Sunday Letter: Let Nature Be Your Teacher
"O sacred season of Autumn, be my teacher, for I
wish to learn the virtue of contentment. As I gaze
upon your full-colored beauty, I sense all about
you an at-homeness with your amber riches. You
are the season of retirement, of full barns and
harvested fields. The cycle of growth has ceased,
and the busy work of giving life is now
completed. I sense in you no regrets: you’ve lived
a full life. I live in a society that is ever-restless,
always eager for more mountains to climb,
seeking happiness through more and more
possessions. As a child of my culture, I am
seldom truly at peace with what I have. Teach me
to take stock of what I have given and received;
may I know that it’s enough, that my striving can
cease I…May I know the contentment that allows
the totality of my energies to come to full flower.
May I know that like you I am rich beyond
measure. As you, O Autumn, take pleasure in
your great bounty, let me also take delight in the
abundance of the simple things in life which are
the true source of joy. With the golden glow of
peaceful contentment may I truly appreciate this
autumn day." ~ Edward Hays
Dear Friends,
I hope this message finds you well. As we step into the holiday season, I wanted to extend a warm invitation to join our Holiday Writing Circle. It's not too late to be a part of this beautiful journey of self-discovery and celebration.
In this circle, we will explore a series of themes that capture the essence of the holiday season, each accompanied by a carefully crafted journaling prompt.
Here's a glimpse of the themes we'll be exploring:
- Week 1 (November 19-25): Embracing Gratitude
- Week 2 (November 26 - December 2): Holiday Traditions
- Week 3 (December 3-9): Magical Moments
- Week 4 (December 10-16): Reflection and Renewal
- Week 5 (December 17-23): Acts of Kindness
- Week 6 (December 24-31): Celebrating Life
Each week, I'll share a new journaling prompt, and we'll embark on a reflective journey together. It's a chance to capture the beauty of the present, celebrate the moments, people, and experiences that fill our hearts with gratitude in our journals.
If you'd like to join us, register and then keep an eye on your inbox for an email from me early Sunday mornings during this holiday season. You can register to receive the prompts each week and explore them at your own pace. I'd be delighted to have you as part of our circle.
Let's make this holiday season one of reflection, gratitude, and celebration of the life we are living. I look forward to sharing this meaningful journey with you and creating a beautiful collection of reflections and stories together.
Be well,
Kathy
Let's make this holiday season one of reflection, gratitude, and celebration of the life we are living.
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Kathy Donchak
I write about nature, family, creativity, and wellbeing.
A garden is a space I have always carved out for myself, from the smallest balcony to the potted flowers by my door. Every one reflects the season of my life. An expression of self in a constantly changing landscape. Looking out into our small backyard, I look at the native serviceberry trees I bought from a local landscaper who saved them. Their form is delicate and rhythmic, standing in their small pots like a lanky teenager learning to balance and move with their fresh growth. This week I...
Source One must work with the creative powers - for not to work with is to work against; in art as in spiritual life there is no neutral place.” ~ Mary Oliver, Blue Pastures Our garden is taking shape. Inspired by one of my favorite gardening books by Rebcca Cole, I am dreaming and choosing plants to create a small garden of evergreens and deciduous trees, espalier fruit trees, and flowers. My husband is working through plans for raised vegetable and herb beds to feed the body while I work to...
And here I build my platform, and live upon it, and think my thoughts and am high. To rise, I must have a field to rise from. To deepen, I must have a bedrock from which to descend. ~ Mary Oliver, Long Life I can hear the birds again. The rainy mornings have been flooded with sounds of so many frogs, you are sure you left a window open, but today, thanks to the early morning urging of our cat at the window, I began to hear them again. The geese honking overhead, woodland songbirds, even an...