Note: I borrowed this title from two books: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah and One True Thing by Anna Quindlen. Both examine of the complex nature of family bonds, specifically parent-child, in the midst of struggles, turmoil, heartaches, distance and pain. And running through this labyrinth of emotions is a force, the one true…
Author: The Nature Whisperer: A Spiritual Journey by Gloria
I am a lover of nature, of words, of ideas and new ways to think about everyday things. I am a mother, a grandmother, a teacher, a professor and a retired university administrator. But ultimatley, it comes down to this: I love and I am loved.
Dr. Gloria Hill
The Chorus at Dawn
In the early light, one hears the throb of life itself: Dawn’s Chorus. –Rachel Carson Fred Rogers said it best, “In this fast-paced world with constant worrisome distractions, we need more time to pause, observe, listen, wonder and claim our place in the flow of life. A light misty halo rises from the surface of…
Where the Wildflowers Grow: Fields of Grace
Dedication: To John Adair and my Music Makers and Joyful Chords. Their song of life paints my inner landscape with colorful fields of joy. This I have learned, to be patient with all that is unsettled for something good is always growing. So, in my quiet spaces, I am a single drop of rain released…
The Evening Primrose: In the Tranquility of Twilight
Preface: The Evening Primrose is one of 4 flowers that bloom in the twilight of the day. Flowers, often associated with youth, actually represent the full maturation process, not unlike us. It is now the Tranquility of Twilight, a time to slip into the evening of our bloom. Nearing the completion of the day, a…
Unearthing Morning: A New Voice
Remember when morning had a voice? It was an early call from a full-throated rooster announcing the night as officially over and a new day was waiting for our attention. His voice rang out with precision. Be alert! A fresh new start begins. The rooster’s crow rippled throughout meadows and farms. Like an orchestra leader…
January, Quiet Clarity
Thank you, January,For letting me sink Deep in my easy chairHaving a good think. —g. hill Calendar months have a way of folding into each other—- March thaws us into an April spring. June warms us into playful July. And September begins to color its way into October.But December and January stand in contrast to…
The Christmas Eve Deer: A Family Traditional Vigil
Note: Taken from The Nature Whisperer: Seasons of Light, by Dr. Gloria J. Hill. An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language. ——Martin Buber, I and Thou Deer hold a magical spell over me. Perhaps it all began way back when I was a little girl.___________Travel back with me in time as…
Homecoming: The Long Way Home
The road may be long, but no matter your path, how far you have traveled, you can always find your way back home. —-Mandy Hale Going home for Thanksgiving need not be a long trek over turnpikes and through airports. There is another kind of homecoming, when we are pulled back in time. Like a…
A Framework of Reciprocity
Note: Sometimes we are not aware of the ripples we set in motion. And sometimes we are lucky to see them played out. Reciprocity is a deep instinct; it is the basic currency of social life. – Jonathan Haidt Nature mirrors life. She presents patterns of mutualism: giving and receiving, thus promoting life. Plants, trees,…
Waiting for Us
Expectancy is the atmosphere for miracles. ~ Edwin Louis Cole I imagine an empty bench under a tree, waiting for me where I can sit knowing the peace that passes all understanding will cradle my heart and still my mind. “I am not waiting for God. God is waiting for me.” —Dr. Charles Stanley Anticipation:…