Monday, July 30, 2007

Beauty, reflection....oh, and an award


'The nature of love is this, that it attracts to beauty and links the unbeautiful with the beautiful.'
(Marsilio Ficino)



Only when the clamor of the outside world is silenced will you be able to hear the deeper vibration
(Sarah Ban Breathnach)

Paris has kindly honoured me with the Blogger Reflection Award. Thank you, I am seriously chuffed.

Here are my 5 reflective winners (this was not an easy task - there are so many good blogs that provide daily L5 musing:

Jen's word's and pictures feed my soul and nourish my heart like no other blog. What Jen has been through has claimed better souls than mine, but she is a remarkable human whose work always inspires and whose wisdom from struggles has been clean air in a world where most of the air is too angry to breath. She is out there on her own, no-one comes close

Pip is the Godfather of L5, deep, provocative conversations and reflections (like the one today 2 Aug 07 - if this doesn't draw you to the divine with tears, well, you don't have a pulse) that leave you breathless. He is my friend and mentor. I love him.

The Father is a dear dear human who, in truth, doesn't blog enough - but as musicians will tell you - when it comes to greatness, sometimes less is more. He is a sensitive, kind heart whose insight into the road less travelled is a constant inspiration to me.

Dana (aka awareness) is a Canadian fireball with the compassion of a carpenter who spoke love in riddles - she kind of does the same thing - A beautiful soul...

Anna is a remarkable talent - her pictures constantly evoke departures, take me on a journey of belonging and questions of beauty and love....sometime we don't need words


Now it's up to the five of you to nominate five deserving winners. The Blogger Reflection Award rules are: "This award should make an individual reflect upon five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way and who have provided a Godly example. In other words, five dear bloggers whom, when you reflect upon them, you are filled with a sense of pride and joy... of knowing them and being blessed by them.”

Once you have chosen five bloggers, write at least a paragraph about each one; link this post, so others can read it and the rules; leave your chosen bloggers a comment, informing them of their award and place the award icon on your website

Inspired by my lovely friend, I re-read a book by Father O'Donohue that I liberated from his house last year.....

here is the wisdom of this remarkable mystic....

"While beauty gladdens our hearts, it makes us lonely too for what cannot be. True beauty is woven through the heart of life and is ever engaged with forces of ignorance, darkness, ugliness and negativity; yet domination and power are not beauty's way. beauty works from within these conflicts of forces and her brightening may or may not appear.

Where beauty seems absent she is often hidden and still at work in the slow industry of transformation. So much of beauty is not immediately apparent and indeed it could take a long time before it becomes visible. it often takes a lot of struggle and committed attention and generosity, even sacrifice, in order to create beauty. This work of beauty is slow and patient; it is the transformation through which the darkness of suffering eventually glimmers with the learned refinement of true radiance.

Ths soul that struggles for the emergence of beauty reaches towards God and labours on that threshold between visible and invisible, time and eternity."

Oh, to have insight like so.....the promise of possibility. I guess Dostoevsky had it right....'Perhaps it is beauty that will save us in the end.'


The boy above is Amos, he was seven when I took this photograph - he was one of the young boys who survived in the village i spoke of in my last post...he is beautiful, and one day may just live up to his names sake - i hope so......


It seems i have been nominated for another award...will be back later to comment and honour 5 others.....see told you i would

21 comments:

Disillusioned said...

Love the photos, and the new layout, and your words.

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

thanks caroline..... can't decide about layout - black background is great for pics, crap for reading - just trying to find a happy medium.....

hope all is well with you....will you be at GB?

awareness said...

I love this quote....I must read this man's stuff.

this is the story which came to mind as it was recently refreshed in my memory...a bit of serendipity perhaps......

I was talking to a friend tonight telling her about a little boy I worked with years ago. He was born with severe disabilities including hydrocephalus. In fact, his head was so large that he couldn't hold it up and spent his days living in a large cart he could wheel around the extended care facility he lived in.

When I met him for the first time, I was so taken aback by how he looked. I had never met anyone like him before. And yet, I had just been hired to run a summer program and knew he would be a part of it later in the summer. In order to get over my discomfort, to get to know him as much as I could, I made a point of touching base with him at the end of every day. By the time he arrived to take part in the camp I was running, my discomfort was gone. I had learned of his beautiful personality and his ability to make others smile.

Seeking beauty is a journey sometimes...and it often is found after visiting a place of discomfort....it is transformative (though I hadn't looked at it that way until I read your post) I can evolve without you consciously being aware that you've left the land of discomfort....and settles in to open your heart.

sorry for such a long comment....can you tell i've been away from the keyboard??

Amos sparkles with beauty and innocence.....

awareness said...

sorry.....i meant to write "it can evolve......"

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

hey dana - wifi problems again, am typing this laptop held up to window at some obscure angle to get a connection! I love your story, actually made me cry...

Shelley once said that 'Thy light alone - Gives grace and truth to life's unquiet dream.'

I guess every life is braided with lumnous moments.....we just have to look with different eyes

ps, yep, i can tell.....

paris parfait said...

Such encouraging, important words. It's true that often we have to look past the surface - of people, situations, life - to find the beauty, but it's always present. The photo of Amos is magical. (But your link doesn't work).And you are very deserving of the Blogger Reflection Award.

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

paris, thank you - just running in and out, strange, it works ok on mine, scroll down my links to Father McCleary and you will find the wise one waiting.... will honestly try and put forward 5 tonight (not easy) - thank you again for your kind words

Suzanna said...

somehow seeing Amos causes me to relax. In valuing him, even in the only limited way I can, brings meaning to all the people who are gatherd around me.
There is such a risk of disappointment with Others. We are constantly confronting our (my) limits. And maybe I am beginning to see that our limits are exactly what they ought to be, allowing vast room for God.
I don't know Amos, but I feel such love for him-
what is that??

oh, maybe I answered that already.
...

Disillusioned said...

Hi Paul

I think this background works well for text and pics, fwiw. Good happy medium.

The jury is still out on GB - but probably a "not this year" - crowds and noise and strange surroundings tend to induce panic attacks at the moment. I'm working at it, but suspect GB may be several steps too far right now. One day though, one day.

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

suzanna, yes i think you did....

he was such a warm infectious boy - made your heart smile when he looked at you. i remember giving him a tennis ball as a gift and he ran off throwing it all over the village - i don't think i have ever seen anyone enjoy a tennis ball so much - not even rodger federrer

caroline, one step at a time i guess - hopefully next year....thank you for your thoughts re: template. Am going to stick with this a while - the blue is soothing

LittleBird said...

hey brother

will i be seeing you in 22 days?

LB,x

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

sister, you sure will....you shall know me by the hearing of St. Elmo's Fire orchestration.....

organic beer with me and my boy revisited?

x

Anna said...

Wow... thanks Paul...I love your new set up here! You totally deserve this award. You are so thoughtful and transparent it is a real witness to others. I am so glad that you said sometimes we dont need words....especially since I have been so quiet lately on my blog. I am trying to catch up and get my fix of blogging....you are always stop number one! :)

Take care there!

Anna said...

Oh, and you know that I LOVE your photos. :)

Julie said...

Well you see Paul - your'e as bad as me! Once you start changing your blog template it's hard to stop eh!! Good to see Delirious are there on Monday!

Julie.

Julie said...

Hey!

Any chance of you pulling a few strings and getting me some shower tickets without queuing!!!! ha ha ;-)

Julie

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

hi anna, thank you - it's kind of your fault i am using my own shots....remember - feels better that way

julie, I don't even get shower tickets! Have given up on the layout for now - still not really happy with it - glad you are pleased about Delerious? always pull in the punters - have to say though, not my cup of tea - a poor man's U2 in my view. Then again there are many of my friends who run a mile when I play Tom Waits....hope you enjoy the festival and it nourishes and holds many. Hope I can catch a few things but guess i will be working frantically - love it though....

carmilevy said...

Well deserved, Paul - and your choices are right on the money. You are a wonderful, generous talent, and it's inspiring to see you share this gift with others through your blog.

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

hey Carmi
thank you....too many really good and helpful blogs - was a difficult choice - hope all is well with you. As a certain Paul Heweson sings, we, ......'walk on'

awareness said...

thank you Paul. Your words have left me humbled.

The Harbour of Ourselves said...

hey dana

well, deserved and true are words that spring to mind....always love your riddles....