The Willow Harvest has Begun!

We began our cutting yesterday in delight, humor and reverence with a performance of Sally Gardens to the towering swaying willows. Tin whistle, fiddle and song ! Tis my first year doing a wee ceremony for herself, and tis such.good.craic! We felt like we had a proper audience, with the thousands of sally rods swaying in the wind, dancing to our squeaky fiddling and heart-ful song. Tis a great blessing to not take ourselves too seriously !
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It is only through the precious gift of the past year—of being cracked open by unbelievable grief and tragedy—that something deep and tender has opened within me. There is a place in me that now listens, that did not have ears before. And there is a place in me that has softened, that did not know home before... For it is only within the darkest places that pearls may grow. .
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And so I share a prayer with you:

May we have the guidance, in this world or the next, to navigate the uncertain waters of heartache and grief—so that we may become stretched open through blessed pain: to love deeper and laugh harder; with our edges softened from the frothing, cleansing sea; the chords to our eternal soul strengthened; and the praise never far from the lips, in knowing the depth of our sorrows —May we find our way home with greater ease with each passing earthquake.

Xx