ember

Hi Sister!

I know you have been having traumatic moments in your family, but I can't help but notice there are more moments of peace.  I think you are tip-toeing to a more connected place.

I'm glad your older son is more centered.  His brother will get there after he tests the limits and tests you to the limits!

I think I'm most worried about the dog.  It's so hard when they are not okay...

And I just saw the weather...we are on an advisory for snow, rain, sleet and freezing rain tomorrow. I'm already holding my kids in the Light.  I hate it when they have to be out driving in this weather.

 My fire almost went out the other night. I noticed because it was chilly and the cold woke me up. This winter has been so brutal.  As I was up playing, trying to get the flames going again, I remembered a story from when I was 7 or 8.  A pioneer family's fire went out.  One of the children had to go to a neighbor's cabin to get an ember.  She had a hollowed out cow's horn to carry the ember home in.  In the end, she was successful, and her family was able to start a new fire.

I started thinking about how important fire is, how important embers are.  Then I started thinking about Quaker Light and what lights up our life, our imagination, our activism.  I started thinking about kindling, burning hot and bright and fast.  It doesn't last too long, but it gets others burning.  I thought about wet wood, unseasoned wood - I liked that because in my Meeting sometimes we decide to let issues season until each Friend or the issue is ready.  Burning wet wood makes smoke and creosote and clogs the chimney so no one can burn.  Big old seasoned night-time logs, though - they burn long and slow and hot.

What do I want to be? It's fun to be kindling sometimes and on some issues.  But when something is important to me - I'd  rather be weighty.

I didn't have this much Quaker jargon in the middle of the night...kind of fun.

Just need to figure out how to season myself!

I do not have the baby with me tonight. I think I will go to bed early and write for a while before I sleep. I got part of the house cleaned today, and no one followed me and pulled everything out as I finished...magic!

I forgot about being the ember...I want to be the ember!!

Who are you, my sister...what kind of Light are you?

With love and hugs and sweet dreams to us all...

Clare