New Year’s day is only one important day among 365 important days.
Understandably, the first half of life is spent anchoring ourselves; imperatively, the second half is spent unmooring ourselves.
The heart is a spotted pear — there’s no getting through without some bruising.
The mind is a sea star — moving its brilliant purple rays in multidirectional ways, and clinging, so often, to the same facade.
The soul at peace is paradise.
Beneath the surface of an ordinary day lies an infinite wellspring of meaning—this untold depth is what we may call God.
It’s been said you can’t get blood from stone; but today, the fallen heaps of rubble won’t stop bleeding—and they will not stop accusing.
Tempting, in this climate, to trade the callus-building requirements of reality for the passive comfort of hoping.
Tend well your Brown-eyed Susan, it is the only flower that symbolizes justice.
To laugh at yourself is to deinstitutionalize your ego.
The individual is a phantom — in wonder and blunder we receive our selves through the eyes of others. Meaning, dear reader, my personal fulfillment is in your flourishing.
Should you want to find God, which is to say, should you desire meaning, learn a way (not unlike the cruciform path of Jesus) to love the earth and her array of inhabitants.
Our favoured assumptions should routinely be set on fire to see what rises from the ash.
A tincture of cynicism is emancipating, but a full-meal is constipating.
The crushed grapes of relinquishment can sometimes be Beaujolais for the soul.
If you press your face against a keyboard, canvas, soapstone, it sometimes opens a door.
Art enlarges our being and bearing, which is why despots of commerce de-fund it.
What seemed unthinkable is now obvious—both science and religion are converging on the essential fire. It’s time they had a heart-to-heart.
Every birdcall beckons, “Unveil your hearts!” “All creation cries for love!” is every cricket’s song.
Of course we are falling, let us pray for companionship in the descent.
Death and dying — hard, hard, hard — and any kind of bromide, unfitting.
To counsel hope can sometimes be malpractice.
To discount hope is human dereliction and spiritual delinquency.
The twin sister of praise is grief.
Aging changes chores into privileges and anxieties into prayers.
Don’t vomit outright; some poisons need to pass through so you’ll know what to hate, what to tolerate.
Despite the crazed magnificence of our vanities, our true longing is to be each other’s joy.
The Big Bang is God’s dancing body. The shimmering fallout is yours.
The Second Coming, if we have the eyes for it, is us, in our unfolding inclusiveness.
Regarding global warming: time, now, we let the spruce and salmon vote.
There are over 25 flowers that symbolize peace, this coming year, pick one and join any nonviolent earth-affirming, life-liberating, protest march.
Put your love where there is no love and you will find love—the only religion worth practicing.
Wishing you a beautiful New Year of unfolding love and renewed purpose.
Perfection this morning. So many beautiful thoughts. Thank you for another year of poetry, art and love. Looking forward to the New Year!
And thank you, my brilliant painter friend. I am looking forward to putting more poetry to your paintings.
There are so many lines in this that I love. This one: “Should you want to find God, which is to say, should you desire meaning, learn a way (not unlike the cruciform path of Jesus) to love the earth and her array of inhabitants” seems particularly fitting. As you can imagine, many of us in the U.S. are fearful of what 2025 will bring as we change administrations (I realize Canada is having some issues too), and because we are so divided as a nation. But over the past week, I have had random encounters with folks that I know have different political views than I do, but we had pleasant conversations as we stood side by side watching waterfowl through our respective lenses. We were finding a way to love the earth and its inhabitants – even if for a brief moment, but it was beautiful.
Happy New Year, my talented friend.
I love this, Diane. Thank you for relaying this simple yet hopeful encounter. And for adding hope and beauty to the new year.
Thank you Stephen for sharing your heart and talents. I always anticipate your New Year’s “Gentle Observations and Humble Propositions”. You have a masterful mind and orchestration of the language of the heart.
Kellie, profound gratitude for that elevated assessment. I will keep trying to rise to that measure.
I’m here agreeing with Kellie who is my good friend! I’m so glad I found you and your wisdom. Your sharing will make the coming times easier to bear and a place for growth.
Thank you, Katy, for your kindness.
Proverbs by Stephen Berg! Love them all! 🙂
Thank you, Marcia!
Such manna in the wilderness! I sit here, grateful, savoring every morsel.
Thank you so much, Catherine, you are kind.
It was truly inspiring to read this at the start of a new year. Such a banquet of food for thought. Incisively wise, succinctly eloquent, urgently pertinent. Thank you!!
I wish you well with your writing, and in all respects, in the time to come.
Deep gratitude, Allan. I will attempt to live up to those kind phrases.
Every delicious morsel
taken in heaping spoonful’s
of great gratitude
for the blessings of
your heart
and mind, dear friend
so, so much goodness
here <3 -^-
I’m very grateful for your kindness. Thank you!
“… our true longing is to be each other’s joy”.
(Apparently I failed to Post Comment several days ago)
Thanks, Ike. And no worries.
So many profound thoughts, so beautifully put. Contemplating these as a new year begins. Thank you for gifting us your wisdom again, Steve! Wishing a healthy and hopeful start to 2025 for you and Deb!
Thank you so much, Mel! Sending our best hopes and intentions to you and Brennon, and Remy, for 2025.
Thanks, Steve,
My personal favourite is:
“The individual is a phantom — in wonder and blunder we receive our selves through the eyes of others. Meaning, dear reader, my personal fulfillment is in your flourishing.”
Flourishing as an obligation, privilege, event – but it requires other selves….
Thanks for that, Sam.