A Light Unto My Path

On the first Thursday of each month, the Spiritual Journey writers gather together to compose their thoughts on the prompt of the month. On this Thursday, the teacher-poet, Kim Johnson, is hosting with the theme,  A Light Unto My Path. I have reflected for several days on how I should create this blog post. I poured through several homilies and podcasts of Father Mike Schmitz, a devout and energized priest and speaker. I also searched songs related to the spiritual journey and light. The reflective times I spent reading opened a path of peace. 

There are many aspects on how Christian singers, songwriters, clergy, and writers form their offerings but one photograph captured by my son, Derek, provided the start I needed. Within his photo, I not only found the beauty of dawn but observed angel formations fluttering in the clouds. This gave me pause, as did the songs that I gathered, poems I read, and spiritual leaders offering their input on Psalm 119:105: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and alight unto my path." 

As I turn my reflections into poetic thoughts, I listen to Amy Grant's beautiful song of praise, "Thy Word." It is a soothing, lift-me-up song that you can listen to by clicking here. With songs of faith and hope, I find myself in a calming state.

✒

✒ 

illumination

on my spiritual journey

a pathway to peace

Divine Radiance's gift

"Let (the) light shine out darkness"

©CVarsalona, 2026

(last line is from 2 Corinthians 4:6)

✒

Thank you to Jan Annino for hosting Poetry Friday at Bookseedstudio. Her blog shares an interesting title, Chill, and showcases a gorgeaous photo sharing a moment of cool pool indulgence. 

Reflection and Remembrance

At this time of year when the weather is chilly and winter settles in, I reminisce about life. 

Five years have passed since we moved to our newly-built home in Virginia. For the past twelve years I have chosen one word, to help me guide my journey. Now, I stand at the precipice of life, wondering how to move forward without grief nudging every day. 

In January 2025, I chose the word, renew, to guide me. I believed that this one word would move me from what faded to newness. Then in mid-February, an explosive event turned everything around. Some of you may know the story. My husband entered the hospital to later found out that he had a rare form of cancer. An incurable tumor was lodged in his pancreas and metastasized to the liver. Within less than a month, my husband passed into the eternal silence. Just before Christmas during a restless night of sleep, I heard my husband's voice calling my name. The poem below is my remembrance of that night.

Life moves on with the drop of the NYC Times Square Ball. Minutes change from 2025 to 2026  and so I will move forward.

While I am late for the Poetry Friday Roundup with our host Catherine Flynn, I add my blog post. Catherine offers an inspirational quote and an original poem on January.

"And now we welcome the new year. 

Full of things that have never been."

Rainer Maria Rilke

Barefoot At the Beach

On my family's journey to celebrate my husband's life, I was touched by the beauty of nature, longed for the ocean dancing beyond the beach, and felt a feeling of family togetherness. Looking back on life, I realized that sunshine and the beach were an important part of my marriage. We gathered there with family and friends, listened to concerts, and walked barefoot in the sand. My daughter's wedding took place in a beautiful church, St. Mary of the Isles, a block away from the ocean, so it made sense that one way to honor my husband was to be near the Atlantic Ocean. 

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet

and the winds long to play with your hair."  

- Kahlil Gibran (one of our favorite authors)

 

Barefoot At the Beach

standing still on the edge of the shore

I watch children bobbing in and out

like the dolphins in the far distance

flood currents splash to shore

in a rhythmic pattern

sand castles whoosh away and

footprints in the sand dissolve as

the ebb and flow of waves arrive

hidden in my soul, grief lies waiting

for the ocean to wash away sorrow

and the sun to dry the tears

barefoot we stand honoring

the husband, father, and grandfather

who loved us all

©CV, September 2025

Reflective Memory

I walk barefoot

as many others do

along the shore of wet sand.

I listen to cool, lapping waters

create a solemn, sacred moment.

Mindfully, I pause.

My mind and body calm down.

Anxiety lessons, knowing that

healing will be a slow,

God-blessed process

during the journey of life.

©CV, September 2025

This month, the Spiritual Journey group of writers under the leadership of Linda Mitchell is writing to a singular word, barefoot. The prompt is simple and timely for me since my family has been lovers of the ocean, shore, and sand for decades. To honor my husband's life, my small family traveled to three beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean: Cape May, the South Shore of Long Island, and Coney Island. The journey was filled with multiple therapeutic moments.

I borrowed the beautiful logo for Poetry Friday from Margaret Simon, host of the Poetry Friday Roundup. The picture brings me to another slow-down, calming moment or two. Margaret offers a love poem to silence that is lovely enough for several reads.

Good Morning World!

This year, summer floats on heated air with temperatures rising to 100 degrees. Weather is the topic of many discussions. I join in but rather reflect on finding positivity in nature's offerings.

A couple of months ago, I wished that I could enjoy earth's blooming spring days but I was filled with worry. I stood alone in a hospital room wishing to see the bright colors of my gardens. From the end of April to June, I spent recuperating at home. I feel ready now to open doors and discover new views to admire and be grateful for during this season. 

Trees sway in fairy-like movements among the stilled flowers aching for water. Gray clouds slip between houses as the breeze slows down. I open the door knowing that the peace of an early summer day is ready to greet me. I may be tired and not able to walk as far as before but each step discovers a new view to admire and have gratitude for life.

©CVarsalona, 2024

Summer's Morning Door

a simple decorative entry

opens each day with ease
what one sees depends on these

nature's summer gifts of sky and grounds
moments for life pauses and sweet sounds
gratitude glides from my lips
©CVarsalona, 2024, cherita

Look, Listen, and Fill Your Heart with Joy
as you watch Gratitude to Nature.

 I happily joinTwo Writing Teachers,
a meeting place for a world of reflective writers,
after many months of not writing alongside friends.


Over the past months, I've used my blog to recount my journey.

Winter Light In The Dark

Eight days ago, December announced her runway debut with easy strides to end the year with joy. Her first task was to shorten daylight and let darkness bring a sense of chilled calm to earth. During these first days of December, I looked for traces of light flickering in the darkness. I sat by the fireplace watching flames flicker warming the chilled rooms. While I cherish the silence of darkness, I also enjoy the brightness of lights, especially at the holidays. 

To keep the light shining in our home, we had pathway lights and spotlights installed illuminating our new trees. One Magnolia specimen tree stands proudly in each seat wall garden area. In addition, the front of our house has a new bush, a Ruby Falls Red Bud. It's devoid of its leaves now but arches gracefully. Each night, a long strand of lights and six round balls illuminate the front garden attesting to Mahatma Gandhi's quote, "In the midst of darkness, light persists." In the Bible, John 1:5 states, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." 

darkness

shortens day

earth waits patiently

for a Silent Lght's

arrival

©CVarsalona, 2023

German Elfchen cinquain poem

Jone MacCullock, the host of the December Spiritual Journey Thursday, invited our community of writers to ponder several questions on Light and Dark.

1. How do you honor/embrace this time of darkness?
2. Where do you find the points of light in your life?
3. In a few weeks, the winter solstice will be here, how do you honor this and Christmas?
4. How do you use this time of year for self-reflection? 

Reflection is warranted during the last month of the year. I honor December's time of darkness with firelight, warm blankets, and spotlights on our new trees. Finding points of light begins and ends with the real meaning of Christmas. "Longing for light, we wait in darkness. Longing for truth, we turn to You. Make us you own, your holy people, light for the world to see." (Christ Be Our Light song) 

"We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through the darkness to a safe and sane future." (John F. Kennedy)

While the sun is shining and the outside temperature mild, I continue to sit and stare at the magnolia trees and the beginnings of Christmas decorations. I will invite you inside when the preparations are ready for a showing. In the meantime, follow me to Jone Mac Culloch's Spiritual Journey Thursday blog and the Poetry Friday Roundup hosted by Patricia Franz on her blog. While Jone chose the theme for Spiritual Journey Thursday, I think Patricia's Dear Santa post allows for reflection also. There are so many people in our lives and on this earth that need light this year. The holidays are the best time to remember all and send good wishes.

Journey On With Heart - SJT

Feeling overwhelmed and somewhat unbalanced by a series of too many clustered events, the time is right to explore a burning question from Linda Mitchell, this month's Spiritual Journey Thursday host. Where is your heart on this spiritual journey we are all on? Pondering this question can unlock not straightforward, rather winding path that starts with my one word, appreciate. 

In order to unravel my thoughts, I backtrack to years ago when I let my Endless To-Do List drift into the abyss. It was too heavy a load to carry daily. In the aftermath, I decided to try to simplify my printed notepaper but life kept interrupting and the list became cumbersome once again. Now, clustered events climb on the backs of each other to make a rather messy-looking calendar. Sleep habits are disturbed and deadlines need to be extended. I question myself. How can I appreciate life if I don't have time to slow down? Ah Ha! Positivity rises!

So where is my heart on my spiritual journey? I need to balance my personal, family, and professional lives. Yes, this is true. I need to slow down-another truth. Then, there is the medical issue of cataract surgery. Obviously, I need to have cataracts removed. There still is a small window of time between now and the first operation in March. 

Journey on, I say without buts or negatives. So where do I start? Just because it is winter does not mean that I cannot cultivate a garden or appreciate the shifting landscapes.  

Several Ways to Energize the Heart:

• Strengthen the physical aspects by continued exercise, eating healthy, relax before sleep time
• Continue feeding my soul with inspiration (reading and writing poetry)
• Believe in Psalm 37:4: take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart
• Build a garden of love

Author of Quote Unknown

Psalm 37:4

Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

💕💗💞

My heart desires blessings for these little grandgirls so they can grow

with love, faith, and hope for a peaceful world and brighter future.

💕💗💞

"To all of the grandmothers who make the world more gentle, more tolerant, and more safe for our children: Never doubt your importance.- Mary-Lou Rosengren

Ponder Linda's question: 

Where is your heart on this spiritual journey we are all on?

I have more thinking to do to make my spiritual walk a peaceful one this year

despite life's interruptions.

It's time to visit the Spiritual Journey Thursday community at Linda Mitchell's blog here.

Decluttering After Christmas

It's the second week of January. I wake to declutter the great room after a well-spent Christmas with family. It looks like a typical after-Christmas scene except for scattered masks that remind me of the existence of COVID-19. Placing that thought aside, I start to systematically take down decorations.

I move from the great room to the study gathering items to pack away for next year. As I sit at the computer ready to continue writing, I search for a photo and find old computer files that I have not looked at all year. The 3-second rule shared by a colleague year ago pops up as a reminder. Open a file or an item in the room. If you have not touched it in months or years, it is time to discard it. Whew! Within 45 minutes, I quickly trash dozens of old files. Decluttering makes me smile. I feel energized. “Time spent minimizing possessions is never wasted.” (Joshua Becker) I go off to my Stretch and Pump class knowing that within a few days the boxes of decorations will be stored away and I will have time to reorganize. 

Join me as I sit comfortably on the vintage upholstered chair that now sits in the space where the Christmas tree stood waiting for new memories to be made. (Of course, it will take at least a month to accomplish that.)

It's Slice of Life Tuesday at Two Writing Teachers, a meeting place for a world of reflective writers. 

declutter

remove my mess

stand back assess

feel instant peace

quick stress relief

©CV, 2022

I appreciate the pause in life each week where I can slice my thoughts.

https://twowritingteachers.org/2022/01/11/tuesday-slice-of-life-story-challenge-66/

Mid-Year Review of 2021 One Word-SJT

Life is about transitions. I look back on this year. Winter was filled with urgent to-do lists. Sell the Long Island house, find a spot open for COVID vaccinations for myself and my family, call the movers, and in the weeks before the move have an estate sale of my antiques and collectibles. I pause to reflect on my 2021 one word, begin, knowing that it has brought me through many challenges since I asked it to be a guide on my life journey. 

I contemplate my one word's presence in my life, consider what it offers for the future, and deliberate on what can be done to stop brooding over past missteps. Sometimes, I celebrate the word begin and other times get wrapped up in fairytale-like ponderings of an ideal new life. In reality, life is not an easy road to transverse. It is filled with detours, congested pathways, and bridges to cross. I am fully aware that life is fragile and uncertain but can be a hopeful journey if i remain positive. 

From the beginning of January, I trusted my one word. With faith on my side and the word begin, I crossed several hurdles starting with getting lost on the trip down to Virginia. I am not quite sure how I did that but it happened and left me in a quandary. I circled around, tried to find a new route, and finally broke down in tears. Was this a warning on how life could be if I continued to be stressed? Did I slow down when I finally arrived in Virginia? No, afterall there were so many tasks to be completed as we moved into our new home. My granddaughters have provided love and joy that dismisses tense-filled weekly tasks. 

I am happy to say, that I have prevailed through surging storms, service calls, and edginess amidst open and unopened boxes so I decided to revise my January 2021 Commitment Statement. 

with faith

I shall rise above

life's constant challenges,

blossom like a bud of spring,

celebrate new beginnings with positivity,

and begin a new walk on more solid ground.

©CV, 2021

I must admit since we moved, sometimes I felt like the wilting flowers in my new garden. They thirsted for a new beginning but I did not know how to nurture these new young plants.  I want to stand tall like the other blooms in my gardens. They offer their presence reminding me to sing the praises of nature's blessings. 

Like my young plantings, I journey onward despite changeable patterns of life. I will cast doubts aside and focus my thoughts on new beginnings now that I am left with only a dozen or more boxes to unpack on the first floor. As Meister Eckhart said, "Be willing to be a beginner every single morning." I shall make this quote a priority during the next few days, I will also, follow the wisdom of Proverbs 16-9: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

Finding Peace

mapping life's journey 

begins within heartstrings-

wander with hope

©CV, 2021

I thank Ruth Hersey, teacher-poet from Haiti, who as the June host of Spiritual Journey Thursday chose today's topic. Ruth reports that despite the challenges of life in Haiti, she is still flourishing. I will walk beside her as I begin a mid-year journey.

I Stayed the Course

It is almost 11:00 PM. I hoped that I would be able to write in a quiet space but two different games are being watched in two separate rooms. The blare of the fast-paced sporting events is loud and clear but then, a thud, a pouring of rain, and a loud whooshing wind overrides any other noise until all cease at the same time. The quiet is relished during this reflective time. 

I STAYED the COURSE but it has been a tough one, writing for 31 days and responding to other slicers' writing. I am happy to say that I did finish the March SOLSC! #SOL21 challenge as did many of my slicer friends. Some days, I snuck in just before the midnight hour with a sigh of relief. Most days, I promised myself I would write earlier in the day. At any rate, I am proud to say I documented my life move to Virginia from Long Island, New York each day. It will be fun to look back and see what I had to say about the stressors, strains, and excitement of making a transition to a new place and lifestyle. 

Throughout this month of writing, I read, commented, and corresponded with so many educators from around the states and as far away as Estonia. Among the different types of writing, I learned how to say Bon Apetit in Estonian from Terje Akke and also learned a new form of poetry from Arjeha, the sijo. 

With this March Musing 2021, I stand in awe of all my slicer friends who also withstood a month of writing while balancing many balls. I thank each and every person who visited my blog and took the time to write a comment. I read all the comments but many times, mostly towards the end of the challenge, I did not have enough time to write individual thank yous in the comments.

I stayed the course!

Through thick and thin times

Moving from Long Island

To a new home in Virginia.

Celebrated joyous moments.

Gingerly transversed many rough trails

On my way to this destination-

The final stop of the slicers' March journey.

In faith, I wrote daily,

opening my heart

to the whispers of my soul.

 

From my March 2, 2021 Slice of Life

With a new commitment to writing poetry for the month of April, I'm off to join a community of poets for National Poetry Month. I will start the month off with a poem at Spiritual Journey Thursday.

Day 31 March SOLSC! #SOL21 at Two Writing Teachers

I appreciate the space Two Writing Teachers opened to all writers. 

TWT, thank you for the badge!

Rambling Thoughts

She wakes with a smile on her face as bright as the sunshine outdoors. 

"Grandma, I love you." 

These words melt my heart. 

All the stress of our life move floats away as I see her smile and feel her presence. 

She brings me Teddy who needs fixing. 

His bell fell off during her first sleepover. 

Grandma fixes that. 

My mind floats back to my childhood. 

I feel Nonnie's hand in mine during our morning rituals. 

I turn the clock back to today:

The taste of hot chocolate, sweet berries, peanut butter on toast. 

I shall remember this first sleepover with delight after a year of virtual happenings. 

Being a grandmother is a joy that opens a new world of surprise and wonder.

I am filled with delight. 

I breathe in the freshness of spring and hold her little hand, 

Realizing the grandness of one cherished word, "Grandma".

Day 27 of March SOLSC! #SOL21 at Two Writing Teachers.

Reflection on a Year Passing

At the end of last year, there were many discussions about 2020 moving on? No wonder. COVID-19 had an interesting way of bringing sadness, isolation, and stress into 2020 lives so wishing the year away would be a logical choice on New Year's Eve. While I agree, I would like to focus not on days filled with struggle and sadness but upon those with some sweet surprises. 

• Early in January 2020, my granddaughter Aurora was born - such a joyful event.
• In February, my husband and I purchased a new home in Virginia, only 1/2 hour away from my granddaughters.
• In June, I designed and delivered an intensive, remote learning, 4-day Summer Graduate Institute for teachers. The small group of educators were creative thinkers and eager participants. While the work of remote learning is demanding, it is also rewarding when learners reap the benefits.
• In December, we closed on our new build and became proud new owners. 

The poem, The Passing of the Year by Robert W. Service, brings closure to sadness and hope for a new year. The line, "Old weary year! it's time to go", offers the opportunity to create a Golden Shovel poem. (Each word in the strike line becomes the last word of each line of my new poem.) 

Pass into the night, ye old

365 days. Are you weary

from your long walk this year?

Are you wondering if it's

your time

to rest, to

surrender, and let go?

©CVarsalona, 2021

It is always best to look back and remember good times when struggles outnumber the positives. How do you see the passing of the year? Did you choose your #oneword2021 that will guide you on a new journey? I am ready to begin anew! Join me on January 14, 2021 at Twitter for #K12ArtChat where I will guest host a chat on #oneword thanks to Matt and Laura Grundler. 

Enjoy the beginning of a new year.

Put on a smile of gratitude behind your mask each day. 

Two Writing Teachers

Slice of Life 2021