For as long as I can recall I have loved, longed, and yearned for travel. It’s a funny thing this desire to journey near or far, experience different cultures, listen to other languages, taste different cuisine and explore. I am thankful and fortunate to have been raised by parents who also enjoyed adventuring out from…
Category: Ponderings
Stories from my childhood – Bullying
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” This quote is attributed to Jimi Hendrix as well as having ties to William Gladstone and Sri Chinmoy Ghose. The story I’m sharing has a slight narrative twist – the beginning being both the voice of my mom, along with…
Stories from my childhood – Compassion
Do you have those days, even weeks, where life just doesn’t quite go as planned? For me, it’s been one of those weeks. My previous post was written while on family holiday at Lake Chelan in Eastern WA. We had a frolicking, laughing, lounging time as a family with a few other friends in the…
Stories from my Childhood – Water
For the past five years, as the New Years begins, I’ve chosen a word for the year, or sometimes rather, let it choose me – to stroll with, ponder, and reflect upon. This year my word is water. At first, I wasn’t too thrilled with this word. Wasn’t sure about it. What was I going…
What shape is my life?
Conversation with a scallop shell You’ve been calling to me from your marine mollusk home for quite some time – Whispering to me via gifts from friends Pendants on necklaces Surprising me in a box wrapped with string Words inscribed “Unless you leave room for serendipity, how can the divine enter in? The beginning of…
Paris Pilgrimage Magic
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Goethe Years ago I dreamed of wandering the streets, neighborhoods, museums, and restaurants of Paris with a group of women. I wasn’t sure how it was going to happen, nor the logistics of facilitating such a venture,…
My love affair with Paris
My love affair with Paris began in 8th grade. I had this rather odd, quirky French teacher at my high school. He was dramatic, expressive, and could hardly wait for us to ‘fall in love with French’. (And no, I did not fall in love with him). In order to demonstrate the verb, tomber (to…
Blessing of Water
This poem is in response to a prompt from the Writer’s Gathering I attend here in Seattle. We’d read through ‘Beannacht ‘(Blessing) by John O’Donahue from Echoes of Memory, and the following line stood out for me: “May the fluency of ocean be yours.” Blessing of Water “May the fluency of ocean be yours.” May…
Floating on the edge of waiting
This poem was inspired via a writing prompt at the Writer’s Gathering I attend on Monday evenings, here in Seattle. The initial prompt was to write down one word describing how you were feeling. The second was pulling an ‘angel word’ out of a cup and then using that word, along with your feeling word…
The Magic of Circling
You are a different type of threshold crossing. When I was younger shopping with my mom at the Hudson’s Bay Company you were there, welcoming me. I could hardly wait to enter your circular chamber and dance merrily about, my mom beckoning me to exit; for she was on a mission, a quest, errands to…
Ode to my Father’s Knee
You bore the weight of loss upon your body from a young age; your little knees torn and scratched from playing football on the gravel ground, bled the pain and carried the scars of your mother’s life – gone, at such a young age. Your father carried you as best he could dressing you each…
Ode to Procrastination
Aha! I see you I feel you I hear you I greet you saying Would you like to join me for a cup of tea? Perhaps a small sugary treat? I know you well We have been joined since birth And rather than dismiss you I choose this day To greet you with a fond…
Sharon Richards 