Author: Dawn Strommen

I have finally discovered the prickly bush, an insidious vegetation that has happily grown in my little wild wood, unnoticed and unscathed, for decades.  I have turned my eyes to this bush this year with as much determination to weed it out as it is determined to grow. It hides next to little indigenous trees, behind ferns, under other bushes.  And its bark has thousands of little nettles, and one nettle burns if it connects to human skin. So, it's not an easy opponent. Day after day, I have tromped into my little wood with my wood cutter in hand and waged battle.  I am feeling mildly triumphant, if not a little battle weary. Now, however, I am noticing that there are open spaces  and bare spots in my woods…

We are moving into the longest day of the year in Minnesota, light brightening our days and often, lifting our spirits and mood.  I know I like it.   But I don't often think about what light is.  However, for thousands of years, humans have pondered the nature of light, pushing and pulling all areas of art, science, religion, philosophy, and play to try to understand its nature and power. Finally, we know light dances in paradox. When scientists study light and expect it to act as a particle, it is a particle. When scientists study it as a wave, it is a wave. Of course, this is impossible because a particle has mass, and a wave does not. One scientist said light becomes the answer to the question we ask.…

With warm, sun-filled days, I am weeding.  My yard is a standard suburb lot, unusual for its many trees, a mini forest surrounding my home. And with this natural beauty, I plant annual flowers in pots around the yard and delight in the robust perennials. And I weed. I find the sun and fresh air lift my mood. I also notice that my mind calms as I routinely pull weeds between brick walkways and along the driveway. I am also aware that some plants are plants when they grow where I want them to grow. The same plants are weeds when they volunteer in a place I don't want them to grow. This reminds me of thought, our thinking process. Some thoughts are appropriate at a certain time and place,…

Wants and Needs The Holidays can be a time of comfort and joy, but I am under the impression that for many, it is a stressful time of buying lots of presents, accruing financial debt, hoping a gift is adequate, and wondering what on earth to buy that person who has everything. And now and then, the season can become the Season of Give Me, a long list of things someone wants but rarely needs. Wants are never satisfied. What about taking this season to try to fulfill human needs? We humans need safety.  We need to feel that we will be verbally, emotionally, physically, sexually, spiritually, and financially safe.  For far too many, this is not true. We need to develop mastery.  That begins at about 6 weeks when…

The three year old little girl had a wonderful time with her cousins but it was time to go home. Filled with energy, she slammed into her aunts and uncles with big hugs and turned to put on her red shoes. They were not there. At the door, she found her white sandals. Despair filled her heart and she fell to the floor in sobs. Her father recognized that his daughter was 3 years old, in transition from party to home, and exhausted from excitement. It was raining out so the red shoes in the car were staying in the car. In a gentle but firm voice, her father said to her, “You can put your white sandals on and walk to the car or Daddy can carry you to…