Sophia Bonnie Wodin

In a weekly meditation group that I go to we are reading Pema Chodron’s slim but potent volume called Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better , a wonderful and humbling experience. While gathering early holiday gifts I decided to make bees wax candles.   A combined gift from the bees and from me.   This has been a very long process. It began last spring when I discovered that my bees hadn’t make it through the winter.   Very sad, but true of many a novice bee keeper. Slowly I worked through the failure to bring my very first bees through a very long cold winter. Cleaning the winter debris I re-connected with compassion, recognizing that I am on a steep learning curve.   I got sturdier hives with water-tight roofs.   New colonies of bees arrived by early summer.   And we set about making friends. I harvested the honey and wax that that last year’s bees hadn’t used.   Always look for that silver lining. The new bees also gave me some honey and a...

“Can you see the seeds of darkness   in the brightness of the day and the promise of renewal in the process of decay…..”                            author unknown These words have stuck in my mind since doing ritual a short while ago.   To me, they speak of the cycle of life.   They remind us to recognize where we are in that cycle. To breathe into wherever we are in this moment.   And to await change with as much patience and grace as we can muster.   For change will inevitably come. Before cutting down this past season’s peony foliage, I scratched around in the soil at the roots to find Fall Peony the tiniest pink nubbins of next year’s shoots.   The seeds of tomorrow.   Then I got down even closer to the soil and inhaled the fragrant thyme plants, a mere 6 inches tall.   Brushing my hand o...