live it to give it is all about love and connection. Being authentic. Living our lives and sharing it with others. Life is messy and so is this blog. Somedays my organized coach self shows up. Other days it's my vulnerable author. There's a mom that lives inside me alongside a wife, friend, social justice activist, creative muse, ponderer extraordinaire, and multitude of others. I'll introduce you to people who inspire me and offer a peek into my world that very likely intersects with your world. In other words, I will share life in its full, glorious mess with you. I'm honored you're here and I hope you'll come back soon!! Cheers! Kayce
Entries by Kayce S Hughlett (1181)
Gombey Dance
Monday, July 30, 2007 at 8:12 AM reflections from bermuda #3
The gombey dancers spin and twirl bringing color and life back into a day that has been clouded with conflicting emotions and gray skies. Paradise. Heaven. Will there be both dark and light in heaven? Are we in reality already living in the heaven or hell of our very own making?
Choice. We get to choose how we will be but sometimes the choice feels out of our hands. Old hurts and childhood (often childish) responses get in the way and even when we want to respond otherwise, we hold tight to the preferred reply of the moment—hurt; anger; bitterness; confusion. The clouds appear too thick to see the sunshine. We can only hear the thunder roaring in our ears.
Yet still a piece of our heart reaches for the light. The heaven that lives inside our soul. The light that is as old as time. Created in the beginning. “Let there be light.” We struggle. We push. We yearn, but we are stubborn—strong—proud. And so the battle goes. Hang on. Let go. Hang on. Let go.
And then as if by magic you begin to hear, to feel a different rhythm. A soft pounding of drum and heart. It is slow at first (possibly even annoying) but soon you feel the pull to follow the new rhythm. You are drawn to the beat. Two hearts—multiple hearts—sounding as one—spiriting joy into the world. And then the crowd parts and the dancers spin and twirl bringing color and life back into a day that has been clouded with emotions and gray skies.
The skies are blue again. The light shines all around. Your heart leaps and you begin to smile and dance for this you know is heaven. Music. Color. Rhythm. Life. Young and old. Mother and child. Husband and wife. Friend and friend. Unity. The world spinning and twirling as we choose to experience heaven on earth.
7/26/07
photos by lucy
Re-Entry
Monday, July 30, 2007 at 7:42 AM “How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward.”
--Spanish proverb
I stumbled across the above proverb early this morning (as I am still running on Atlantic UTC-4 time versus PST or simply put--a 4-hour time difference.) The proverb seems highly appropriate today as I am trying to decide how I shall “re-enter” my “normal” life after two weeks away. My mind is full of memories, thoughts and ponderings as well as “lists” of things that probably need my attention. So, I am not really sure where to start.
To name the time away as doing “nothing” would be a gross injustice for it was full of life, adventure and miracles. I think I might state the proverb more truthfully for myself as “how beautiful it is to do nothing except that which our heart calls us to do, and then rest afterward.” Some might call this interpretation slothful or unproductive, however, I believe that when we are truly attuned to God, our hearts engage in a life full of meaning and productivity. (We just may need to shift how we define words like meaningful and productive ☺).
And so, today I think I shall re-enter blogging with a simple “hello” and “it’s good to be back.” My adventures led me on a wonderful trip to the islands of Bermuda preceded by an amazing workshop at Soltura. The coming days will most likely be sprinkled with more “reflections from Bermuda,” so I hope you will revisit often.
Have a great day!
photo of st. peter's church by lucy
Thunder's Applause
Saturday, July 28, 2007 at 3:35 AM reflections from bermuda #2
The thunder sounds like applause rippling across the gray Bermudian sky. Clapping for us here at Paget Parish—
away from the rush of the normal day. Read. Rest. Write. Those are the words I heard this morning in my quiet time. Today I have slept the sleep of the drugged—washed over by the cool sea breeze until the blowing rain prohibited leaving the balcony door open.
Lines are imprinted on my face like that of a sleeping child awakened too soon from an afternoon slumber. The skies continue to rumble and soon my stomach will join in for I have slept away half of the day and it is now well past lunchtime. Read. Rest. Write. Today it is heaven.
At present I do not mind that the sky has gone gray providing cover from the brilliant sun. It is so quiet; even the birds have retreated for a while. I imagine their feathers full and heavy from the summer rain. Maybe they, too, are napping on this glorious overcast day.
If it stays this way for the week will I still call it glorious? I hear the applause of the sky again. The majesty of God. The rumbling of the universe. I need rest. My stack of books awaits me and my computer sits nearby ready to transcribe my handwritten notes. Read. Rest. Write. Rejuvenate.
I am called to marry the week of holy work before with a week of wonder at this paradise around me. The yin and the yang. Both were entered into without concern for clock or schedules. Small boundaries to keep things in check: hunger, exhaustion, laughter, overload. The cycle of day and night.
It is magic when we can connect to our natural cycle. Today mine is read, rest, write. The thunder sounds like applause confirming my choice. Amen.
7/24/07
Simple Pure Stunning
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at 6:41 AM reflections from bermuda #1
In the center of the lush landscape perches a magnificent yellow-
breasted bird. Simple. Pure. Stunning. It is me. Simple. Pure. Stunning. Quiet and still. Allowing space for God. Emmanuel. Always—Simple. Pure. Stunning. Quiet. Still. Alive. Participating in my own life. Gentle as an ocean breeze. Powerful as a summer squall. Tears and joy. Solitude and laughter. Present to what I need.
Right now there are no others around me. Only the energy of the universe. Breath. Air. Water. Flight. Heat. Subtle. Simple. Pure. Even when “nothing” is going on, the world is alive. Can I be present to my own life? Can I be the elegant swallow ready to take flight? The bird at the center of my landscape?
Everything radiates out from me. Concentric circles of energy—floating out to one another. Intersecting and colliding. Uniting and meshing. Passing through. Ripples of life touching each other. Tide—flowing and ebbing. Exposing the rocks and sand. Filling the deep.
I am the center of my own lush garden. How will I choose to see what is around me? Will I sing with joy? Sob with sorrow? Ache with pain? Melt from heat? Weep? Laugh? Sing? Dance? Breathe?
Today breath feels important. Breath. Yahweh. Emmanuel. Simple. Pure. Stunning.
photo by bill