Category: Trust the journey

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Holy labor and holy rest

On By dpavinatoIn #sacredwork, A life worth living, a school of God's service, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, Every day Catholic, Life of purpose, monastic prayer, ora et labora, Pause and rest, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, toolkit for the spirit, Trust the journeyLeave a comment

Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Therefore the community should have specified periods for manual labor as well as for prayerful reading. Chapter 48 – Daily Manual Labor, The Rule of St. Benedict

The purpose of work in the monastery is to serve the community and fulfill all the tasks for the daily operations of the monastery. Tasks such as kitchen duty and being porter of the door are outlined by St. Benedict. But in all aspects of The Rule, there is always room for adaptation due to weather, the season of the year, or the age or “fainthearted” nature of the person performing the work. I love this about The Rule. There are guidelines but a wise abbot or prioress knows we all have different capabilities and endurance levels.

There have been times that I have viewed my work as fulfilling a purpose and serving a common good. Perhaps I was helping people by making their work lives easier by offering customer support or solving problems for them. Honestly, there are also times that I questioned what the value of that work was in the larger scheme of things. How I viewed the value of my work was probably closely correlated to how happy I was in the role. I would definitely make different decisions about work I was engaged in given the chance to do it over again.

But it’s also important to remember that I might not see the entire picture or purpose for the work I was doing, or the lives I might have impacted, by my presence there.

I read a newsletter earlier this week by an author I follow, Laura Kelly Fanucci, “Work Without End, Amen”, that reminded me of this important perspective. Fanucci offered a new piece of information, to me, about Bishop Ken Untener that I admired during my years living in Michigan. Laura shared that these lines written by Bishop Untener are often attributed to Bishop Oscar Romero because of a Christmas address given by Pope Francis, and a paper written by Cardinal Basil Hume. The lack of clarity ended up aligning the words with Romero.

Untener wrote: “We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.”

Fanucci concluded, “I can picture both brother bishops shrugging. Who cares? What matters is the work. What matters is the mystery that Jesus called the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven or the life of the world to come. What matters is that we got to be here at all. What matters is that we get to roll up our sleeves again and dig into the dirty dishes of being human. What matters is the work without end. Amen.”

This week I lamented the passing of poet, novelist and environmental activist, Wendell Berry. I am so grateful for his extensive writing and recorded talks, but his voice will be missed. In light of Labor Day, and the subject of my blog this week, I share these words by Berry:

“Teach me work that honors Thy work, the true economies of goods and words, to make my arts compatible with the songs of local birds.

Teach me patience beyond work and, beyond patience, the blest Sabbath of Thy unresting love which lights all things and gives rest.“

Let us seek to find value in our labor each day, whether it is caring for our families (and pets) at home, serving our parish community, assisting as a volunteer at an agency helping others, or still actively engaged in paid employment. Our work becomes an extension of our prayer when we try to serve and praise God in how we view those daily tasks. May we also seek to refresh and nourish our spirits by taking time to rest in the Love that is surpasses all of our human endeavors.

Wishing you deep and soulful rest this Labor Day weekend. Deena

Image: a small chapel on the grounds of Subiaco Abbey, Arkansas

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It’s a delicate balance

On By dpavinatoIn a life of joy, A life worth living, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, creative well-being, curious and receptive, discernment, Every day Catholic, lifelong learning, mindfulness, nurturing growth, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, savor the days, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual healing, toolkit for the spirit, Trust the journey, visionary faithLeave a comment

Turning 70 can definitely have an impact on your perspective in life.

It has given me the opportunity to reflect and be grateful for the friendships I have and the ability to spend more time with and appreciating them. I have, for the most part, everything I need and have decided I want to simplify in many areas of life. I can also relax the longing to figure out “what I want to do with my life”.

It makes each day seem even more precious.

I have been impacted, as so many of you have, by the images from Nepal. People who were sitting on a bus at the border crossing, or walking in the streets of their village, swept away by the flash flooding. Fortunately, there are stories of survival but for so many the loss is inconceivable. Friday night we also learned, in our Illinois Valley area, of the tragic loss of a young boy in a car accident, with the mother and brother surviving. Again, lives changed in an instant.

Regardless of our age or situation, each day is a gift.

This morning I read an article by a needlework artist who shared some thoughts after attending a Vince Gill concert. She’s a big fan so is aware of the goals he has, such as 50 years into his career, taking on a project to create 12 extended play releases. One might ask Gill, why not relax and begin to take it easy? She wrote that when Gill was questioned about it, he replied that “he doesn’t have as many years left to be creative — so it matters to him more than ever.  And then he said he’s having the time of his life, just having a ball with it.” She used his story as an analogy, encouraging us to “learn a new stitch” or “start a new canvas” or “become the artist you’ve always wanted to be”.

I have always had the tendency to put off things – I can’t do this until … one more class, one more book, one more technique, etc “before I am ready”. My friend Kate taught a class this week, The One More Thing Trap, that encouraged us to look at all the “one more things” we tell ourselves that have to happen before we can be the person we want to be. When we do that we lose the ability to feel present and connected to where we are right now. Note: you can still access the replay to this free class by registering for Kate’s class here.

My cross stitch, and other art projects, have become a beautiful metaphor for living life. They have become a living reflection of my journey. Taking life more slowly and deliberately. Living and acting with intention. Trying bold new projects. Simply having fun. Each day is like a project, taking it one stitch at a time.

Regardless of your age, 30 or 80, my wish is that this week you enjoy the moments as they come along. Be present. Be adventuresome. Savor them.

Wishing you abundant joy, Deena

Today’s image: I noticed a dragonfly on my “purple showers” the other day. He was simply sitting on to the edge of the leaf. Moving with the wind as it swayed. I wondered if he was stuck. After several minutes, he flew away. He reminded me to land lightly, settle softly, and enjoy the moment.

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Be open and keep learning

On By dpavinatoIn #sacredwork, a life of joy, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, creative well-being, Cultivating growth, growing in faith, nurturing growth, Pope Leo XIV, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journey, Trust the journeyLeave a comment

One of the things I am most enjoying about my new hobby and passion for cross stitch is that there is so much to learn. Groups I am in share tips and tricks for stitching on various fabrics or ideas and ways to mix colors for floss (thread) that you don’t have in your “stash” or to make a pattern your own style. I can’t think of a day in the past 11 months that I haven’t learned something from watching another stitcher.

One of my favorite designers, and floss tube creators, is Jacob de Graaf of Modern Folk Embroidery. He’s a multidisciplinary artist but an expert in traditional style, period reproduction, Quaker and Dutch/Frisian samplers. As we are journeying through a stitch-along for the month of August working on our Fast Frisian sampler, Jacob has been sharing his sampler collection and the research he has done to learn about the young girls that stitched the samplers, the schools or orphanages they attended, and the families and villages that they grew up in.

The past two weeks, in our daily stitching videos, he has taken us on a journey to various cities in the Netherlands to visit art museums, landmarks, and the quaint 600-year-old-city that he grew up in. It has an historic canal, a waterway that was a thoroughfare, that connected Friesland to Germany. Because of that, his town received their “city” status. Jacob took us to lakes, gardens and a lovely working windmill. I will probably never visit the Netherlands so I have been soaking up the sites and information he has shared with us.

In today’s image I have shared my progress on our sampler, as well as the desired end result showing Jacob’s chart and design. I am behind on my Frisian samplers as well as other “stitch-alongs”, due to a lot of birthday celebrating this week, for which I have no regrets and am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate with friends. Hopefully I will catch up this week. But as another floss-tuber said this week regarding her stitch-along, there are no stitching police, do what you can and have fun. Great advice for life as well.

Today, in his Angelus address for the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time, Pope Leo XIV reminded us to remain open and resist the temptation to think that we have learned all we need to about our faith. Pope Leo reflected on Matthew’s Gospel and Jesus’ question to the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Pope Leo suggested that Jesus calls us to give a personal response to this question, to continually rediscover our relationship with Jesus in the Gospels, reviewing and renewing the choices we make each day to be sure they are consistent with the faith we profess to believe.

If we attended Catholic schools, or religious education programs, we might be tempted to believe that we have learned everything we need to live a Christian life. I have found in the many books I read, or retreats I have attended, that my relationship with Christ is ever changing. My most common prayer during weekly Adoration is, “what do you want me to know or see today?” I am often surprised by the answers or insight I receive in prayer.

Pope Leo offered us these questions as suggestions to pray with: “Who is the Lord for me? Do I truly know him? What is his Gospel asking of me today? What steps and what choices am I called to make?”

Maybe there is a book you have seen that would offer some time for quiet reflection each day. Perhaps a retreat or Day of Reflection. Sometimes they are virtual, so you don’t actually have to take time to get away, although I do believe there is great benefit in removing ourselves from the daily distraction of being at home, with tasks to be done attempting to grab our attention. Our parish, as many do, will begin adult education programs for those interested in learning more about the Catholic faith, in preparation for receiving the Sacraments at Easter, but are open to those who want to rediscover and learn more about the practices of our faith. Check with your own parish, even if you have been away for a while, if that sounds interesting to you. Certainly you are welcome at Holy Family Parish if you don’t have a parish you call “home”.

This week think of an area of your life that you have grown complacent. How might you learn something new and gain some knowledge about it? Perhaps you are feeling called to grow deeper in your faith life.

I’d love to hear about it in the comments if you wish to share what that might be or what you learned.

Wishing you abundant peace and joy this week, Deena

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Crowding out the chaos

On By dpavinatoIn a life of joy, A life worth living, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, contemplation, Cultivating growth, discernment, Every day Catholic, grounded in faith, mental wellbeing, mindfulness, monastic prayer, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, toolkit for the spirit, Trust the journey, visionary faithLeave a comment

My brother and I own the duplex that I live in. We have a tenant renting the other side. I have several plants in the flower beds on that side of the building but I have not planted as many as I have on my side and I don’t take the time to care for it as well as mine. For the past couple of years the weeds have been atrocious. I have tried rock, heavy mulch (lots and lots of heavy mulch!), landscape paper, but the soil is just lousy. The weeds seem to thrive in it. I have been putting off getting over on that side to clear the weeds again. Friday I decided I needed to get out there again, but I had a new idea. I purchased some ground cover, as I have in many areas of my flower beds, and planted to see if it will eventually grow and crowd out the weeds. I only completed a small section and I really wanted different ground cover than the ones I found, but it’s a start!

Planting the new ground cover is fresh on my mind this morning as I reflected on the Gospel reading for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Matthew’s second accounting of the storm at sea has the apostles in the boat, alone without Jesus, as a storm brews and overwhelms them. In this version, they see Jesus in the distance as he walks toward them on the water. We are all familiar with Peter calling out to Jesus, Peter walking out to him on the water, but then begins to sink as he takes his eyes off Jesus. Our pastor, Fr. Paul Carlson, shared an insightful homily of the two storm versions in Matthew’s gospel and the need to keep our focus on Jesus as we navigate the storms and turbulent waters of this world. He reminded us that as followers of Jesus, “we need to be able to walk on the difficult seas [in life], but not be swallowed up by them.”

It’s not easy some days. The noise and turbulence of the world can overwhelm us just as the sea did to the apostles in the gospel. The weeds can take over and crowd out the good plants, in our spirit and soul, unless we replace the weeds with better plants. We need to blanket the soil of our minds and hearts with quiet time of prayer, reflection, and soul time with God. We are able to keep our eyes on Jesus, and less on the world, by who and what we devote our attention to.

I’m not sure if it’s age, or wisdom, but I find myself cherishing the quiet, alone time at home, or at church, more than I ever have in past years. Whether reading, listening to podcasts, gardening, stitching and reflecting, or simply in quiet prayer, it’s easier to be at peace. Perhaps it isn’t what I am turning toward but what I am turning away from. Likely, it’s a combination of both. Regardless, life is more serene and tranquil when I do so.

At this point in my writing journey of publishing this blog every Sunday for over three years, I have to check titles to make sure I haven’t used it before. This by itself is a task in creativity. I searched and found a previous post titled, “Clearing the Weeds”. I reread it and was reminded of a somatic technique called SNAP that author, and mindfulness teacher, Julie Potiker, developed. In the blog I share the meaning of the acronym, and briefly how to use the technique, to manage difficult emotions and move through situations with more ease and peace. I had forgotten about it, and in addition to prayer and contemplation, this simple technique is a great way to recenter in moments of stress. You can click here to read that post:https://deenapavinato.com/2025/06/22/clearing-the-weeds/.

This week I encourage you to find ways, that are helpful to you, when you need to clear the weeds in your own inner landscape. Find ways to be still. Then check in and see if it makes a difference in your day and your outlook.

Wishing you abundant peace, Deena

Today’s image: One of the small areas of pachysandra, a ground cover (Japanese Spurge), in my flower beds, that my friend Kathy and I fell in love with at Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford and have been adding to our flower beds this year. It’s growing nicely and next year I will be sure to add more to both sides of the duplex.

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Cultivating growth

On By dpavinatoIn #sacredwork, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Coming home to myself, Cultivating growth, Every day Catholic, Life in the Spirit, nurturing growth, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Tending the garden, Trust the journey2 Comments

I planted a new shrub this Spring. I was looking for a full sun plant, for the flower bed in the south of my duplex, that gets direct sun morning until late afternoon. The Potentilla fruticosa ‘Jefman’, or Mandarin Tango Potentilla, was a vibrant green when I planted it and I anxiously awaited the vibrant orange-yellow flowers promised during the summer. I know there is some adjustment time but began to be concerned as I noticed signs that it was not thriving as well as the Japanese Pieris I planted at the same time on the West side of the duplex, protected from the sun by neighboring building. As the weather warmed I decided to move it to the West side, to a section shaded even more than the Pieris. I hoped that the new environment would be the right place to flourish and grow. You can see in today’s image that it seems much happier in this new location.

Some of the flowering plants I have in pots love the hot days and direct sun. My favorite summer plant, Ruellia brittoniana (also called Desert Petunia, Mexican Petunia or Purple Showers), recommended by Tad, owner of Seatonville Greenhouse a few years ago, will produce and drop gorgeous purple flowers every day. While it loves the heat and sun, it requires daily watering, sometimes twice. Gardening experts will advise to water deep but not daily, but I have learned that it depends on the plant. Each variety requires different care.

Today’s Gospel, for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, is the familiar gospel of the sower and the seeds. Jesus shares the parable of the farmer that scatters seed, seeds falling on the path with no soil to sprout, rocky soil not deep enough to establish roots and encourage growth, thorny soil that choked out the tender seed growth, and rich soil that allowed for growth and abundant crops. Of course, it’s a lovely analogy for our spiritual lives and the soil we tend to allow a vibrant relationship with Christ.

We are the gardeners of our lives. We choose, consciously or not, the environment that will allow for growth or choke it off. The things we think, the content we consume (online or written word), the people we choose to spend our time with, and the time and energy we allow for learning new things become the garden of our future. Some days might feel like nothing is progressing, circumstances might look and feel like failure, but perhaps we just need to tend to the “soil” to encourage growth, like my Potentilla needed a new area to allow for growth.

We need the right soil, sunlight, mindset and circle of friends to support us on our journey of becoming who we want to be and what we hope our lives will become. I have always been an introvert (at the heart of who I really am, regardless of activities and involvements) and I know people perceive that I am becoming even more so. But as I reflect on it, I believe it is just being more selective about the things and people I spend time with. I want to do things and be with people that add value on my journey, and allow me to do the same for them.

I am carefully watching some weeds creeping up on some flowers in a flower bed. I hurt my wrist, after a fall in the flower beds earlier this week, so I have to tend to healing but I know that if I don’t get those weeds removed soon they will choke off the other plants. What are you spending your time on? Are they activities that inspire you and lift your spirits? Take stock of the people you are surrounding yourself with, are they supporting and encouraging you?

Seeing the results you want in your life takes attention, time and daily care. Check in on your “garden”, how’s it doing?

Wishing you abundant peace and growth this week, Deena

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Embracing the questions

On By dpavinatoIn a life of joy, A life worth living, a school of God's service, Benedictine Oblate, Coming home to myself, creative well-being, Every day Catholic, hope and healing, lifelong learning, mental wellbeing, mindfulness, Personal call and vocation, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, seeing beauty around me, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, Trust the journey, visionary faith2 Comments

A couple of years ago while pondering the persistent question, “what am I going to do with my life”, I finally realized I should stop asking and start living. I laughed and told myself, approaching 70 years of age (not nearly as close to it as I am today), it was time to stop trying to figure that out! Maybe there isn’t an “it” to actually discern in life. Over time, and considerable contemplation, the question morphed into “what am I being called to do, right now – this year or this day?” It’s a minor shift in wording but a huge shift in perspective.

It has felt like a shift to embracing the questions, rather than struggling with them. A fiber artist that I follow shared some thoughts on her own questions and reminded me of a quote by poet, Rainer Marie Rilke, “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now.”

Deanne concluded her own pondering by saying that she thinks we are all “wonderers”, and that she had yet to meet someone who doesn’t ask questions of life. She said, “And we are all a wonder. And that is what life itself is. It is a wonder too. And so now nearly each day I remind myself to ‘Let the mystery be’ and to ‘Love the questions'”.

I couldn’t agree more!

In a movie, “The Gardener”, that I watched this week, the protagonist facing illness and her mortality, begins to open to beauty around her and to seeing life with new eyes. She is mesmerized by a snake that has shed its skin. She gazes on an agave type plant that only blooms once then dies. She mentions to a mysterious teacher that shows up on her journey, that she feels that death looms around her, she questions when the mortal fear stops. He responds, when you are ready for it to.

It’s easy to get caught up in the struggle and miss the mystery unfolding around us each day. If we are ready to release the grip and tight hold on the questions, then perhaps we are able to see things with curiosity instead. We can find wonder and awe in life unfolding around and for us. As I shared some thoughts on the book, The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, last week, it seems more fitting to be present to what we are called to in each moment. That is what brings peace and contentment in life.

The image I selected for today’s post is a tile of the shell marker pilgrims see on the various Camino paths on “the way” toward Santiago de Compostela. The shell serves as a directional guide letting pilgrims know they are on the right path. For medieval pilgrims, a shell would be a purposeful tool, to drink or eat from. For those of us who follow a Christian path, a shell vessel is often used during the sacrament of baptism, to pour water on the infant or individual being baptized. It is a sign of rebirth and divine protection. I purchased this tile, as well as a sterling shell to wear on a necklace while visiting Santiago de Compostela. They both serve as good reminders to watch for “markers” and continue on “the way” each day.

Wishing you abundant peace, wonder, and awe this week. Deena

Note re the movie The Gardener: before you search for the movie directed by Dabney Day, it was a special online release this week. It was a little bit Devil Wears Prada in the beginning, Hallmark throughout but a few lovely spiritual reflections throughout.

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Wistful summer memories

On By dpavinatoIn a life of joy, A life worth living, Coming home to myself, contemplation, creative well-being, Doing what we love, Every day Catholic, mental wellbeing, Our unique call, Pause and rest, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, savor the days, Spiritual Journey, Trust the journey6 Comments

Last night I noticed the first firefly (we called them lightening bugs growing up) of the season. I paused and watched, there was another, and another. I moved to a different window, opened it wide and watched them as they moved around the back yard, around the tree and plants in my flower beds. Soon, my cat, Butters, jumped in the screened window and watched them too. His head darted back and forth as each one lit in the landscape below.

I watched in delight. I inhaled the balmy summer evening air with birds still chirping, but more quietly than earlier in the day. The evening was calm, fewer cars and noise than usual. It was a picture perfect summer night.

I began to reflect on summer evenings of my youth. Nights on the front porch, growing up in a neighborhood where it was common to sit outside and visit. On occasion, after our baths, and dressed in pajamas, we would go for a ride to The Root Beer Stand for an ice cream treat, bugs buzzing under the canopy lights, as a car hop would bring a tray to the car window.

We vacationed in Wisconsin many summers while I was growing up. I can recall only a handful of memories from those summers. I remember the deer we fed by hand. Or the firetruck my father insisted my brothers and I got on so he could take a picture. I exclaimed the leather seat was too hot but he wanted a picture. I still have the photo, legs tucked up near my chin and dress pulled down over my knees. Funny how the picture takes me right back to the feelings I was having.

I attended a local summer camp, Camp Saint Claret (I think we called it Camp Claretknoll). It was a historic summer camp operated by the Claretian Missionaries on the Claretknoll property. The camp was literally a few miles from home but I felt as though we were transported to a different world. I had no idea at the time it was a missionary founded organization. I really can’t recall what we actually did there but thinking of it brings back to memory nights of campfires and scary stories.

I remember my Noni’s garden. Besides her vegetable plants, the garden border was always full of peonies and roses. She loved her garden and I know she planted those seeds in me as well. We would pick dandelion from the yard, so that she could eat the greens in salad, long before the days of chemical treatments on lawns. She taught me about picking and sautéing zucchini flowers.

I love my flowers and adding new varieties to the flower beds each year. But, I gave up gardening vegetables. After my mother died, I lost the joy. I carried on the tradition of planting vegetables, after my father died, which he took on with gusto after my grandmother passed away. Mom and I planted tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and cucumbers. Dad’s garden was always much bigger, priding himself in the lettuce, onions, garlic and sweet corn. Thinking of the garden also evokes lovely memories with my mother, grating zucchini for bread and cooking tomatoes for sauce to use all winter. Perhaps the spark will return one day.

Do you have a favorite summer memory? Or perhaps a summer tradition you grew up with and still share with your family today? I would love to hear it. You can reply in the Facebook or Instagram post, or on my website, so others can enjoy reading it.

Wishing you summer days to savor and that bring you peace. Deena

Image: With my “Noni” in her garden.

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Becoming who I am

On By dpavinatoIn #sacredwork, a life of joy, A life worth living, Benedictine Oblate, Coming home to myself, contemplation, creative well-being, Doing what we love, Life of purpose, lifelong learning, mindfulness, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journey, toolkit for the spirit, Trust the journey4 Comments

Earlier this week I listened to a vlog “The Elegant Haiku” and read the accompanying blog by Michael Kroth. In his video he said something that immediately caught my attention. I stopped the video, backed it up and played it again. I wrote it down in my journal and it’s been on my mind ever since.

Michael said: “What we practice becomes who we are.”

His feature article this week was regarding his journey, learning about and writing haiku, as a daily practice. He began in 2019 as a result of attending a workshop by poet, author, and friend of ours Judith Valente (you have seen her name here in this blog many times). It may have been about the same time that I attended a retreat given by Judith at the Monastery and was also introduced to haiku. Michael decided to make it a practice. I have tried multiple times but give up. I judge, criticize, and analyze. (Frankly it surprises me that I continue to write this blog each week.) Michael’s haiku poetry is very good. He and friends even published a book, Framing the Moment; Haiku Conversations, together after sharing their haiku with each other.

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry, consisting of three lines, in a format of 5-7-5 syllables. I have seen multiple variations or adaptations but most use this format. It sounds simple but I would invite you to look outside, or at an image, and capture the essence of it, or how it makes you feel, using that format. It challenges us to find just the right words to express a feeling or insight. It calls us to slow down, choose carefully and purposefully. It is way to be present and mindful.

In one of Judith’s latest books, How to be a Contemplative (also mentioned by Michael in his blog), she shares her wisdom about slowing down in our hectic, often distracted, lives. If you are challenged to wind down at all, much less write a three-line haiku, I invite you to explore Judith’s book.

In addition to incorporating a practice, or desire to learn something, in our lives so that it becomes more closely aligned with who we are, I believe it also creates some sort of magnetic attraction to bring more of the same to us. Since reading Michael’s post I have seen and read so many compatible posts, poems, and book titles that encourage me to pursue and stay focused on the things that point me in the direction of who I am becoming and what I desire to have more of in my life.

I have a long list of things that I would love to be better at, that feel like they express who I am or who I want to be. So, I must ask myself why I am not pursuing them more enthusiastically – fear of failure, fear that I can’t ever be those things as proficiently as I want to be, that I will be judged…? If there is one gift of rapidly approaching 70 years of age, I have noticed that I am more easily gravitating toward not caring what other people think. But, there are moments. When I sense that feeling of doing something for approval, versus authentic desire, I think I have to grab myself by the shoulders and say “move on, let it go.”

Michael might be surprised to know that I have saved a little stack of his delightful pieces of mail, that he calls Haiku Drops (today’s image of the envelopes, not his poetry), since “meeting him” at a workshop with Judith. I pull them out from time to time if I need to take a peaceful pause during the day. Other times they just make me smile when I open the drawer I have them in, and see them. My point of sharing that is that our desire to learn and share something with others might be just what they need on any given day. So, if it makes you happy, continue to pursue and practice it, and share it with others!

Wishing you endless moments of being really happy with who you are, and who you are becoming, this week! Deena

The sacred now

On By dpavinatoIn #sacredwork, a life of joy, A life worth living, Benedictine Oblate, Catholic faith, Every day Catholic, Life in the Spirit, mindfulness, Our unique call, Personal call and vocation, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual freedom, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journey, Trust the journey, visionary faithLeave a comment

This week has been a week of memories yet poignant reminders to appreciate the gift of each present moment.

I visited the cemetery on Saturday to place my annual geraniums on the gravesites of my parents and grandparents. As I trimmed away the taller grasses close to the tombstones, where the caretaker had not mowed, I thought of past Mother’s Days. I wished that this weekend’s could be different. I had my silent conversations regarding all the recent family activities and updates, especially Genevieve’s (my niece Maureen’s daughter) First Communion on Sunday. My mother would be delighted to witness this special event.

Last Sunday, returning from the aromatherapy conference I attended, I learned that a woman, very dear to me, one of our daily “morning Mass ladies” and a neighborhood mom while I was growing up, suffered a massive stroke and remains in hospice care while her family waits for her to let go of her physical body (at the time of this writing, but our dear friend passed peacefully late Saturday evening). The week prior, she advised me that our routine Wednesday morning breakfast was back in place, paused during Lent and a few other activities, and asked me if I wanted to join them. I replied that I was busy getting ready for the conference and was trying to get things done before the four days of driving back and forth to the venue. She smiled and said, “Ok, next week then!”

There was no “next week” outing this week. I have asked myself over and over if that hour would have impacted my ability to be ready to go to the conference. The answer is always no, I would have gotten things done regardless.

Thursday I was shocked to hear of the death of a high school friend, losing her long battle with cancer. At one of our past reunions, in remission and positive as she always was, she honestly remarked that each day is a gift and that she doesn’t take any day for granted. I am confident she lived that way. I always enjoyed her family updates on social media, especially the joy she experienced in her grandchildren.

I am so sad for the families of each of those women, facing a Mother’s Day different than last year. I am absolutely confident that both of them will be welcomed into a life free of pain and discomfort, experiencing the Love and Light that the rest of us hope one day to dwell in. Yet in the joy of contemplating their eternal homecoming, there is sadness and loss for those left behind. For those of us who have lost our moms, we know the melancholy that dwells within as we see others celebrating. It changes with time, but it doesn’t go away.

For those of you who still have your mothers, treasure the time you have, even with the minor disagreements. You are probably more like them than you might care to think about. Be independent and be your own person, but be kind.

For those of you who are mothers, grandmothers, or stepmothers, enjoy your time with your families. Be grateful that you have another day to watch your loved ones step out into lives of their own. Whether you agree or disagree, you likely helped them gain the confidence to try new things. Be proud of that!

It seems so cliche to say that each moment is sacred and that we have to treasure the “here and now”. Some weeks it feels more true than others. I hope that we honor the memories of yesterday that we enjoyed, or learned from. I also hope we inhabit each moment of today as if it might be our last, turning our current moments into living memories.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you that are mothers, stepmothers, and grandmothers!

Until next week, wishing you abundant love and peace. Deena

Image: A canvas wall banner in the unique shop that I did social media work for last Fall and early Winter. It’s a lovely reminder to be, know and remember the strong women in our lives.

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Offline and in tune

On By dpavinatoIn #sacredwork, a life of joy, A life worth living, Coming home to myself, Doing what we love, Life in the Spirit, Life of purpose, lifelong learning, mental wellbeing, mindfulness, Our unique call, Personal call and vocation, sacred listening, sacred seeing, sacred waiting, Seeing things in a new way, spiritual healing, Spiritual Journey, spirituality, Teachers and Guides on the journey, toolkit for the spirit, Trust the journey, visionary faith4 Comments

This weekend, as we begin this new month of May, I am on the team and participating in an aromatherapy retreat – Rooted in Wisdom, Rising in Light, hosted by my friend, Kate Brown. The speakers are skilled in their individual areas of expertise and are offering insightful and compelling insights. We are learning and experiencing many interesting new concepts and tools/processes for grounding, balancing, and raising our energy. My talk, Thursday evening, was using an experiential process of drawing neurographic art, which can help create new neural pathways to reduce stress, alter ingrained and rigid thinking, reduce stress, and promote more flexible thinking. It was entitled, Shaping your Future: Using Art and Creativity to Vision the Life You Desire. (Kate and I created a blend of Orange, Peppermint and Geranium essential oils which help with openness, clarity, harmony and heart-centeredness which we used while drawing.)

The retreat participants are staying at a lovely venue in Northern Illinois, a little over an hour north and west of my home. I opted to drive back and forth for a couple of reasons, so the days have been pretty long. As a result, I have only been online long enough to check in, create posts for the parish social media pages, Kate’s business page and read a few that pop up while I am logged in.

In all of our sessions we are talking about honoring our energy and boundaries, respecting our needs (like sleep!) and reclaiming parts of ourselves that we have have set aside while we were attending to other things and people.

As I got home Saturday evening, with a vast array of topics I could write about swirling around in my mind, I decided that taking a break this week was what I really needed.

I invite you to think about times that you keep going when what you really want to do is pause, take a break and attend to your own needs. Once you are of those situations, consider whether you could go offline, take that pause, and just tune in to your own spirit and well-being.

Take a moment, you deserve it!

Wishing you rest this week in whatever ways you need it, Deena

Image: Peace hope and love at Stronghold Retreat Center, Oregon IL