Sacred Life Sunday: Dreams
Saturday's mail held an amazing surprise from Sister Kathryn. This beautiful Dreaming Bowl created and adorned by her own hands. Wow! I held it in my hands and let the tears fall. I was -- still am -- moved beyond words by the support and encouragement this woman so generously shares. Read her latest post What would Love do? and you'll see what I mean. More tears!
On and inside the bowl she wrote my name, along with the words You are here to birth your dreams . . . push now!
Dreams . . .
Just under a year ago I put my dreams on hold in order to deal with life on life's terms. I spent the last year grieving the end of one life and building the start of another. It was damn hard work. Joseph Campbell wrote, "We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." Even though I'm still learning what this means, I can tell you that I'm resting on a new stepping stone of my journey. I'm beginning to feel the soft breath of my dreams again. Nothing flamboyant or earth-shattering -- I have neither the energy nor desire for BIG -- just the occasional soft whisper or two.
Keep going on my book.
Leading women's retreats.
Taking a spiritual direction course at Gonzaga.
Plan a trip somewhere I can swim with dolphins!
I'm not quite ready to push, but I can listen. Quietly explore. As Kathryn writes in the little booklet that came with the bowl, "The dream starts as a longing or seed idea that wants to be born in us and wants to become a reality for a greater good in our world. Some dreams take their time becoming manifest and need a place of incubation within us."
Incubating + tiny painless baby steps are exactly where I'm at. No leaps for me, my pace continues to be gentle and easy. But my dreams, yeah, they're awakening now that I've got a solid foundation beneath me again.
Thank you, Sister K. I love this bowl and I love YOU!
See more Sacred Life Sunday participants here. And I swear to you I will add the new participants this week! My apologies for taking so long . . . sometimes my gentle and easy pace comes to a standstill!
very cool gift. baby steps rock - i look forward to reading that book & attending those retreats one day!
ox kelley
Posted by: kelley | Sunday, January 13, 2008 at 10:47 PM
very cool gift. baby steps rock - i look forward to reading that book & attending those retreats one day!
ox kelley
Posted by: kelley | Sunday, January 13, 2008 at 10:50 PM
What a warm and wonderful post. Dreams are so essential. It’s like connecting with your spirit and the divine… and then giggling like children together.
“I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each others dreams, we can be together all the time.” - Hobbes (of Calvin and ...)
Blessings and Hugs,
Jon :)
Posted by: Jon | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 04:51 AM
Wow, that dreaming bowl is amazing! What a gift. Lovely.
Posted by: Marilyn | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 05:56 AM
what a special gift! keep dreaming!
Posted by: Ruby | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 06:22 AM
How wonderful for you to be gifted with such love! I know you'll use it well ;)
Posted by: Monique | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 06:28 AM
What a beautiful gift and such an inspiring post! I just came across your blog through a series of links and I love the idea of Sacred Life Sundays so I'm gonna give them a try myself!
Posted by: Amanda | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 07:45 AM
You should check out Women's Quest - http://www.womensquest.com/retreats/hawaii.htm. I can't promise you'll swim with dolphins, but I went on the Vermont retreat with Women's Quest last fall and the leader (Colleen Cannon) spoke of her affinity with dolphins; she had some incredible stories about how the dolphins always seem to find her when she's in Hawaii. The retreat was FANTASTIC btw - I think you would love it.
Posted by: DragonflyReflections | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 07:45 AM
How lovely and how perfect for where you are right now in your journey! She's one special woman ... and so are you! Swimming with dolphins ... now THAT's something I'd love to do.
Hugs and blessings,
Posted by: storyteller | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 08:11 AM
Wow...amazing bowl.
I loved the Campbell quote. Its the first time I have heard it, but it certainly is a perfectly wise viewpoint.
Your writing is a blessing to read. *smiles*
Posted by: Greenwoman | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 08:13 AM
very cool.. very inspirational...your journey...your dreams...the bowl (i want a friend like sister kathryn!!!)...the dolphins. thank you for this beautiful piece.
Posted by: lucy | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 10:08 AM
I'm glad you liked your surprise and all the surprises your dreams hold for you and for our world. It's your courage to go forward even when you can't see the entire scope of the way that is so inspiring to all of us who walk together with you. Let more and more find us and walk the road towards the unfolding of the world we want and can create. It was the re- occurring nightmares that came to me and showed me my mission as an awakener. It is this wonderful creative process that helps bring forth the symbols of awakening for others that keeps me afire and jazzed about each new day that dawns and more creating. Your constant inspiration just continues to stoke the flames. Bright Blessings, Dear One, Sr. K
Posted by: Kathryn Knoll | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 11:59 AM
I loved reading your words, and those of Sister Kathryn in her post, "What Would Love Do?" It came at exactly the right time for me. Thank you.
Posted by: patti digh | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 01:13 PM
belly of a dream catcher...
****************
Azure in the arms of Cerulean
Cast adrift in the Indigo isles
May Angel love and Moon glow light your path.
Posted by: poetryman69 | Monday, January 14, 2008 at 06:13 PM
What a fantastic gift from the ever-so-talented Sister Kathryn! Dreams - I loved reading about yours, Carla. I have some dreams definitely requiring baby steps. I so not into trying to force something to get to the destination. Digging the process, the journey.
Posted by: eileen (the dream) | Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 12:35 PM
those dreaming bowls are absolutely beautiful & I am sure they are full of blessings to help your dreams come true.. I read somewhere 'to remember to dream, for dreams are the inspiration our your life' .... I too, was a lucky recipient of a parcel from Sr. Kathryn & I feel blessed that she is in my life
I am behind on Sacred Sunday but I promise I am back on track now.. I have been away at the sea-side and I turned 50 on Jan 1 and am finally coming back to earth!
Posted by: miss*R | Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 04:12 PM
I am grateful for this place of sacred beauty and reminders everywhere of the blessings I have...I especially enjoyed the "What Would Love do?" post...Every day is an opportunity to ACT on love...This was a good reminder...thanks!
Posted by: Marie | Saturday, January 19, 2008 at 04:17 PM