A New Year's Step
JANUARY 3, 2019
The first step of this new year into my labyrinth was a moment out of time. I delighted in the vibrant new green of moss in the cracks, revived by the winter rains. The January sun brought a warmth to the cold air and ground and I found myself settling into the rythmn of walking back-and-forth.
## I wonder at how something I know so well can be so unexpected each and every time I step onto this labyrinthine path. This is time well spent. I find that I settle into my breath. I feel my feet connect with the ground beneath me. I come into the present moment and all else… falls away.
I am so grateful to have this space to find myself again. And again. No matter what is going on within me or around me, this touchstone of the winding path always helps me find the way home to what truly matters.
I never know what the theme will be of a walk. Sometimes… it is just the path itself. On this New Year’s Day I was drawn to a certain type of oak leaf that I’ve never really noticed before. I began to collect them and place them in the heart-space as I walked by…
I never know what the theme will be of a walk. Sometimes… it is just the path itself. On this New Year’s Day I was drawn to a certain type of oak leaf that I’ve never really noticed before. I began to collect them and place them in the heart-space as I walked by…
These leaves remind me of the act of letting go…
of releasing what is no longer needed, what is ready to move on so I too,
can move forward into the unknown from this place of knowing.
Such beauty takes my breath away.
And then gives it back to me with my heart full
of wonder and awe.
of releasing what is no longer needed, what is ready to move on so I too,
can move forward into the unknown from this place of knowing.
Such beauty takes my breath away.
And then gives it back to me with my heart full
of wonder and awe.
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Labyrinths provide us with a path to practice change. Some labyrinths have withstood the passage of time for thousands of years. Others are here for just an afternoon, drawn in the sand at the edge of the ocean. Many modern labyrinths were meant to last for years, but because of unforeseen circumstances their time is shorter than intended. And they once again help us to practice letting go and giving thanks for the time they are with us. The Labyrinth of Life at the Sebastopol, California Teen Center reached such place of letting go and is at the end of one chapter and the beginning of another chapter that is yet unknown.

Sometimes... a labyrinth can take years to become a physical reality. In 2018 I met with my friend Deb, to discuss her desire to have a labyrinth on the beautiful land she lives on. Despite our plans and several meetings, listening to the land and finding the right spot, the labyrinth did not come to fruition. Fast-forward five years and in the blink of an eye... it happened!