In the Loop of Earth and Sky

By Susan Richane

Presence is revealed as we enter both outer and inner terrains of a seasonal, personal and spiritual journey. The reflections in this volume make it possible for readers to inhabit the earth, their worlds, their bodies, and their relationships differently. The authors words create layers of connection, so that readers can view their own lives and a slice of the human story through an evocative and heartfelt lens.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499023855

Susan Richane

Susan Richane brings rich, creative experience and a deep passion for human rights and peace-making to her writing. She views the interconnectedness of all beings with the earth as central to what it means to be here…and to our responsibility for our planet, and its inhabitants. The author’s paths in education, child advocacy, family support services, church ministries, hospice care, environmental preservation and parenting are integrated in her reflections in this volume. She resides with her husband in upstate New York, spending time in the Finger Lakes region, New England, and Southern California.

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Susan Richane.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014909213

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-4990-2384-8

Softcover   978-1-4990-2383-1

eBook   978-1-4990-2385-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Front cover image by Laura Richane, back cover image by Amber Richane

Rev. date: 05/19/2014

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

625771

CONTENTS

Preface

INTO THE FULLNESS

Little Welcomes

Unfolding

Now-Scape

Enough

Into The Fullness Of Time

Primal Call

The Entire World

Brimming Over

I Wonder

Held In My Heart

OPEN WINDOWS

Befriending Gratitude

In The Loop

Invitation

First Window

Squares And Rectangles

Painting Peace

Keeping Watch

Preparing A Place

REVELATIONS

Afterglow

Outsiders

Winter Trance

Unexpected

Revelations

Noteworthy

Fantasy

Space For Wonder

Crossings

Momentary Miracle

STIRRINGS

Awakening

Birthings

Unsettled

Here Before Me

Inching Forward

Dreamy Dogwood Days

Meanderings

SOMETHING MORE

Something More

Making A Connection

Attending

A New Day

Deep Love

A Work In Progress

HOMECOMINGS

A Future For Sammy

Summer Sabbath

At Home

Earth Child

Gifts

Coin Toss

In The Mix

About The Author

Endnotes

With thankfulness for loved ones who have been part of the journey,

and for the amazing journey . . .

PREFACE

Earth and sky keep a close kinship. Creation stories from many traditions speak of Holy Wind, fertile clay, the vault of sky, and water drenching the earth. Over the millennia, humans have been welcomed into this kinship circle. For eons, we rose with the pink fingers of morning, and lit our fires beneath a star studded sky. Solstices were observed as sacred turning points, and seasons spoke with profound presence. All life began and ripened in the loop of earth and sky.

The 21st century seems to dispel this truth of interconnection, though technology makes it easier than ever to stay connected. So easily we forget, or ignore, our oneness with the primal, elemental sources of our being. From water and air, dust and sky, memory and marvel… creation stirs, and each life unfolds. We are never separate from the earth beneath and around us, nor apart from the air sustaining us.

Through writing, I’m coming to fathom how embedded I am in this seamless circle. The following reflections emerged from this growing awareness, evoking the mysterious interplay of past and present, joy and yearning, loved one and stranger, a moment and eternity. I have sought to articulate what it means for me to be here; my reverence for rich relationships, my dreams for the earth and all its residents, and my receptivity to amazement.

Inherent in these reflections is a core belief: the mundane and the profound are seldom far apart. A bubble or a snowflake can be a miracle. Washing dishes can be as stirring as meeting a former president. A still small voice can be heard in an infant’s awakening or in the nebulous night fog. In the heart of an ordinary day I am often startled into awe. In profound hours, the minute, the mystical, and the mesmerizing meet me head on.

Ancient sacred texts speak of the Spirit moving over the face of the waters. I believe this Spirit is still moving, creating, calling our attention. We live and move and have our being on this blue green orb circling in the vast cosmos. In reading, may you feel engaged in the expansive loop of earth and sky.

Susan Richane, 2014

INTO THE FULLNESS

LITTLE WELCOMES

We are all called to keep beginning. These are words from the late writer and spiritual seeker, John O’Donohue. Beginnings can happen at any moment. Planting my two warm bare feet on the cool floor is a beginning. Raising the shade to dawn’s artwork is a beginning. Descending the wooden stairway, first with my left, and then my right foot, is a beginning. Writing the word One on a clean white page is a beginning. Even my pen forming a round O is a beginning.

This day begins with a slit in the dark clouds; just enough space for the sun to pour onto a leafy canopy. Water droplets from last night’s gentle rain sparkle on a stately maple tree in our neighbor’s yard. With the dance of air currents and shifting light, each second is a new beginning. In this glistening moment, sunshine settles on the hydrangea’s soft petals, drawing my attention. Beauty is truly a grand opening to the soul!

Beginnings are about listening and watching; about dropping the fishhook in the murky water. I have a fondness for beginnings. The smell, feel and parade of color in a new box of crayons delight me. The first smooth shiny chestnut settles comfortably into my hand. The first bird singing before dawn unknowingly stirs my sleepiness. The first inkling of an idea excites me. The first line of a poem welcomes me into a new place.

Beginnings don’t come wrapped in big intentions. One need not work at them. Instead they arrive as little welcomes opening the door to what can follow. The chartreuse crayon cannot fathom the child’s creative explorations. The bird sings without a plan in mind. The poet seldom imagines where the first line will take her. Revelation starts here; where we are. Beginnings are little celebrations, and if attended to, a beginning will move us forward; simply by being what it is.

UNFOLDING

It arrives with a scarlet wax seal. A whimsical apple is pressed deep into ripe, rich color, securing the firm wax to a folded tip of light brown card stock. A square was created by four overlapping flaps. My forefinger circles the smooth, scalloped rim. Moving inward I feel the impression of skin, stem and two leaves, offering a hint to the contents nestled within. How sad the art of sealing our correspondence has devolved to a send icon for a tweet or text. This tactile seal offers a reverence for the news inside.

Gently, I pry the red wax from its moorings, raising the upper flap. Tucked inside, a similar apple is outlined in crimson, embossed on classic ivory. Ah, the apple comes first. This apple is larger, elegant, inviting.