Nearly a decade ago, Thich Nhat Hahn’s simple, yet profound words showed me how everything we see and cannot see is wondrously woven together in a sea of interbeing. I had never given previous thought how a cloud, the rain, a tree, and a simple sheet of paper are dependent on each other. Thay matter-of-factly… Continue reading The Sea of Interbeing
Tag: understanding
Touching the Universe
Many years ago, shortly after becoming a father, I felt the need for my growing family to have spiritual guidance. I was raised in the Protestant faith and my wife was Catholic. We settled on going to a Presbyterian church close by. I yearned for a universal truth about how we can be the best… Continue reading Touching the Universe
We Must Always Be Thankful
Each of us has a book inside of us and a story to tell. If I ever say we should be thankful I don’t mean we should be thankful just because we were adopted, and we should not be thankful just because society expects us to feel that way. The word “grateful” has become twisted… Continue reading We Must Always Be Thankful
Concrete Gray Steps
This is my childhood home in New Albany, Indiana. In the summertime the hot sun would blaze behind the house where I would sit on concrete steps and squint into the sky. Gray paint would always flake off the steps like dried flower petals. As golden rays soaked into my bare chest I would try… Continue reading Concrete Gray Steps
Dear birthmother
Dear birthmother, I never had the chance to meet you. If I did, I would have thanked you for giving my sister and I what you could not offer, which was the chance to live in a loving home and being able to experience the fullness and richness of life. I know you made… Continue reading Dear birthmother
Opposites
Opposites What is big? What is small? Is there a difference between tiny and tall? (A little bug on a blade of grass Is huge when viewed through a lens of thick glass) What is up? What is down? When I point to a star as the earth spins around? When is young old? When… Continue reading Opposites
Love Your Enemies
Loving one’s enemy might seem like an impossible task, but if one really takes the time to understand the person who causes you to suffer, that person is no longer an enemy. It is much more difficult for one to see the similarity in others than to see ones differences. If we look deeply at… Continue reading Love Your Enemies
Understanding
“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That's the message he is sending.” ? Thich Nhat Hanh