I first encountered the Lakota phrase ‘Mitakuye Oyasin’ as I planned for a vision quest in the summer of 2012. In preparation, I used Sister Marie Therese Archambault’s A Retreat with Black Elk, Living in the Sacred Hoop as my guidebook. Since that time, we conclude many posts on this website with that sacred phrase, […]
Category Archives: Awe and Wonder
The Once Proud Stewards of America
On this day, as we remember the man whose nonviolent activism set a new direction in search of civil rights for all men, women and children, my heart remains heavy when I consider the plight of the people whose land the United States Government stole in the name of greed. They were the stewards of […]
Dog, the Great Teacher
I believe dog is the perfect creature. The original subtitle for my novella The Sixth Day was “The day God should have quit,” my conviction being that God should have stopped creating after he made the dog. Moving forward, I altered the marketing phrase to “The day God almost quit,” the thought being that the […]
Caesar Joins His Band of Angels
With more good friends in my lifetime than any 10 men deserve, Caesar was my best. This morning, I freed his spirit from his cancer-riddled body. Unwittingly at the time, I cast his memory into future generations by including him in two of my novels. When people ask me which of my books I like […]
Mitakuye Oyasin
Those of you who regularly follow this website know that one of my favorite expressions is “Mitakuye Oyasin.” I learned it many years ago. As a Buddhist or Hindu might greet you with “Namaste,” “I salute the God within you,” the Sioux Indian would say, “Mitakuye Oyasin,” which means “We are all family.” As I walk […]
Grandfather
A tree is the perfect presence. The tree teaches us how to journey.” John O’Donohue, Eternal Echoes “Make me wise so that I may know the things you have taught your children in every leaf and every stone.” Chief Yellow Lark