On Faith, Persistence + Moving Really, Really Heavy Objects: Loving My Brother, Part 4
Don't you love it when you think a story's over, but really, it's just getting good? Like in The Philadelphia Story, when you think Katherine Hepburn's going to marry the wrong man, but against all odds, she ends up (re)marrying the right one? Note: If you haven't seen The Philadelphia Story, I suggest you forgo your other commitments until you have done so. As Marisa de los Santos has one of her characters in Love Walked In say, "I can't decide if [Katherine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story] [is] beautiful, or if she just looks better than anyone I've ever...
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Trust, Acceptance And A Little Red Wagon: Loving My Brother, Part 3
As I seek to nurture growth and transformation this summer, I remember summers past. I remember the weeks my family and I used to spend with my grandparents in Arizona each year. My grandparents live in a rural area, on 5 acres off a dirt road, as far from suburban New Jersey life as you can get. Summers there were times of connection: walks with my mom, cooking and sewing with my grandma, reading alongside my grandpa. They were times of dolce far niente, the beauty of a simple life. Of course, sometimes it got tiresome. There were afternoons when...
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Owning Your Mistakes & The Wisdom Of The Oops
First, a tremendous thank you to everyone who completed/entered A Wish Come Clear's first survey + giveaway! I'm thrilled to announce the winner of our contest: Veronique, a woman who has a son with disabilities. Here's her response to question 10 (What would your life look like if you felt supported in every area?): "My life would be harmonious and become I would feel balanced and less tense; those around me would benefit as well." The simplicity and compassion in her response spoke out to me, and reminded me that the work we do for ourselves benefits those we love...
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Shine On ‘Til Tomorrow (4 Illuminating Questions To Ask Today)
Sometimes, only a Beatles song will do. This being the case, I wanted to offer a soundtrack for this post (connected to the topic, of course.) So, once you've hit play on "Let It Be"... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajCYQL8ouqw ...we can move on to the story. 🙂 I went on a retreat this weekend, and in the final hour we did yoga while "Let It Be" played. We'd been invited to move as we desired. I felt happy, flowing from one pose to another. My practice has grown a lot in the last year. And then this voice started up from within. It...
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Kick-Start Your Creativity: 4 Steps To My Brother’s Beat
I have a confession to make: I'm so excited to travel to New Jersey for a vacation next week. Before you start with the Jersey jokes, let me tell you why. I'm going to see my family and friends. I'm going to sit in my pajamas and have coffee with my dad. My mom and I will, inevitably, watch Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version, of course.) I'll see my friends Tammy and Niall (also known as Houseplay Designs and Houseplay Renovations) and hear about their growing, sustainability-focused business. My brother Willie and I will do puzzles and go for...
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Welcome S-O-S (And A Free Ebook Link)
Welcome to the special Tuesday edition of A Wish Come Clear! I'm pleased to welcome guests from the "S-O-S for Parents" blog. What's S-O-S? "S-O-S for Parents is dedicated to supporting parents who have children with "invisible" special needs such as ADHD/ADD, autism, Aspergers, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, social skills deficits, play skills deficits, mental illness, and more." A Wish Come Clear is featured today in their 'Best of the Best' roundup, under 'Siblings.' Thank you, Danette, for this opportunity! Guests from S-O-S, I encourage you to look at posts in a category of your choosing. Also, subscriptions are most welcome....
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It Helps Not To Be Afraid: Guest Post At “Thin Places”
hello, all, I'm pleased to share that I have a guest post at Amy Julia Becker's blog, "Thin Places." You can find today's post here: Perfectly Human: It helps not to be afraid. Thank you, Amy Julia, for the opportunity to post! Comments, retweets, likes and shares are always appreciated. The last post in the “Saving your sanity” series will run this Friday. Get ready: it will be an epic post on everything you need to streamline your daily routines. My posting schedule is Monday, Wednesday, Friday; subscribe for free via email (via the box at the top right of...
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On Allowing My Heart To Be Blessed (Yes, By The Sound Of Music.)
Since I shared poetry in the last post, I thought I’d keep up the trend today. This time, I’ll share a poem of my own. “Attention” was written during Thanksgiving of this year. Hearing my brother play piano for our family, I thought about how far he’s come in his music and his life. Treasuring his progress (in every area) helps make difficult times bearable. Loving him for who he is makes me vulnerable, but it also makes me proud. On to the poem. (Coming full circle from last month: here's to paying attention.) “Attention” You play, ‘The Sound of...
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‘With No Warning/The Window’ (Loving My Brother, Part 2)
I wrote in the last post that I wanted “a window into [my brother’s] mind and heart.” As I lay down to read before going to sleep last night, I came across a poem by Eamon Grennan, an Irish poet who taught at Vassar. The poem is entitled, “Bat” and it was inspired by the author’s experience of having a bat fly into his home unexpectedly. (It's part of Relations, which you can find here.) Grennan writes about how, when the bat finally escapes (after frantically flitting across the room) the animal is… "showing rightly the likes of us how...
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A Very Clear Idea (Loving My Brother, Part 1)
Hello everyone, First, thank you—I’ve been overjoyed by the response to ‘A Wish Come Clear’ so far. Next, I’d like to share good news with you—a post I wrote about minimalism and life at L’Arche is going to be featured in Francine Jay’s Miss Minimalist! The post won’t run until April 4 (I’ll post a link at that time.) Meanwhile, check out her site and look forward to reading about how minimalism and L’Arche meet and marry 🙂 I’m looking forward to crafting a contribution to Amy Julia Becker’s blog Thin Places as well (in the guest column, 'Perfectly Human'),...
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