Returning Home More Free
October 26, 2009 · by Christine
A journey can become a sacred thing:
Make sure, before you go,
To take the time
To bless your going forth,
To free your heart of ballast
So that the compass of your soul
Might direct you toward
The territories of spirit
Where you will discover
More of your hidden life,
And the urgencies
That deserve to claim you.
May you travel in an awakened way,
Gathered wisely into your inner ground;
That you may not waste the invitations
Which wait along the way to transform you.
May you travel safely, arrive refreshed,
And live your time away to its fullest;
Return home more enriched, and free
To balance the gift of days which call you.
-John O’Donohue, from To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings
My plane landed safely and smoothly in Seattle last night and my beloved was waiting for me to bring me back home. I have unpacked all my material belongings, but the spiritual gifts will take months -perhaps years - to unpack. The excerpt from John O’Donohue’s blessing above accompanied me on my travels. My heart is so full and my spirit feels so free and expansive as I return to my blessed life. It feels as though I have been gone for a lifetime and only for a few moments. I have thousands of photos downloading and many stories to share in the coming days. For now I cherish being home again, and realizing that in so many ways I have been coming home on this journey again and again.
(Photo taken at Sant’Anselmo Abbey in Rome – the primatial Benedictine Abbey)
* Just ONE SPOT LEFT for the Honoring Our Ancestors Art & Movement Retreat October 29-November 1, 2009 on the beautiful Hood Canal. *
© Christine Valters Paintner at Abbey of the Arts:
Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts
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Posted in Pilgrimage | 8 Comments »
October 26th, 2009 at 11:04 am
How nice I get to be the first to comment! Welcome home, and I’m so glad to know you now in real life as well as in cyberspace.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
So glad you are back, Christine! I hope your journey was both sacred and fruitful!
October 26th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
welcome home! may your re-entry into your “normal” routine be a smooth one. i look forward to seeing the pics and hearing your travel stories!
October 26th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Welcome home. I know you’ve little time for rest with the schedule you’ve set for yourself this week. I am eager to see you in person and feel so blessed to be one of those persons lucky enough to have enrolled for the “Ancestor” retreat.
Unpacking all of the experiences of your trip might seem overwhelming, although reliving the pilgrimage through photos is a lovely way to unpack. We’ve found that to be so with our Mediterranean cruise – each time we watch the summary of our adventure, we find a new high, a new memory. May your unpacking be joyful as well!
xoxo
October 26th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Welcome home! I kept your husband out of trouble (or is that vice versa)?
October 27th, 2009 at 5:19 am
Glad to see you in the doorway of your blog again, smiling and welcoming in your visitors, You sound wonderfully refreshed and transformed. Looking forward to your photos and reflections. Have undergone a profound transformation too in this time period.
October 27th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Welcome home! I love that poem and carried it with me on my trip to Italy this summer. Looking forward to your stories and photos. I’m excited too to be taking your Benedictine Practices class!
October 28th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Yes indeed Tess, real is very good.
Thanks Suz and Stacy, Lots of stories and photos to come once I catch up with myself!
SS, it will be wonderful to see you tomorrow. This is indeed a very full week, but I am eager to share the wisdom of the ancestors and next week is much more spacious!
Rich, I imagine it was a mutual restraint.
Thanks kigen, I look forward to hearing bits from your own journey as well.
Thanks Lynne, yes it is great fun to see a few of my regular blog readers in the class and get to interact in a new way.