Why do I write? Popular wisdom says to “start with the end in mind.” So often, I write without much of an end in mind at all. I start from where I am, the movement of forces inside me, and work out from there. Usually, it begins with a scan of attention across my inner …
Count the Beautiful Things, Part 2
I wrote a second day's worth. It's not poetry, really, but here it is. We could do this sort of thing everyday, and never run out of counting. Just thankful. Especially for this beautiful bunch. Not together this year for Thanksgiving, but they'll always be with me, whichever holiday table finds …
Count the Beautiful Things, Part 1
It's just a list, really, an off the cuff exercise from a few days ago. Seemed like a good thing to share on a Thanksgiving Day. May there be too many beautiful things (read "moments") in your day to count... And I should say...this girl is the first of my list, always... (I …
Birthday Season
Birthdays glow. It's silly, really. Of course we had to get here through the passage of a particular day in time, at a particular moment. For me it was 9:20 a.m. in a Lubbock hospital back in 1959, born to a young couple with a daughter and an uncertain future. A half-century and more …
Gratitude as Spiritual Practice
Gratitude as spiritual practice can be tricky. It's a bit like trying to help actors understand the difference in thinking about doing something or pretending to do something, and actually doing something. What are we truly grateful for? For me, gratitude is extremely powerful when you come to the place of awareness where your eyes …
JEFF BERRYMAN 