Anne Richardson

January 12, 2023

Community, Connection, Darkness, Gratitude, Grief and Loss, Grief Literacy, Hope, Invitations, Kindness, Labyrinth, My Mentor Grief, Poetry, Seasons, spiriutal companionship, Wholeness

Noticing & Listening Beyond Words: Invitations to Connect

Anne Richardson

January 12, 2023

Community, Connection, Darkness, Gratitude, Grief and Loss, Grief Literacy, Hope, Invitations, Kindness, Labyrinth, My Mentor Grief, Poetry, Seasons, spiriutal companionship, Wholeness

Ah, 2023 has arrived. What have you noticed in these first days? Me? The weather words: “atmospheric river.” My poetic-self loves imagining what I can create with that. However, California is not fairing well under the weight of the rain these rivers carry and folks and landscapes and beings are suffering. At this writing there seems to be no end in sight.

Weatherscapes are shifting across our planet. Images inundate our social media feeds and from some of my recent readings and webinars, English words (perhaps others, but that is my learned tongue) can lack the deeper meaning needed to convey the urgency behind the shifts. I am not sure what to do with this information yet (except sensing loss and a need to grieve.) I love reading and written words, but there are times written language fails to convey urgency…even my beloved—poetry. So I will continue to explore-expand my connection to the natural world I inhabit. I will take more time when Rain patters on the brim of my hat as I walk and listen to the story Rain may want to share. Those “in-sky” rivers are “raining” down stories. Are we prepared to listen?

Anne Richardson

December 15, 2021

Ambiguous Loss, Darkness, Gratitude, Grief, Grief and Loss, Grief Journey, My Mentor Grief, Pandemic, Poetry, Seasons, Winter, Blessings Ritual Ceremony, Invitations

Lessons from the Pandemic: Invitations of Winter & Grief

Anne Richardson

December 15, 2021

Ambiguous Loss, Darkness, Gratitude, Grief, Grief and Loss, Grief Journey, My Mentor Grief, Pandemic, Poetry, Seasons, Winter, Blessings Ritual Ceremony, Invitations

Winter Solstice is near. Solstice, when Ancients believed Sun stood still. Night pausing before passing into Winter. This turning point from Autumn to Winter is full of silent invitations waiting for my noticing. I walk in the pre-dawn enveloped in Night. When Rain saturates Air, slow rising Sun scarcely brightens Sky. On Star-speckled walks the beam of my flashlight fades to nothing as Sky turns lavender to periwinkle to jaybird-blue well before the appointed “sunrise” time. I wonder at it all. That I should be so blessed to witness this offering.

Anne Richardson

October 5, 2020

Breathing, Gratitude, Grief and Loss, Healing, Life Transitions, My Mentor Grief, Pandemic, Poetry, spiritual journey, spiriutal companionship, Thresholds, Stillness

Lessons from the Pandemic: Open to Stillness, Open to Being Brave

Anne Richardson

October 5, 2020

Breathing, Gratitude, Grief and Loss, Healing, Life Transitions, My Mentor Grief, Pandemic, Poetry, spiritual journey, spiriutal companionship, Thresholds, Stillness

Mornings start in the dark. Reflective gear strapped on. Flashlight in hand. I set out with a few stars visible on cloudless mornings and Mars moving toward setting. It is autumn and the air, despite an unusual warm spell during the daylight hours, has the temperament of fall. A hint of chill. Leaves have begun to tumble downward and are crisp under foot. A crimson thread of light stitches the earth to the sky. As minutes pass, dawn opens its arms to me. Trees that were easily distinguishable on summer jaunts, transform from shadow to shape to friend. By the time I reach The Summit, an hour into my walk, day has arrived. My mind is streaming with snippets of poems or pondering an essay or talk I have heard. And I am ready to drop into my daily gratitude practice at the highest point in my neighborhood where outlines of cityscapes and mountains merge in the distance.

Anne Richardson

September 2, 2020

Covid-19, Gratitude, Grief, Grief and Loss, Life Transitions, My Mentor Grief, Pandemic, Pilgrimage, Thresholds, writing, Honoriing Life Transition, Poetry

Lessons from the Pandemic: Have You Taken Time to Be Still? Invitation to a Workshop: Recognizing & Honoring Life Transitions

Anne Richardson

September 2, 2020

Covid-19, Gratitude, Grief, Grief and Loss, Life Transitions, My Mentor Grief, Pandemic, Pilgrimage, Thresholds, writing, Honoriing Life Transition, Poetry

Cricket songs offer me a nightly symphony, a sure sign autumn has arrived even as we are set for a hot spell the next week in my Pacific NW neighborhood. Being awash in their chirps grounds me. Brings me back into my body as I sit and breath in and out their consistent thrum, listening for other night noises. It is usually the hum of cars passing by or a drift of conversation from a neighbor, but, occasionally I can hear a tree branch yawing upward toward the moon or flapping wings of a bird out past curfew.

Anne Richardson

September 19, 2019

Grief, Grief Journey, Life Transitions, spiritual journey

Sneaker Waves-Opening Boxes, Finding Grief

Anne Richardson

September 19, 2019

Grief, Grief Journey, Life Transitions, spiritual journey

“Never turn your back on the ocean.” A teaching offered to me as a youngster. Living close to the Oregon Coast where sleeper waves can heave logs on to shore or wash an unsuspecting walker out to sea in an eye-blink, it is a sound piece of wisdom. Even as I connect in my being to the sea as “Mother Ocean,” I was reminded of this on a recent visit when I was knee deep in water seconds after noting the waves were a good 20 feet out and seemed to be biding their time, lapping more than galloping. She wanted my attention—“Daughter, something is stirring.” Something is stirring.

Anne Richardson

August 16, 2019

Ancestral Journey, Grief Journey, Life Transitions, sojourn home, spiritual journey, writing

Sojourning with Grief-Between

Anne Richardson

August 16, 2019

Ancestral Journey, Grief Journey, Life Transitions, sojourn home, spiritual journey, writing

Sunday marks nine weeks since I returned from my spiritual journey, “Sojourning with Grief.” As many weeks returned to this home as I was immersed in my Celtic homeland. I want to write something wise or profound about my growth and insights. And there are many insights spinning in my head and heart. But the truth is I am tired and the threads that I try to hold onto are too thin to be woven into any kind of cohesive tapestry. Instead I am offering a few random thoughts.

Anne Richardson

May 3, 2017

Connections, Disconnections, Re-connections

Anne Richardson

May 3, 2017

To say “yes” and not “no” (my usual first response) when offered time away at the beach by a dear friend. Solitude. Dropping down through the curtains of rain, down through the coast range to that sweet point when suddenly (and yes it always seems to take me by surprise) the ocean comes into view. Shoulders drop and my lips taste the salt even with the car windows closed. The sky feels more blue than gray and I turn the wipers off. Instead of driving straight through to Manzanita, I pull over and take photos knowing I can’t capture the magic, but at least I might be able to pixelate the moment into a memory potion one day.

Noticing & Listening Beyond Words: Invitations to Connect

Lessons from the Pandemic: Invitations of Winter & Grief

Lessons from the Pandemic: Open to Stillness, Open to Being Brave

Lessons from the Pandemic: Have You Taken Time to Be Still? Invitation to a Workshop: Recognizing & Honoring Life Transitions

Sneaker Waves-Opening Boxes, Finding Grief

Sojourning with Grief-Between

Connections, Disconnections, Re-connections

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