Listening to the Wake Up Calls

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Bob Patrick

It is early October, and I went out into the woods early one morning. At first, all I heard was the noise of my own mind jumping from one thing to another.  Soon, something seemed to be asking to be heard. What was that? 

Crickets. It was the song of crickets playing their “fall is cool” tune, a tune and rhythm so fast and intense that it sounds like a soprano voice with a beautiful vibrato filling the woods and . . . me!  Once I tuned in to the sound of the crickets, other voices wanted in: Crows calling to each other, then Chickadees and Wrens. I know all of these birds, and while I had not seen one yet, I could hear them. I imagined all their chatter to be about where to find food that morning, finding it, and calling their mates to the treasure. Before long, another sound took over: a school bus. Knowing the bus schedules like I do, it occurred to me that this was the bus picking up the little ones, elementary aged students, for their school day, and I imagined the tiny bundles standing at the stops with parents or grandparents nearby. I imagined school bus drivers all over our nation waking up well before daylight to begin their sacred journeys. I heard the back door open and knew that it meant the arrival of our dogs out into the yard and the beginning of their day of sniffing and eating and barking and napping and general caregiving to us.

Listening in the woods woke me up to so many realities beyond myself. It’s one of the things listening does–to deliver to our minds, hearts and imaginations the interdependent web of which we are all a part and the invitation to take up our places in it again. It strikes me as I ponder that early morning experience, that tuning in to sounds and what they bring is like opening to the sound of the Tibetan bell that we invite to sound in our Sunday services, a mindful invitation to open ourselves to the wonders of life even, perhaps especially, when we are surrounded by suffering. Isn’t it, in fact, the suffering that often closes us up? And listening, deeply, can open our way again.

~Robert Patrick

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Ode to Mycelia

Posted on October 8, 2024 by admin

O mycelia, webbed beneath our feet,  
Silent architects of life’s retreat,  
In the quiet soil, you weave and wind,  
Threads of connection, ancient and kind.  
Through shadowed earth, you reach and spread,  
Binding the living, nourishing the dead.  
A whispered song beneath the trees,  
A symphony of roots and leaves.


I bow to you, great weaver of the earth,  
Who transforms death to give new birth.  
Through your tendrils, the forests speak,  
In every branch, in every creek.  
You bring the pulse of life to bear,  
Showing us how all things share.  
The fallen leaf, the decaying bone,  
Are part of the whole, never alone.


In deep listening, I hear your call,  
Your whispers echo through us all.  
Through you, the trees share light and breath,  
And even in decay, there is no death.  
Interwoven with the pulse of time,  
You tell of life’s eternal climb.  
From roots to sky, the endless thread,  
A bond between the living and the dead.


Then, in your mystery, you rise to bloom—  
The fruiting bodies we call mushrooms.  
Fragile crowns from hidden veins,  
Breaking soil after the rains,  
You remind us of what lies below,  
A world unseen, yet making life grow.  
A fleeting gift, you sprout and fade,  
But the web beneath is ever stayed.


You teach us how to bend and blend,  
That life and death, in you, transcend.  
You show us the interdependence here,  
How every being is held so near.  
No solitary spark can last,  
But in your web, we are steadfast.  
Together we rise, together we fall,  
In you, mycelia, we are all.

Candice Carver

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

Posted on October 7, 2024 by admin

One of the things about having animals is that they react to things we don’t hear, see, feel, or notice. Often we are interrupted from some day to day activity because one of the dogs starts barking at… well.. Nothing that we notice. 

Sometimes we do see the random delivery truck approaching or a neighbor walking in front of the house and we determine this is what has caused all of the uproar. We ‘talk them down’. We say, it’s just a delivery –  isn’t that nice, or there goes a neighbor – let’s just wave and say hello and let them pass. 

But then we find them jumping up from a nap and running to the door to bark and we go to check things out and we see absolutely nothing. No delivery, no neighbor, no stray dog or cat, or random bird. There is nothing that warrants the excitement and activity. 

I think our animal communities do indeed have a sense of awareness that reaches well beyond what we as humans are capable of. They do too many wonderful life healing things to NOT be super aware of everything around them and us. 

I try to honor the notifications from our fur babies. I thank them for alerting me to something I can’t see or hear and let them know I know they are there for me. I don’t have the deep listening skills that they do but I can appreciate them for what they bring. 

~Lydia Patrick

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Elemental Listening

Posted on October 4, 2024 by Bob Patrick

In many mystical traditions, it is commonplace to attach significant meaning to what are known as the four elements: air, fire, water and earth. Each of the four hold literal, metaphorical  and personal meanings.

Air is exactly that invisible atmospheric stuff that we draw into our bodies with every breath. It also refers to other invisible aspects of our lives like thoughts, ideas and decision making. Personally, air involves the act of breathing that we each do instantly engaging with every cell of our bodies. What can listening to air, mean? Listen to the wind, to our breathing, to the sensations of our bodies when we take intentional breaths, to the ideas, thoughts and decisions that we are processing at any given moment.

Fire is the hot stuff of flames that can both help and harm us. Seers and sages of all times have used it to represent our passion, creativity, love and zeal for life. Personally, fire shows up in the electrical impulses of every cell, our body heat, heart beat, and the energy that we put out when we engage people and life. What can listening to fire mean? Listen to the sun shining, to a candle burning, to what our heart yearns for, to our dreams, to the places that love and compassion call us to, to the dangerous places that anger and hatred beckon.

Water is that clear, wet stuff that makes up much of the earth’s surface. The ocean is a metaphor for the mother of all life out of which every living thing on earth has emerged, and it is often used to portray human feelings. About 70 percent of each of our bodies is made up of water. We are water creatures! What can listening to water mean? We can stand before body of water, lake, stream, or ocean, and listen. Listen and notice how a glass of water affects our bodies, or which feelings are running through us today and how they support us or hold us down.

Earth is the most visible of the four elements, the actual ground we walk on and the planet that is our home. Mother Earth represents solid, fertile, abundant, tangible embodied things to us. Our bodies are made of all the same stuff that compose Earth and the stars. What can listening to earth mean? Listen to the soil in our hands as we garden. Notice the shape, shine and presence of stones that we come across. Feel our feet on the ground, our weight in a chair, our contact required with earth with every step we take. Be present in this moment touching the earth and relishing that we are here, now. 

The practice of deep listening is available absolutely everywhere and in any form, literal, metaphorical or personal, that we need to do it. These four elements might just be called the gifts of the Universe. 

~Bob Patrick

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Layers of Listening

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Bob Patrick

We grow up in circumstances where parents, teachers, coaches and other adults demand that we listen to them as they speak words to us.  That can be important, and, if we are honest, that becomes something that we lose interest in quickly. So  many words, and often words that we think we have heard before so we tune into something else. 

There are layers of messages being offered to us that transcend someone saying words at us, all the time, that we can choose to listen to. Here are a few.

Feelings. We can tune in, literally, any moment of any day, to our own feelings and ask: what am I feeling now? What is that feeling associated with? Does it have something for me to pay attention to? Does it suggest some action for me to take? Is there some wisdom wrapped up in that feeling?

A Nagging Inner Sense. This is the sense we have of ourselves often held around our heart or stomach space. It comes without words but with a nagging, often vague, sense of presence. Philosopher, Eugene Gendlin, called this a “felt sense.” We can find it by being still, setting aside all the other things that want our attention, for a moment, and just asking: what’s going on with me right now? It may have some insight for us, a piece of wisdom, an action that needs taking, or, it might just want acknowledgment that this felt sense is at work in us. 

Nature. When was the last time we left a building for any length of time and opened ourselves (heart, mind, feelings, sense of body) to the nature beings around us (trees, animals, plants, the wind, the rain, the sunshine et al)? Do they have a message, a piece of wisdom, a presence they want to share with us?

The Unexpected Human. If we create the intention to be open to other human beings, they will show up. It might be at the grocery store or walking in the park or at the bank or any number of places we find ourselves. They approach our lives in some way, and we have the opportunity to bypass them or be open to them. It might be for a moment or for an hour. What matters is the openness, the listening, that we offer as a gift. 

There are many other layers of listening. In this month of October, we will be exploring them through the practices of deep listening. How are we being invited to practice listening in ways that we have not or do not often engage?

~Bob Patrick

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Benny

Posted on October 2, 2024 by admin

Trigger Warning: mention of suicidal ideation/action

Since September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, I want to share an element
of my experience/story, as it relates to the theme of Deep Listening.

Benny, my orange and brown striped tabby cat, is by every definition a deep listener. I
was just writing out emails related to my job training program and talking to myself
about my dreams and aspirations, and he was just laying there looking at me with intent
green eyes. He always listens to what I have to say. Yes, I do talk to him like he
understands me. I think cats (and dogs and other creatures who live their lives with us)
do truly read our emotions and respond accordingly. Anyone who has such creatures in
their homes knows what I am talking about.

There was one very important moment during the pandemic when Benny listened intently to my pain, somehow just knowing I needed to hear from him. Out of deep despair and loneliness like I have never experienced before, I was preparing to end my life when Benny let out a loud cry like he was saying, “stop Mama!” That meow shook me to my core, and I realized that although I was isolated from my fellow humans at that moment, this cat needed me to stay. I am so glad I did. In that moment, I learned that not only am I important, valuable and worthy, I am also needed and wanted. For a while, Benny was the only living being I had to hold, pet and touch. He truly saved my life. My fellow humans also reminded me
that Benny needs me. I am forever grateful for that circle of support.

~Jen Garrison

If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here.

At the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, we understand that life’s challenges can sometimes be difficult. Whether you’re facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to, our caring counselors are here for you. You are not alone.

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    Tiny Dragon

    Posted on October 1, 2024 by admin

    My grandson is an amazement to me. At 7 months he now has two teeth and is working on a third. He is pulling up and taking very mishap tottering almost walking movements. He picks up toys and shakes them before putting them in his mouth. He has started showing an interest in the food his mom and dad put in front of him. Sometimes the ‘mash’ makes his mouth but often the dogs are the recipients of the globs and crumbs. As a result, he is their new BFF for life. He has found his voice and is enjoying making sounds as loud as he can. He smiles and cuddles and knows when he has been separated from his parents. 

    They come to dinner once a week and the excitement I feel as I anticipate seeing them at the front door is the highlight of the week quite often. I sing to him as often as I can and am waiting for the day he starts to sing back. 

    His middle name is Xiaolong (小龙) which is Chinese for tiny dragon. According to Google “Dragons are complex creatures that make a variety of sounds, including roars, sniffs, shakes, and whimpers”. Right now while he is not saying anything out loud that can be understood in terms of the language I am most comfortable speaking, he is saying a lot. He is making a variety of sounds including roars, sniffs, shakes, and whimpers.

     I am listening deeply, so deeply because what he has to say is very important to me. And what he says now, if I hear it, will help him continue to see me as someone who cares and listens. 

    ~Lydia Patrick

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