Ode to Phyllis: Happy are they who live and die enjoying what they love
And here the precious dust is layd;
Whose purely temper’d Clay was made
So fine, that it the guest betray’d.
Else the soule grew so fast within,
It broke the outward shell of sinne,
And so was hatch’d a Cherubin.
~Thomas Carew
Many of you may know that I recently moved, but maybe not that I’m living in the same neighborhood or that I’ve been here for the last 12 years. I’d gotten to know a few of my neighbors who were more settled than the mostly transient population of our village. Of those I knew by name, I’ve admired Phyllis a great deal.
Phyllis had created a fairy kingdom of a home, a loving project that spanned a half century or so. Her cottage looks like something from the English countryside. She tended a rare and unique moss in her yard. Her graceful trees sheltered choruses of birds making nests and heralding the passing hours, night and day. Her roof was thatch shingled, and I often swore I’d just seen Read More »
Paul Gauguin – Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? – 1897
What’s really important to you?
“What’s really important in life? Sitting on a beach? Looking at television eight hours a day? I think we have to appreciate that we’re alive for only a limited period of time, and we’ll spend most of our lives working.
That being the case, I believe one of the most important priorities is to do whatever we do as well as we can. We should take pride in that.”
~Victor Kiam
Whenever you hear the term ‘life purpose‘, what comes to mind? Note any juxtaposition of thought and feeling that may come up. Maybe you feel you are not doing something grand enough to qualify for a life purpose.
What is more grand than Read More »
If you knew you had three to six months to live, what would you like to leave as legacy?
No one knows when their time comes, but everyone knows this life is transitory. If you are looking to make your life the best reflection of your highest aspirations, maybe it’s Read More »
Many of you may know that I recently moved, but maybe not that I’m living in the same neighborhood or that I’ve been here for the last 12 years. I’d gotten to know a few of my neighbors who were more settled than the mostly transient population of our village. Of those I knew by name, I’ve admired Phyllis a great deal.