On freedom
We have a visceral awareness of how free we feel as we move through the world, even though freedom, like energy is not something we can see, taste or touch. How do our senses know when we’re free? It seems to run along a continuum, one that we define in relative terms. The playground is freer than the classroom, the picnic freer than the formal banquet. But at each end of the spectrum there are absolutes. On one end lie places we all agree are restrictive, like the tunnel of an MRI machine or a solitary-confinement cell. On the other are places that feel entirely unconstrained – fields and lakes, parks and beaches. As I thought about it, I realized that the most liberating places are, with few exceptions, found in nature.
from Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness by Ingrid Fetell Lee, p. 75
A prayer
As the beautiful, dew-covered rose
rises from amongst its thorns,
so may my heart be so full of love for you, my God,
that I may rise above the storms and evils that assail me,
and stand fast in trust and freedom of spirit.
after Hadewijch of Brabant (first half of thirteenth century)
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #238
From the blog
Nature bringing joy
Ancient Irish Prayer
Restless heart