Fall HeartFull Moments

Fall Heart Full Moments
September, October, November 2020

HEART-FULL MOMENTS – Fall ‘20
A quarterly feature of “Listening with Heart” blog, sharing wise words, meaningful things read or good things found, to help warm your heart.

These are the most impactful quotes I have read or heard these last three months that give me pause, or uplift my heart. Wisdom spoken in just a few words. They reflect what I’ve been reading or learning, or values I share, or what’s been going on in our world.

It’s been another very challenging quarter – even unprecedented, and I know we each need some insight and encouragement to keep carrying on. Our world has been turned upside down, and we all have been faced with difficulty and uncertainty, and our lives have been stretched beyond recognition. Of course, our more marginalized communities have been even more terribly impacted, with farther reaching long term negative effects in store. Even more reason that so many of us are struggling with grief and anxiety, as our lives, homes, communities and whole planet have become more vulnerable.

These words have been particularly meaningful and impactful to me because they offer some insight or light into these very dark times. I am happy to share these quotes – that speak to solidarity, loss and grief, equity, peace, unity, mindfulness and a little politics, and I hope you find something here that gives you solace or perspective, or maybe even hope. Take a moment to go through them and maybe highlight and share a few that speak to you. Blessings and Gratitudes.

• “The work of solidarity is to close the distance these systems have put between us by joining and accepting others as fully human — in our struggles and gifts alike. This work requires a commitment to relational accompaniment. What is needed, according to Paulo Freire, is for us to ‘stop making pious, sentimental, and individualistic gestures, and risk an act of love.’”- Richard Rohr
• “Thank you for these acts of love.”- Deborah L. Plummer
• “Please stop and let me finish my question sir!” – woman asking Trump a question at a Town Hall
• “My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• “Fight for the things you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” -Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• “The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe.” -Joanna Macy
• “Justice Ginsburg was a champion of justice, a trailblazer for women, and an American icon. She was a tireless fighter for gender equality, and it was her dedication and brilliance as a lawyer for the ACLU that guaranteed equal protection under the law regardless of race or gender. Her work as an attorney and later as a judge and Supreme Court justice created a legacy for equality unlike any other.
• …Honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg …protect her legacy and build a fairer, more equitable future for everyone.” – Act Blue
• “Ruth Bader Ginsburg: petite in size, monumental in impact. Justice Ginsburg embodied justice, brilliance and goodness. Her passing is an incalculable loss for our democracy and for all who strive to build a better future for our children. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an icon, whose towering intellect, tenacity and devotion to our nation’s Founding ideals of equality and justice inspired millions around the world.” – Nancy Pelosi
• Loss is never easy. While the grieving process is personal and unique for us all, the gift in this pain has been yet another (appreciated) reminder of how crucial it is to be intentional about how we spend our time.” – Marie Forleo
• “We’re not trying to stand in the middle of something and know that the situation will pass, we’re trying to stand in the middle of it and know that our overwhelm will pass. That’s what’s passing. The situation itself may take a long time, and we have to do some effort in it. But what we’re aimed at as practitioners is to first let our overwhelm pass, let it be, let it rise and fall as all emotions do.” -Tuere Sal
• “Mr. Vice President, I’m Speaking.” – — Senator Kamala Harris during the vice-presidential debate
• “I choose truth. I choose honesty. I choose kindness. I choose unity and inclusion. I choose acceptance. I choose critical thinking. I choose families being together. I choose women’s rights. I choose voting rights. I choose a democracy. I choose science. I choose being able to love who you want. I choose justice. I choose supporting our black and brown sisters and brothers. I choose holding people including the police accountable. I choose denouncing white supremacy. I choose taking a global pandemic seriously. I choose giving schools and teachers necessary funding. I choose to care for our environment. I choose healthcare for all. I choose a future that is bright for all our children. And that is why I choose Biden and Harris. I hope you do too. VOTE.” – David Phillips
• “Yes, the fly was funny, but also let’s talk about how Mike Pence also said systemic racism does not exist.” – IG
• “If there are elderly or vulnerable people there, Dr. Fauci gave this advice: “You better consider whether you want to do that now or maybe just forestall it and just wait and say, you know, this is an unfortunate and unusual situation, I may not want to take the risk.”
• “I’d like to hug people. You don’t hug people these days. That’s not an option. You can’t shake hands. But you can look people in the eye, and you can listen, and you can be there…I think it’s important to be where the people are but to do it in a way that does not cause them to be at any risk in terms of their safety.” – Kamala Harris
• “I have faith that as long as we walk this earth, we will hold each other’s hands through every tear, through every up and down, through every test. We promised each other this on our wedding day seven years ago, and every challenge we’ve faced has made that promise more powerful, more resilient. Our love will remain. We will never break.” – John Legend
• “We stand at a rare moment, one that will separate history into before and after for generations.”
• “May I bear witness to things just as they are.
  May I remain peaceful and let go of fixation.
  May I offer care without hesitation, knowing I may be met with gratitude, anger, or resistance.
  May I offer care, knowing I don’t control the course of life, suffering, or death.
  May I find the inner resources to genuinely contribute where needed.
  May I see my limits with compassion, just as I see the limits of others.
  I care about the pain of others, yet I cannot control it.
  I care for all beings, but my way is not the only way. All beings have their own journey, and I have mine.
  May I be free from preference and prejudice.
  May I see the world with quiet eyes.” – Ruth King
• “No te acerques a mi tumba sollozando. No estoy ahí. Estoy en el viento que te acaricia. Estoy en las plantas que riegas cada día. En las estrellas que brillan de noche sobre tu hogar. En la sonrisa de tus hijos, y nietos. En los pajaritos que cantan en tu ventana. Por eso no te acerques a mi tumba sollozando. No estoy ahí. Estoy en tu recuerdo y en tu corazón.” -I would add “En las mariposas que besan tus flores. En las olas que siempre vienen y van. En el sol que sube todos los días abrazarte, aún cuando hay nubes. También en los nubes.”
• “What do I really want in this moment?” and “Who do I want to be in this moment?” – Melli O’Brien 2 questions to ask yourself when pivoting toward purpose (micro practice)
• “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”
• “Biden and Harris are going to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it…And after we celebrate – and we should all take a moment to exhale after all that we’ve been through – let’s remember that this is just the beginning…Let’s remember how tens of millions of people voted for the status quo, even when it meant supporting lies, hate, chaos, and division. We’ve got a lot of work to do to reach out to these folks in the years ahead and connect with them on what unites us.” – Michelle Obama

So that’s this quarter’s shortlist of Heart-Full Moments that holds some meaning for me. I hope your Fall has been graced with kindness, relief, hope, and health. And that you might take a moment of pause to connect with what consoles you and replenishes your soul.

Please share with me any feedback you have that come from checking this list out. I’m curious to hear what’s touching your soul or uplifting you these days. Take good care…

If you or someone you care about is struggling to find moments of full heartedness, please contact me for a therapy appointment.