Celebrating Rejection

Today I got my first rejection*. I've faced rejection in countless way--anger, fear, tears--and today I did something else with it. I smiled.

Rejection comes from the courage accept both success and failure. I am reminded that I am a beginner, and I can't wait to do it again tomorrow.

Is there a place where you are hiding your rejection, fear, or anger for a failure. Bring it out and love it today!

Rejected
Inbox Re: Please
Forgotten

Nearly canned for spam
And served with toast and eggs
Quick breath
Eyes squeezed shut
Now wide open
Click of a mouse
Rejected
Courage sent
Courage opened
Re: Re: Please
"Thank you."
I have another
To send tomorrow

*Thank you to Truth and the Little Patuxent Review for letting me down easy.

Friday's Grace

As people shop for Black Friday deals and gain the advantage with pepper spray, I am cleaning out THE SCARY ROOM, also known as the office. I shredded a huge box of very old paper work, free-cycled like crazy, and can see the floor and the top of the desk. I think the last time that happened was when we painted.

How did you celebrate the day after thanks and giving? If you were feeling a bit overwhelmed by the frenzy consider taking a breather with a White Friday (or Saturday)...clean something, give something away, or let go of an item you haven't used in a really long time. How did it go? Were you happy, were you breathing deeply in a way you forgot you could, were you sad?

Friday's Grace
On this day best deals, credit cards, and pepper spray

I spent the day a different way

Celebrating cat hair, dust bunnies, and criss-crossed paper shreds
I started chore I avoid with dred

The recycling bin's full of boxes, bottles, and the like
Last year's Christmas cards found--what a hype!

The livingroom's a disaster with pretties and books
No longer loved and searching for a new nook

The floor I can see, shining red oak beneath
You won't see my grief

For the dust bunnies, pretties, or boxes
I am dancing circles in my socks-es!

Fall's Reveal

This morning before the west wind blew winter in, we took a stroll down by the river. We walked over a suspension bridge and were greeted by a chorus of whistles and calls from the birds. In the summer, when we tipped our head up, we were  lucky to glimpse a tail or the flash of a wing in the canopy. Now that fall's nearly over, we pointed up at which birds were calling one another.

Fall reveals what we don't normally see. I've been feeling a bit naked this week, and it's not all pretty and neat. I'm very aware of my selfishness and my unwillingness to consider my own actions in the judgement of others.  The word "humble" has come up more than once, and I could buy a black kettle to go with my cast iron pot.

In the Chinese tradition, the law of the  five elements, fall is a time of letting go, of grieving, and of dying. (Have I said that already?) Melanie at Journey to Wildness offers death (and fall) as the time we stop to reflect on the life of plants and the people around us.

Here I am naked, uncomfortable, reflecting, and letting go.

Take a few minutes to see what fall is revealing to you. Light a candle, ring a bell, play a song, love it, cry, and embrace the last breath of fall to let it go.

Thanku, Thanku Very Much

Once of the simplest forms of acknowledgement we can gift is saying thank you.

This week spin a few verses of your own in the form of a Thanku. The Thanku was coined by  Esther Hershenhorn on the Teaching Authors blog in October. The Thanku is a little twist on the Japanese poetry from the Haiku. Thankus are three lines following a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. A Thanku is themed with something you are thankful for. So if you are up for the challenge, write one Thanku or a million this week!

Thankus for my contemporaries at the Writersvibe

(Yes, you give me wings and I'm flying)

Gifts abound we all have

Found. If not for you, my write

Still lost underground

Encouragement here

Fear shed in flight, presence known

Now trimmed when overgrown

Thankus for my neighborhood family:

Neighbor adoption

You see, this lucky girl will

not be late to eat

Or for company

Of laughing friends, licking pups,

Brined turkey, red wine

Stuffing prepped the day

Before, french onioned green beans

Please, I will take more

Naked Red 'tators

Cut and boiling in the pot

Mashed with cream. Yum! Yum!

Apples in my bag

Fresh-picked from Maryland's trees

What a pie you'll be

Pecans and jack daniels

Butter and chocolate make

Sweet end post turkey

Please share with us here, share around your Thursday table, or share with our friends at the Teaching Authors. The teaching authors will be rounding up Thankus and the like between now and November 30th to share on their blog.

Gifts of the Loyal Guide

I have a friend who's promise to us and to the universe to show up as a loyal guide. Yesterday, in two minutes, I listed my gifts to you. Today in two minutes, I listed her gifts to me. Her list is easier.

This week I'll exploring the gifts of acknowledgement with more than a *.

For today, pick someone or something in your life (past or present) and spend two minutes make a list of the gifts you have received. Keep them handy.

Gifts of the Loyal Guide

Grace

Perseverance

Student of Life & Love

Generosity

Listening ear

Acceptance

Angels

Audio books

Adventure

Mother--from a new perspective

Heart

Love

The drum as eyes (only the guide wasn't wearing a blindfold)

Death

Unknowing

New food and restaurants

Distance healing

Reiki

Hope

Letting go

Connection

Comfort in not knowing

Letting go of worry

Welcoming life as death

Life as gift

Welcoming generosity

Asking for help

Sameness and different-ness

Yesterday, our loyal guide took her last breath.

Last night I dreamt of being in a row boat with my son. Water and storm clouds as far as we could see. We were alone. I felt my heart beating faster and my breath getting shallow. The sun came out and a voice told me to look behind us. I took a deep breath and looked behind us. a rainbow filled the sky. "Look, look, a rainbow!" I said and I pointed. I turned around again and the water was filled with boats and people with their chins tipped up and fingers pointing toward the sky. My heart beat slowed and I found myself smiling and waving my arms so hard I almost tipped the boat.

Ever the loyal guide--even as her soul passes from this life to the next.