Turning Toward Day

“There is a budding morrow in midnight.”

– John Keats, To Homer –

The world is going through a long, difficult night. But heads up, eyes looking ahead – there’s a time when night will turn toward day and, even though it’s still dark, light will begin to return.

Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.

The Deep Gift of a Flower

Posted by karynhenleyauthor

“To me the meanest flower that blows can give

Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.”

– William Wordsworth, “Intimations of Immortality” –

Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.

Music, Dance, and Change

Posted by karynhenleyauthor

When the music changes,

so does the dance.

– African proverb –

Maybe it’s time to change the dance.

Swing, sway, stomp,

make it wild,

make it wistful,

make it wondrous,

make it wishful,

make it fully yours,

keeping time with the music

that comes from the depths of your heart

and sings of goodness and grace,

love and hope.

Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week – toy dinosaur (my grandson visited this week!):

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.

The Silent Promise of Cherry Blossoms

Posted by karynhenleyauthor

“Out of the dusk of distant woods

All round the April skies

Blossom-white, the cherry trees

Like lovely apparitions rise. . .

Like silent promises of peace,

Like hope that blossoms in the heart.”

– Laurence Binyon, “Cherry Trees” –

Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.

Nature of the week – cherry blossoms:

Shadow of the Week:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.

The Walk to Take Today

Posted by karynhenleyauthor

“The place to observe nature is where you are:

the walk to take to-day is the walk you took yesterday.

You will not find just the same things.”

– John Burroughs –

This is sometimes quoted as, “To learn something new, take the path that you took yesterday.”

Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.

What Remains to be Feared?

Posted by karynhenleyauthor

“In the course of my work this last long winter, I have experienced a truth more completely than ever before: that life’s bestowal of riches already surpasses any subsequent impoverishment. What, then, remains to be feared? Only that we might forget this! But around and within us, how much it helps to remember!”

– Rainer Maria Rilke, A Year With Rilke –

Remember life’s riches. Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.

Standing Strong as Stone

Posted by karynhenleyauthor

“Life is mostly froth and bubble,

Two things stand like stone,

Kindness in another’s trouble,

Courage in your own.”

– Adam Lindsay Gordon –

Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week – tinker toys beside a table:

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.

The Deepest Thing Inside

Posted by karynhenleyauthor

“Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,

you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.”

– Naomi Shihab Nye, “Kindness”–

This quote comes from “Poetry for Tumultuous Times,” a page created by On Being and shared in their newsletter, “The Pause.” These links will take you to that page, where you can hear Nye’s entire poem “Kindness” as well as other encouraging poems and essays. These enriched and encouraged me, and I hope they will do the same for you.

Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.

Nature of the week: