Three bloggers I admire very much have nominated me for a Sunshine Award. I feel so honored to be included on their lists of “bloggers who inspire,” lists that include the names of many bloggers who inspire me. Over the next day or two, I will answer all their questions and come up with my own list, but until then, I’m going to answer one question that both Amy and Michelle asked: What is your “one little word” for 2014?

Balance. We hear this word everywhere. Balance your checkbook. Eat a balanced diet. Balance your tires. Entire Eastern religions are built around the idea of balance. In art, balance is achieved when no single element of a work overpowers another. So why is it so easy for our lives to become unbalanced? How is it that we forget the importance of eating right, exercising, doing things we love, and finding time for friends and family every day?

I took this picture at Point Judith lighthouse in Rhode Island last September. The asymmetry of the construction of this cairn intrigued me. How does the small stone on the left remain poised on the end of the stick? Does the stability of the larger rock on the right allow this?

In 2014, I want to be the small stone on the left, poised on the brink of whatever the day brings, yet able to maintain my balance. Just as bridges have firm footings and extra capacity (thanks, Anne!) that allows them to withstand forces of use, wind and weather, the firm foundation of the large rock keeps this cairn in place. I think that if our beliefs are solid, if we know our own mind, we have a firm foundation for our choices, both personal and professional. We may waver or deviate a little, after all flexibility is a good thing, but with secure footing and a good support system, we’ll be able to withstand whatever life throws at us.

Cairns have been used since prehistory to mark trails. This cairn will be marking my path through 2014, helping me to keep my balance.

Thank you to everyone at Two Writing Teachers and all my fellow slicers for their friendship and support over the past year. Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and balanced New Year!

“The spark divine dwells in thee; let it grow.”

~Edna Wheeler Wilcox~

On Sunday, my friend June and I went to see The Nutcracker. Dancers from a local theater and dance studio performed the ballet to Tchaikovsky’s beloved music. The cast was full of students from my school and it was wonderful to see them in a different light. Each dancer’s face beamed as they jetéd and glissaded across the stage. As I watched them, I was reminded of something I had read earlier in the day about yoga and the belief that “there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra.” (Yoga Journal) Their Divine spark was shining through, bringing joy to every person in the auditorium.

June and I have known each other since Kindergarten. Our friendship has waxed and waned over those almost 50 (gasp!) years, but we have always been bound together by our love of music and dance. We started ballet class together when we were in second grade, and we sang together in chorus through all our years of school. We sing together still in a local choral group. Yet somehow, neither one of us had ever seen a performance of The Nutcracker. What more appropriate way for us to celebrate Christmas than by watching one of the most famous ballets in the world?

Thank you to everyone at Two Writing Teachers for providing this space to kindle our divine sparks. Wishing you all a season of light filled with love and joy and peace, filled with friends old and new.

Last weekend, I took advantage of the extra days off to get ready for Christmas and did some cleaning. When I dusted some long-neglected shelves, I found a phone dialer from my grandmother’s house hidden in the shadow of a vase. As I held this totally obsolete object in my hand, I marveled at how perfectly its design matched its purpose: a finger-length cylinder tapered at the base so it could be easily grasped while a phone was dialed. I remembered watching my Grandmother as she used this dialer to call her friends or sisters to chat about recipes, gardens, and grandchildren.

Although my grandmother, and the phone she dialed, are no longer around, the urge to reach out and connect with others never fades. From letters, phone calls, emails, and tweets, people still crave connections. The mode may change, but the desire remains.

Maybe it’s because of my age, but I still prefer phone or face-to-face conversations over emails, texts, or Facebook. But these new-fangled forms of communication let me keep in touch with high school and college friends who are scattered around the world. And I’m grateful for all the connections I’ve made through blogging and Twitter.

Although I can no longer use this phone dialer, I’m glad I have it. I’m glad I can hold it in my hand and remember the deep, loving connection I had with my grandmother. And I’m glad that when I put the dialer down, I can turn to my computer, and connect with the world.

Thank you to everyone at Two Writing Teachers for supporting this connected community!