Beloved Child

Spend the afternoon,
you can't take it with you.
~ Annie Dillard

Reflection, we call the mountain in the lake
whose existence resides
in neither stone nor water.
~ Jayne Hirshfield

Feeling Grateful for all of You, my Family, this Life, my Work, for Mother Earth and her Creatures, and finally to the sincere and loving kindness inherent within the Human Spirit.

Yesterday a complete stranger offered to have me come over for Thanksgiving dinner. We struck up a conversation at the grocery store over the fine weather (of all things). As soon as she discovered that I was new to the area she proceeded to ask me if I had any friends here in Santa Fe and whether I had somewhere to go for Thanksgiving, a place (as she put it), where I felt welcomed.

Feeling deeply touched by her sincerity, a few tears formed in my eyes which we both noticed and honored by a brief and silent pause, as it felt like an honest and appropriate expression and acknowledgement of the moment. I told her that she was a sweetheart for thinking of me and for offering me a place at her table, but that I had some dear local friends who had already invited me. Returning home I felt renewed and so very grateful for this spontaneous encounter, for the giving and receiving that each one of us is capable of.

Wishing each one of you a blessed and soulful day. May you have a place at someone's table, or at the very least, may you know how loved you are by the universe, as you are Mother Earth's own beloved child." -- Suzanne Marie

Photo by Matthias Ripp