Every time I heard the front door slam, I knew they were coming out to dump more of Marnie’s stuff into the dumpster. I tried to avoid looking across the street at that big red dumpster in the driveway of Marnie’s house. I loved her and couldn’t bear to think about all those good times and memories—Marnie’s spirit— being unceremoniously discarded into a dirty dumpster.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about play, specifically about outside play that involves nature. During the pandemic, I am more grateful than ever to have outside space and a garden. Even though I recognize that gardening makes me happy, I never specifically thought of it as play, nor as prayer, until I met Dr. Christine Sine and learned of her work.
Thomas Merton said, “There is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace, and my happiness depend….” We all want to know the answer to that problem. Dr. David Benner’s The Gift of Being Yourself: The Sacred Call to Self-Discovery is a powerful little book that shows you how to find the answer for yourself.
In these unsettling times, I really need serenity and health, and I’m pretty sure that you do too! In the U.S. we have been dealing with climate change, gun violence, racism, political strife, impeachment…and now the coronavirus. My two brothers live in the Seattle area, where multiple deaths have occurred. My daughter lives in Italy, another hot spot. She just called and told me the schools in all of Italy have closed for at least two weeks. That is when I sat down to write this blog post.
