Wednesday, April 13, 2011

A Passion for Ripples

My friend Jennifer, of Ripplespeak, has so many gifts that I hardly know what to say here. Her words always touch the heart and they are nothing short of poetry. She is a gardener, a poet, and an artist. I just know that you are going to love her as much as I do.



When Relyn asked me if I’d like to write a bit about my passions,
I couldn’t stop grinning over the idea of plucking a bouquet from my heart’s garden
to lovingly hand this beautiful woman whose own heart blooms so profusely!
Altogether lovely, hers inspires and delights me.


Within minutes my giddy little fist clutched
an already overflowing bouquet of wildly delicious diversity
and I hadn’t even scratched the surface of blossoms I hoped to include.
Oh, this wouldn’t do.

And so I set the happy hodgepodge in a mason jar
and let the garden wander through me for a while.
Stirring. Nudging. Sorting through clutter and removing debris.
I was feeling this deeply and leaned into the process.
There were unexpected tears as my soil was raked and turned.

I'm a gardener, it's how I see the world.
I love the beauty of living, growing things.
My tree-hugging heart nearly bursts with joy when a seed gets to live out its muchness!
I earn my living coaxing the fullness out of seeds and spaces.
The time on my knees and in trees seems to stir a deep hunger
for the creative Love that designed it all….cherishes it all.
And I've fallen in love with this Love.


My dearest passion is to nourish, tend and encourage
what we humans seem often to value the least
……..the tender hearts formed to hold and express the very breath of Love,
~to coax the broken, shredded, silenced places into healing light,
finding the beauty and singing it strong.
~to see heavy hearts come untangled, unfettered and wide open
to receive the fierce tenderness that is unabashedly FOR them.

Sometimes when I hear the wind whisper "don't lose heart"
I remember when I lost mine.
Swallowed by despair, my heart shut down and hid,
my true voice buried under tons of shame.
My need was simply this: to feel the presence
of the accepting, affirming, approving, encouraging Love of One
who knew me in all my parts and cherished me dearly.
As the song goes, I needed a fearless love.
Waking up to it, my sleepy spirit is beginning to absorb it and thrive.


And so I give myself to words and images,
pens and paints
my hands playful translating the messages I sense tucked into every nook and cranny
of this gorgeous planet,
as if the universe is passing me a note in class.
I reach for it, treasuring it like a message tugged from a bottle at sea,
beaming over the beauty that spills from such a beautiful heart as this.
Passing the note is what lights me up.
My passion is for the wonder and mystery of the ripples as they speak.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh another of my favourites featured here!

Scrappy Grams said...

Oh, such a gift of words, art and love Jennifer has! So many phrases paint lovely pictures. Some are going in my quote journal.
Relyn, I do so LOVE this theme of yours. :)

Marilyn Miller said...

I do also love hearing others passions. This is beautiful!

Jennifer Richardson said...

Oh happy smooches to you, Relyn,
for letting me share my heart
here by your safe,
welcoming fireside.
I do love it here.
And you.
-Jennifer

dulcy said...

Oh.... I'm so thrilled to see Jennifer here this month! "Hi Jennifer!" I'm the lucky owner of a set of her exquisite cards, and have both these little lovelies I see posted here. Jennifer shares the world through her creative eyes via her blog, and adds beauty to my world by her poignant and honest words....
xo
dulcy

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a wonderful entry

Deborah Carr said...

Every word speaks volumes, but these in particular...

"As the song goes, I needed a fearless love.
Waking up to it, my sleepy spirit is beginning to absorb it and thrive."

I see the breath of a loving Creator in your work, your words...and the movement of your art.

S. Etole said...

the notes you pass
of love ...
they really need to be shared
with the whole class!!!

thank you for doing so ... both of you

Rita said...

What a beautiful write! No wonder you love her, Relyn! Thanks for sharing her with us today.

Claire said...

Gorgeous! So pleased to met you.

Cxx

Jeanie said...

Thank you so very much for opening your heart and sharing such honest and authentic recollections. Your images are beautiful and I love that you "coax fullness out of seeds and space." How very beautiful those words are.

We've all often lost heart. I'm glad you found yours.

ELK said...

why hello and what a way you have with words my friend.. your collages are just so filled with encouragement, you have touched my heart here today ..as you always do in your space in the garden!!!

lucychili said...

love the collages
in amongst the story =)

Amy said...

Love the artwork ... such a gift ...

Julia said...

Jennifer, what a poetic heart you have and thanks for sharing your precious gift. I've never looked at my heart as a beautiful garden that it is and now I'm seeing it in a new way. It's a beautiful garden that I tend and I choose what grows there. Thanks again for opening my eyes. I appreciate your beautiful words. JB

Lubna said...

Beautiful.

Mary said...

Jennifer see's and speaks through lenses of a beautiful being made whole heart.

rachel awes said...

my heart, jennifer,
out of tangles,
wide open to dear you!
gorgeous words & art!!!
xoxox

Jaime said...

Oh, such beautiful words. What a writer you are!
I LOVE how you coax the fullness out of seeds...what a wonderful thing!

Sharon Leaf said...

Jennifer, you have done it again.
You nourished my soul and tended my heart.
Thank you for sharing your love with us.
Oceans of blessings!

Wanda said...

The combination of words and images here speak of love, respect, excitement for life. Thanks for sharing.

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