writing our way whole: 11 at home running with the hare

In a break with our usual tradition of writing “gratefuls” at the end of a WoWW session, I’m going to start by sharing my own

starting appreciation

followed by an essay, before offering Brain Dump et al. So read on.

Essay: Running with hare and hounds

My mother had a phrase, which she put out there as a contrary-wise-dom to my tendencies (as she perceived them) to “scatter my fire” or to “spread myself too thinly” or to split my loyalties.

It was:

You can’t run with the hare and the hounds.

I have had that echoed by some – not all – of my spiritual teachers, who have warned me against “sitting on the fence” in respect of my commitment and engagement.

Perhaps recognising the divisive nature of self-doubt, skepticism…

and yet, and yet.

And.

&

In my continuing journey into the wisdom of the unconscious, I have encountered my own companions,

especially Brown Hare: defensive, timid, fierce, and with a fine pair of legs:

and the youngest of Wolf Cubs: gentle, voracious for love and play, and vulnerable.

And I have started running again – across the bouncy turf of the links at Brora Golf Club, down the step of the dunes, onto the soft sand, then the firm and springy moist sand, and sometimes into the ocean itself, my feet leading me into the salt water that heals my tender skin.

The running exhilarates me, opens my racing heart to a spaciousness that I have yearned for since I last ran, or danced at a public in-body class, only three short months ago …

… and it strengthens me, stretches my joints, my articulations, my articulacy …

for when I move, my mind relaxes and I meet my Muse again, as well as (at a distance) humans, walking their wolfy dogs.

Some of which (collies) gathered around me as I rested on a sandy rock on Wednesday, and panted with me.

Reminding how much I am missing touch, and physical connection with other beating hearts.

Today, I am grateful for:

running with the Hare and the Hounds.

Essay: Running with hare and hounds © Kathy McVittie 29 May 2020

For today’s Brain Dump in your ThoughtBook, I invite you to flow with any or all of the following prompts – as literally or as figuratively as you wish.

Or feel free to run with your own Brain Dump Prompts today.

which came to me while I was running northwards towards the Arctic Tern nestery, three days ago – just before the Arctic Terns themselves turned me round southwards by their vehement curiosity and defensiveness.

While I was writing it, and while I have been running in the past week (lifting my mood during a strange hiatus between birthdays) I’ve been aware of the energy of affirmation.

These are similar to our friends the Appreciations, insomuch as an Affirmation is an Appreciation of one’s self – one’s “Higher Self” in some people’s parlance.

Affirmation: Homework

So, our homework this week is to start reviewing the resource material that we have around at home: your own writings or those of others, even on cereal boxes.

And to select affirmations of whatever sort, to gather into your personal resource kit.

If you can share just one or two affirmations with the rest of us, that would be wonderful.

Perhaps we may each lift up someone else’s spirits by sharing, in the Comments area.

Appreciation

Your chance to review the things you value:

Further Resources

To explore other expressions of appreciation practice, and an online resource including poetry and private safe-keeping for your own appreciations, you might visit https://gratefulness.org/.

Derek Walcott‘s poem was first published in his collection Sea Grapes (1976), and then was included in his Collected Poems, 1948–1984 (1986).

retrieved from poemhunter.com