Transition cycles

 

Death is taking people around people dear to me: the violent murder of a co-worker, the suicide of an old friend, the passing of a dad who’s lived a full life, and an uncle released from a long battle with mysterious illness. In contrast, spring is about to pop out in bright green glory.

As life comes to a close, whether peacefully or violently, new life comes.

Transition is life – and the relationship I have with the transitions within and around me is essential to how I make my way through the world.

I pause to notice transitions and the potential within them…

  • The end – today – of 5 years service to the Alberta Professional Planners Institute
  • A book substantially complete and the question of where now to put my energy?
  • A call to serve my city – as a living museum
  • A call to work with cities as habitats that need the care and attention of their citizens

I pause also to notice that these transitions are cyclical. While the content and questions may change, it is a natural and regular occurrence to feel wobbly and uncertain. It’s not possible to manage change. It is possible to live well with changing.

What transitions are alive and cycling in you?

 

 

 

 

Blessing for Katharine

 

The poem/blessing I caught during a wonderful ceremony for a friend who marked the transition to the second half of life: her 60th birthday.

 

Blessing for Katharine
 
I am always
always good enough
with no end
to the infinity
of nurturing I offer
 
I deeply treasure 
the happiness in peace
open to my true nature
healing whole-heartedly
with grace and compassion
 
I am a fairy godmother
alive
with (my) stories
 
 
 

Yet another transition

 

A couple weeks ago, some colleagues and I gathering to begin a conversation about how we could work together around resilience and adaptability in our lives and communities. Here’s a poem that surfaced as a result of that conversation:

 

Yet another transition 

another fucking transition

an end for a beginning

where kin matter

where the  story you carry matters

because it shapes how you show

your self

so who are you shadow boxing?

yes, its scary to pay attention

to what’s happening now

to flick the switch on

alone or together

and to have the future we want

the light must be on

let’s take turns waking up

to sustain awakeness

 

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