As a child I believed my thoughts should be the exactly right ones,
definitely Not-Too-Grand ones,
mostly like the second-hand ones, passed on
by droning teachers and frowning preachers
standing at the front of the room, talking down to us,
well-meaning folks whose ideas tended to
travel in straight lines for as far as their eyes could see,
but not much further.
The rules were clear:
No fun,
No flying,
No skipping ahead,
No trying to expand beyond the boundaries,
No big ideas here, please.
Accustomed to such circumstances,
I didn't take too many chances
and simply did what I could.
Whenever possible, I would hide, motionless,
in the woods near our house
quiet as a mouse
doing my best to remain invisible
scrunched down in the crotch of the hackberry tree
I claimed as mine
tucked high up on the skinniest branches I dared to climb.
Sitting alone for hours on end,
watching my five brothers and their many friends,
an endless stream of neighborhood boys,
always making noise
always keeping score
with more and more home runs, field goals and
touchdowns being bashed out during loud games
full of skinned knees and bloody elbows
Meanwhile, I chose to digest my thoughts
alone
in silence,
munching on the unfettered dreams that came
tumbling out of nowhere
slip-sliding through my heart
whispering sweetly, urging me softly:
come closer, think bigger, live larger.
All these years later, I can hear them still
echoing through the trees in the soft, spring breeze
drifting into the silent spaces between my thoughts
whispering: come closer, think bigger, live larger.
With blessings and hopes that you, too, are being fed by the fresh greenery and energies of Spring,
RUDI
PS: There's still time to sign up for our Spring Retreat on the banks of the Guadalupe River, scheduled for next weekend, May 2-4. It's a great opportunity to nourish your Inner Life and listen to the whispers of your Soul, in a beautiful, natural setting, designed to support you. More info in our Special Events section below!
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