siena (1347 – 1380)

“I’m a work in progress, but if I know in my heart that I’m doing my best, that my heart’s in the right place, that I have unconditional love, I feel okay.”

Stevie Wonder, born on this day in 1950

“Kindness is one of the greatest gifts you can bestow upon another. If someone is in need, lend them a helping hand. Do not wait for a thank you. True kindness lies within the act of giving without the expectation of something in return.”

Katharine Hepburn (1907 – 2003), born on this day

Image: The Helping Hand by Emile Renouf

“I always tell my friends that they don’t have to die to enter the Kingdom of God – in fact, they have to be alive to do so. We know how to be alive. Breathing in and out mindfully, becoming fully present with body and mind united – these are the conditions for entering the Kingdom of God. You need only take one step, and you’re there.”

Thích Nhất Hạnh

“Blessed be the persistent; may we honor our routines.
Blessed be the audacious; may we take risks.
Blessed be the humble; may we learn to fail and to learn from failure.
Blessed be the curious; may we play and discover.
Blessed be community; may we turn toward each other.”

Prayer for Artists and Creatives by Atena O. Danner

“Men have banned divinity from their midst, they have relegated it inside a sanctuary. The walls of a temple are the limits of its view; beyond these walls it does not exist. You must destroy these barriers that limit your horizon; set God free; see Him everywhere, where he actually is, or otherwise say that he does not exist.”

Denis Diderot, French philosopher (1713 – 1784), quoted in Fragments of Holiness for Daily Reflection

“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living…

The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it.”

David Attenborough, born on this day in 1926

“Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God,
First fill your own house with the fragrance of love.
Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God,
First remove the darkness of sin from your heart.
Go not to the temple to bow down your head in prayer,
First learn to bow in humility before your fellow men.
Go not to the temple to pray on bended knees,
First bend down to lift someone who is down-trodden.
Go not to the temple to ask for forgiveness for your sins,
First forgive from your heart those who have sinned against you.”

Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941), born on this day

“The medieval world was fascinated by alchemy, enthralled by the idea of turning base metal into gold. On some level nature itself inspires this obsession. We see with our own eyes that the world is full of startling transformations. The lowly caterpillar becomes a stunning butterfly. Bare black trees become glorious celebrations of colour. But in a society driven by commerce, alchemists focused on the gold standard, and a transformation that would create wealth. Perhaps they defined wealth too narrowly.

Look to the sky, as it fills with clouds and rain, then clears again; look to the gardens, to the birth cycles of animals. Radical transformations are everywhere, and they require no special alchemical secrets. Change is the only law.”

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