GIANT'S CAUSEWAY

On my way "out the door" to work this morning  a  segment on the Today Show  triggered a memory of one of my favorite mystical places and it's magical history and legend. If you ever go across the sea to Ireland put this wonder on your itinerary. By the way, the Bushmills Distillery is nearby!  For the giant's convenience I am sure.....


Giant’s Causeway with its unusual formations attracts thousands of visitors each year to Northern Ireland. Some geologists claim that the Causeway was formed over 60 million years ago by intermittent periods of volcanic activity. But other geologists, who approach Giant’s Causeway with a biblical understanding of the past, state that this wonder was formed around 4,500 years ago as a result of a single, great catastrophe.
 

History and Legend

The formation of Giant’s Causeway is drenched in Irish folklore. According to one of the most well-known legends, Giant’s Causeway was formed by Finn MacCool, an Irish giant. One day Finn MacCool was enraged by the ranting of the Scottish giant named Finn Gall from across the Channel. So, Finn MacCool tore large pieces of rock from the cliff and pushed them into the ocean floor making a land bridge across the Channel. However, when he was finished, he was too exhausted to fight Finn Gall. He built a large crib, disguised himself like a child, crawled in and fell asleep. Seeing the completed causeway, Finn Gall crossed the Channel to fight. When he found MacCool’s house, he walked in and saw the crib. Looking into the crib, Finn Gall saw a massive “child.” Thinking that this was Finn MacCool’s child, he quickly reasoned that MacCool must be massive and fully capable of handily whipping him. So, Finn Gall turned and retreated to Scotland, breaking up the causeway behind him as he went. The sheer cliffs and honeycomb-shaped columns are not the result of feuding giants; they are the result of two major forces—volcanic activity and water.

FORGIVENESS

"From this day on, forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could've been any different." ~ 
Oprah Winfrey

Although I have read some negative comments about Oprah's quote above. I personally thought it was a brilliant insight, and much worthy of sharing. 

As one who has spent a great deal of time wishing my past was different, I deeply understand the time lost in pursuing the unattainable.   We cannot change the past, we can become willing to forgive it, and in that act of forgiveness recoup our own power.   However long that endeavor takes depends on each individuals personal journey, and their willingness to change their perspective, and accept the things they cannot change.

The past is the past, and it has no power over the present unless we deem it so. We must remember who we are, and that we are loved.  Just as we are.

CARESSES

Pondering.....


"Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet."

— Thich Nhat Hanh (Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life) 

All my life I have adored walking barefoot. And. all my life I have had countless people tell me to "put some shoes on."  So this quote speaks to my heart, and paints a most beautiful image in my mind.


Next time I walk barefoot on the grass, or the beach, or wherever, I will appreciate the caress of each step.  Subconsciously, I have always done that.  How about you?

HOPE

Ponderings

“Hope is the dream of a soul awake.”

 French Proverb quotes

Wishing and hoping for better days.......

MINDFULNESS

 Daily pondering.....

"To live in the present moment is a miracle. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green Earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now." 

— Thich Nhat Hanh (Touching Peace: Practicing the Art of Mindful Living)

BLAME

   February ponderings......... the teachings of Tich Nhat Hanh. 


"When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you
don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not
doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or
less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have
problems with our friends or family, we blame the other
person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will
grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive
effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason
and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no
reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you
understand, and you show that you understand, you can
love, and the situation will change"
— Thich Nhat Hanh