The Reckoning

It's that time of the year.  A New Year.  A new start.  Resolutions made.  But I wonder how many of us look back, look back at the resolutions we made last year and see whether we followed through with our good intentions, or made attempts to change our lives.  We have good intentions but not many of us do the reckoning!  A New Year is a good time to start anew, but with any resolution or intention we have to carry this with us day by day.  Each day is a new start, a day to start again, especially if we failed the day before.  It is that day by day intention that will allow us to make changes to our lives that will stick.  It is that determination and persistance that will make our resolutions reality.

Resolutions

Another New Year. Another chance to take stock of our lives. To look at the direction we are going in. Look forward to the path we want to take. We make our resolutions. But I wonder if these resolutions are ones we are able to attain, or if they are high ideals of the life we feel we should be leading. This year I think there only needs to be one resolution, to be kind to yourself and to other people.

Lost Days

Oh how I cry,
for days gone by.
Those spotless days,
those empty days,
those days I failed to fill.
Those days that haunt me still. 

Another stone from my dear brother.

Feeling Grounded

Feet firmly planted in the soil
Spade in hand, I dig
Earth filling in the tiny lines on my hands
Clinging under my nails
The smell of freshly turned soil lingers in my nostrils
My face feels fresh as the wind blows by
The hard work connects me,
to this moment,
to the earth,
to the living things around me,
to the wider world but mostly,
to myself.

Spring

I feel like I have been hibernating
Dragging my sleeping body around
Until today, when I stood, mole-like
Blinking at the bright blue sky
And suddenly feeling that spring is on it's way.

Insomnia

I read an article about insomnia recently
Since then I've slept really badly
Sometimes you can empathise too much!


Well I made it. I completed the challenge laid down by Fiona and wrote a short observational piece each day. It wasn't always easy. Some days the stones jumped right out to be grasped. Other days I really had to delve around to find something to write. But I'm so glad to have given it a go. Fiona is planning to publish a book of the small stones written in January. If you have a favourite one of mine that you think should be included please let me know which by leaving a comment!

Pause to catch my breath

I dived into the river
Playing amongst the stones
Skimming pebbles on the surface
And watching the ripples spread far and wide.