by June | Nov 2, 2017 | Blogposts
First power outage of the season today. How quickly the house got cold!
But it was great preparation before the next power outage, because it will happen. And before it does, there’s time to review and take care of the recliner chair back-up battery system that didn’t work, finding the extra flashlights, learning how to make the generator work. While the portable phones didn’t work in the power outage, I was grateful I kept the old plug-in land line.
While I miss my DH, Hans, every single day, it’s in situations such as this that remind me what a calming influence he was in power outages and tsunami warnings. Within minutes he would “take charge” of the situation.
So this afternoon, I invoked his spirit and before I knew it, I had taken charge of the situation. And as I did, once again I could hear his almost-final words “Remember, you’re stronger than you think you are.”
Our loved ones really are with us. Just in a different way.
May we remember them, give thanks for the ways they enriched our lives, and may they all rest in peace.
by June | Oct 27, 2017 | Blogposts
Ahhhh, the wrinkles
… are definitely here.
The aging process hasn’t ignored me.
But that’s okay.
I like to think that wrinkles are an indicator that I smile often.
And why wouldn’t I smile?
I have so much for which to be grateful.
I’ve lived through difficult situations
yet I am still here.
So let the wrinkles appear.
I’ve earned them.
I welcome them.
What about you?
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by June | Oct 26, 2017 | Blogposts
May the Creator of these lovely flowers
standing tall in the gentle breeze at day’s end
bless those
… who live with chronic illness
… await word from the doctor
… anticipate a trip to ER
… face an unknown tomorrow
… deal with unmanageable pain
… can’t or don’t acknowledge their addiction
… struggle with the busyness of their days
and/or the sleeplessness of their nights
… live in fear
And may the Creator bless all who love and wait
… with … and for, each of those people.
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by June | Oct 22, 2017 | Blogposts
A melody reverberates in my head many nights, as do its words
“Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest; God is nigh.”
There are those who feel the presence of the Divine. There are those who do not. My prayer this night is that those who do not feel that Presence or do not know that Presence or acknowledge that Presence would be … willing to acknowledge or be … willing to be willing to acknowledge the possibility of such a Presence. Possibility.
Who of us is to say that such a Presence is *not* possible?
© Photo & Text June Maffin
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by June | Oct 10, 2017 | Blogposts
Ahhhh, sweet organic corn on the cob from-our-garden Farewell.
You began your life planted as kernel-seeds in trays on the dining room table which had been moved to the window to take advantage of the sun … no special lamps for you. And you began to grow.
Each morning, the trays were checked and your efforts to burst forth from the soil so you could grow tall enough to be transplanted were greeted by “oooh” and “ahhh.”
Ten tiny seeds. That’s all you were. And then came the day when you were strong enough to be transplanted into the raised veggie bed where you
stretched to the sun and grew tassels and cobs.
“Are they ready to eat, yet?” was the question posed to the Universe. “Not yet – they need to be rounder at the bottom.” The waiting continued and continued and continued. And then, you began to form and eventually the harvesting!
First, two cobs for dinner, then two more, and one night dinner was
… corn cobs. Just corn cobs. Delicious. Sweet. Tender corn cobs. Then your stalks were cut down, the roots dug out to make room for the fall veggies
to be transplanted in your place next week, and the cycle of life will begin
again … with some of your fall veggie cousins.
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by June | Oct 9, 2017 | Blogposts
Why is it we feel such pain when we hear of the terrifying events happening around the world?Surely it’s because we are connected. If one part of humanity hurts, all hurt.
Even Scripture notes that in 1 Corinthians 12: 26a (“
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it”). We are connected – one to the other. Like it. Or not.
Whether our connection is as family by blood, adoption, marriage, as friend, colleague or stranger, we are co-sojourners on this fragile planet called Earth. We are connected.
Even though we may … speak different languages … have different coloured skin … worship in different ways … have differing political beliefs … live out our lives as straight or LGBTQ … are similar or different in other ways, we are connected.
To lose sight of that connection-reality is to forego our common humanity.
How we … treat those with whom we share this planet
How we … support those for whom paralyzing fear engulfs
How we … love those with whom we have opposing views
How we … respect others who voice their concerns and protest
could be the determining factor of the future of our world.
We are connected. Like it. Or not.
by June | Oct 3, 2017 | Blogposts
Something has changed in the back yard and it’s good. During the summer drought, no birds were in the back yard. Water and food were put out for them, but there were no birds.
Yesterday, about five or six appeared. This morning, robins, hummingbirds, sparrows and I-don’t-know-what-they’re-called were fluttering, flying, dipping into bushes, sitting on top of fruit trees bringing colour, movement, swishes, swirls sweet sounds and absolute delight and joy.
Feathered friends, the nest you made in the spring is still in the tree
and you’ll find string, ribbon and other things I’ve placed close by
to encourage you to make new nests. Welcome back!
© June Maffin
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by June | Oct 2, 2017 | Blogposts
“I am done with thoughts and prayers that go nowhere” wrote a friend.
We hear it a lot – may even say or write the words ourselves. These days, many have no belief in them – think they are irrelevant – are nonexistent – have no value.
Respectfully, I believe in prayer and in the power of good thoughts, for I believe that they connect us to those who are suffering, While prayer can have a religious intention/overtone, they don’t have to.
So I’ll continue to send good thoughts to the people who have suffered
to those who are still suffering to those who will be suffering for a long time to come. I believe that energy accompanies sincere thoughts and prayers
and will somehow let those who suffer know that others care.
I will continue to send sincere thoughts and prayers and hope/pray that they will be of help somehow, in some way, to some one, so they know they are not alone… and others are thinking of them.
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by June | Sep 22, 2017 | Blogposts
Have you ever met or been confronted by Self-Doubt Mountain? Have you ever thought there was something … a particular situation … a new technique or learning … a certain time in your life you couldn’t “get-through”?
A few hours before my husband Hans died last summer, he said “Don’t ever forget – you are stronger and more resilient than you think you are.” His words held me up during this past year, reminding me that I have faced Self-Doubt Mountain in the past and survived; teaching me that I will face Self-Doubt Mountain in the future and will survive.
Hans was a wonderful artist and was looking forward to working in acrylic
but he died before he could begin. So in his memory, I decided to see what I could do with the acrylic paints. But Self-Doubt Mountain was in front of me. Again.
I was going to donate Hans’ acrylic paints, but when I remembered Hans’ words, possibilities emerged. I googled ‘acrylic painting’ and before I knew it, I was in the Studio playing with acrylics and having fun!
When I challenged myself a bit further, I entered my first acrylic painting in our local exhibition and was gobsmacked when I learned I had won first prize in the acrylic division. When Self-Doubt Mountain surfaces
… and it will … this experience will also come to my mind and when it does
may Self-Doubt Mountain lose. Again.
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by June | Sep 20, 2017 | Blogposts
“How has your day been?” he asked. A simple question (not the typical “How are you” that usually elicits an inauthentic response). She answered – honestly. “It’s been a really shitty and sad day. My friend died today and I’m really sad.” Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks.
He was quiet while checking items through the till, then told her he was sorry for her loss and said “I lost my mom last month.” They shared “one-of-those-moments” together and spoke of the importance of “enjoying every moment with those we love and making the most of this thing called life.”
Picking up the bag of groceries she noticed a bouquet of flowers tucked inside. “Oh, these aren’t mine.” “Yes. They are for YOU.” “WHAT?” “They’re for you. I’m sorry about your friend. The flowers are for you.” The woman in line behind her began to quietly cry. A tear rolled down his face. Tears rolled down her face.
At the human-level, they were strangers. At the soul-level, they were friends. As she walked through tree-lined neighbourhoods tears gently flowing down her cheeks, she was mindful of an encounter with the Holy Presence of a fellow sojourner on Planet Earth. His name was Joe.
When she got home and unwrapped the flowers, she realized they were orange Gerbera daisies … her favourite flower and colour. Joe may not have known the difference he made that day, but my friend did. Joe made a difference in her life and brought healing and hope.
When we listen to another … truly listen with our ears, our eyes, our minds, our heart, we *can* make a difference in the life of another. The Joe’s of this world exist. They give us hope that people can be kind. They remind us that we all share a common humanity. They teach us that everyone has the power-within, to be someone’s “Joe.”
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by June | Sep 15, 2017 | Blogposts
Stories. We all have them On a drive one afternoon in rural Ontario, the no-longer-existing fence with its tall weeds and grass wildly growing all around caught my eye and led my attention to the farmhouse waaaaaay off in the distance. I wondered what stories the building could tell. Stories of a time when it stood tall and erect, provided shelter, watched children romp and laugh and grow, watched adults become elders and move on
That was long ago. Now the farmhouse is beginning to tilt to one side and before long it will be a relic. One day, we too will be like the old farmhous. Let us not wait to remember and share our stories. Stories of long ago. Stories we are experiencing now. Stories to learn from. Stories to laugh about. Stories to cry over. Stories to celebrate. Stories we would like to forget. Stories of our childhood and youth. Stories of our travels. Stories of spiritual awareness. Stories of our mistakes. Stories of our successes. Stories of our loves. Stories of our sad times. Stories of our difficult times. Stories of our survival. Stories of personal growth. Stories of when we thrived. Stories of self-care or lack thereof.
We all have stories, but when we die they die with us, unless we share our stories. Now is the time to journal, blog, speak our stories into a tape recorder so those who follow can one day remember and say … “oh the stories!”
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by June | Sep 10, 2017 | Blogposts
As I stepped out of the car to take this photo, the bird appeared on the beach, the sun began to set, and a transcendent peace seemed to enfold me. It was a quiet moment, a gentle experience of Love, and I wondered “what will Tomorrow bring?” Not just tomorrow or the next day, but the Tomorrow of when we die.
Many who have died and been brought back to life, speak of feelings of peace, gentleness, a Love that transcended any love they’d ever experienced before. My mother was such a person. Fearful of death before her experience with death-before-Death, such an experience changed her forever and then she lived her remaining years, unafraid, and in anticipation of the peace, gentleness and Love she believed awaited her when her sun set for the final time.
When tragedy happens and people perish, when accidents happen and people die, when illness happens and people succumb, my mother’s experience comforts me.
What will Tomorrow bring for me? for you? for all who have gone: those known to us – those unknown to us. May they – may we rest in a peace that passes understanding … rest in a gentleness beyond comprehension … rest in a Love that is inexplicable. May peace, gentleness, Love be what Tomorrow will bring.
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by June | Sep 6, 2017 | Blogposts
“J’ai peur.”
“I’m scared.”
As hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, fires make their way islands, homes, businesses, animals, people, “J’ai peur … I’m scared” are words that are heard.
As politicians make unwise decisions which could lead to civil unrest and perhaps war, “J’ai peur … I’m scared” are words that are spoken.
What to do in the midst of experiencing fear that “gut-wrenching, can’t explain, keep-me-awake” type of fear?
I wish I had the definitive answer.
Sometimes admitting our fear to ourself/another is helpful. Sometimes it helps to focus on slowly breathing “in” saying/thinking/whispering/praying the word ‘peace’ as we inhale and saying/thinking/whispering/praying the word ‘fear’ as we exhale can help. Sometimes it helps to “create” something – in the kitchen, garden, shop, studio, on the computer, in our Journal … can help. Sometimes repeating Dame Julian of Norwich’s words: “All shall be well. All shall be well. And all manner of thing shall be well” can help (and using our breath to say them … inhale and say “all shall be well”; exhale “all shall be well”; inhale “and all manner of thing”; exhale “shall be well.”
And sometimes … nothing we do seems to help.
The feelings of helplessness, abandonment, lack of control overwhelm us.
Our breathing becomes shallow.
Our heart races.
Our mind won’t stop thinking.
At such times I take comfort in the reality that somewhere in the world, someone is experiencing a spiritual oasis bymeditating; inviting peace for others; sitting cross-legged and chanting; saying the Rosary; receiving Communion; reciting the Shema; praying the Daily Office; thinking / sending / praying / whispering good thoughts; holding those experiencing fear in their heart, mind and spirit
… and I am comforted.
Because of our common humanity, regardless of our religious or spiritual belief, I know that am not alone.
To all in the path of fury of Mother Nature, or in the path of the pandemic or that path of politicians out of control, may you be comforted.
You are not alone.
It may feel like you are
but you are not.
In some way, at some level, we are connected.
To all in the path of fury of human nature, may you be comforted.
You are not alone.
I may fell like you are
but you are not.
We are connected.
In some way, at some level, we are connected
… connected by the intangible essence of compassion, empathy, prayer, love.
Our humanity.
It’s okay to admit our fear in spoken and written word.
Admitting our fear helps move it out of the darkness
and the power fear wields over us is no longer as strong as it was
even a moment ago when fear was boxed-up inside us.
It’s okay to admit “I’m afraid. J’ai peur.”
I
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by June | Aug 29, 2017 | Blogposts
It’s easy to point fingers and blame. It’s easy to mock and ridicule someone who is different. It’s easy to harass and bully those unable to defend themselves. It’s easy to pick up a gun to settle an argument. These may be ‘easy’ – but they are not only ‘not right’, they lead to more finger-pointing, blame, mocking, ridiculing, harassment, bullying and even murder.
In Texas and Louisiana … something is happened. The rain continued and waters rose. People were trapped in their homes. Will they get rescued? And, by whom? People *were* being rescued … by professionals and ordinary citizens alike. Rescuers didn’t ask “Are you an American?” “Do you believe what I believe when it comes to politics?” “Are you a Christian?”
They’re helping. They’re reaching-out. They’re expressing love … by their selfless actions … by their compassion … by their concern … by their prayers and kind thoughts. People are recognizing the true essence of what it means to be human.
© June Maffin (photo & text)
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by June | Aug 22, 2017 | Blogposts
“My courage does not roar. It whispers to my heart. It makes me dig deep
and find it in my soul to fight on.” <Firefighter Kim Fitzsimmons>
Thank you, firefighters everywhere. You valiantly and selflessly serve long hours at great personal cost. We continue to hold you close in our hearts.
We pray for your protection and remember … those whose homes are being destroyed by fire … your families, wildlife and vegetation … those whose lives have been lost and their families … firefighters still fighting the fires … those who are besieged by fire-fighting experiences PTSD.
Your selflessness and sacrifice are not forgotten and we are grateful, grateful beyond measure. Thank you for letting the courage that whispers to your heart help you dig deep and find it in your soul to fight on.
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by June | Aug 21, 2017 | Blogposts
I didn’t see much of the eclipse … or so I thought. A friend and I were on the back deck with the computer on the table chatting, visiting, sipping tea watching the NASA feed on the computer. “When will it happen?” we wondered. The computer showed us that the eclipse *was* happening, but other than no wind movement in the trees, a darkness on the left side, and a drop in temperature, not much seemed to be happening where we were.
But when I downloaded the photo I took, I saw something I hadn’t seen during the eclipse … fascinating swirls of light!
Those swirls of light made me stop and think about things we miss, about people we miss when we are not … expecting the unexpected … being open to possibilities … dealing with the “ism’s” we don’t want to admit … acknowledging the negativity we feel and there is an eclipse in our corporate soul.
May we see beyond the things and people seeking to cloud our minds with negativity, confuse our thoughts with misinformation and lies, obliterate light from this world.
Eclipse … your time has come to a close. May swirls of light of truth, reason, integrity replace our obscured vision.
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by June | Aug 5, 2017 | Blogposts
Whether we want it to, or not. Whether we welcome it, or not. Whether we celebrate it, or not. Aging happens. ‘Growing old’ is different. Growing old is more than chronology. Growing old is about attitude and is about play. When we stop playing, we stop delighting in life; we stop being hopeful; we become old. While I may be chronologically aging and my body may be showing its age, I refuse to grow old. Play is my middle name – even if it’s only a few minutes each day.
Some days are more difficult to include a play-filled activity than other days. But I make a conscious effort. I remember one of those more difficult days. There was no rational explanation. The sadness and profound sense of loss was there … big time. I could feel the waves of grief tumble and erupt. I could feel my body experiencing the loss of my husband in an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. I decided to head outdoors and take a short walk around the block.
On my little walk I encountered a little girl. She was singing a familiar melody while she walked her dog and I began to hum the melody. It was my ‘play’ for the day! It was just a few seconds. But it was play and I felt a hint of joy as the tears tumbled down my face because I wanted to tell my husband about this lovely encounter. Then as I walked back home, a smile began to form on my face … because I did tell him. 🙂
When we play, joy begins to emerge. Whether we are encountering a familiar melody sung by a little girl walking her dog, (or dancing, or doodling, or engaging in board games, or strolling along the beach, or playing bridge, or are involved in a sport, or interacting on the internet, or playing an instrument, or sharing a meal with a friend, or creating something (be that a handmade card, a tool shed, a dress, a poem, a painting, a piece of calligraphy, a meal, a book, a piece of pottery, a magazine article, a garden, a computer program, a piece of sculpture, a photograph, a mandala, a scrapbook, a bookcase … whatever!), we begin to realize that there is still life within us, hope emerges, and joy has space to flower.
There is such wisdom in the words of George Bernard Shaw: “We don’t stop playing because we’re old. We grow old because we stop playing.” The photo was taken several years ago when I surprised my husband, Hans, with a ride on a Zodiac boat. He loved it!!! While that’s not exactly the word I would use to describe the zodiac-experience, he was having such fun, even when the rain started, even when the wind picked up, and even when the storm quickly arrived, how could I not delight in his delight? A spirituality of play has many ways to surface for the young and those who are aging!
by June | Aug 1, 2017 | Blogposts
Embracing spiritual concepts and peaceful ways, the Toltec people of southern Mexico around 900 A.D. considered all of life to be part of the Great Mystery. Science and spirit were seen to be part of the same entity. Even though the Toltec culture left no written records about their beliefs,
it was believed that a shaman was the repository of Toltec culture
and had the ability to guide people in their lives.
When a near-fatal car accident changed the life of a surgeon born in rural Mexico, he apprenticed himself to a shaman to learn about the Toltec culture. A move to the United States found him exploring the human mind from both an indigenous (Toltec culture) as well as a scientific perspective (his medical training) resulting in a unique combination of traditional wisdom and modern insight in a very short book. The man was Don Miguel Ruiz. The name of the book, a New York Times bestseller for more than seven years, was The Four Agreements, offered four simple guidelines to life.
AGREEMENT 1 Be impeccable with your word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
AGREEMENT 2 Don’t take anything personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
AGREEMENT 3 Don’t make assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.
Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
AGREEMENT 4 Always do your best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
Such wisdom, Dom Miguel Ruiz.
Thank you.
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by June | Jul 27, 2017 | Blogposts
“Throwback Thursday” and telephones: When I was a child living in Montreal, I remember we would call my mother’s parents in Florida once a month and use an egg timer. Yes, literally an egg timer – to make certain the phone call didn’t go over our family’s three minute limit. Long distance phone calls were expensive! I remember my brother Gerry and I staring at the tiny grains of sand drip, drip, drip through the teeny hole, and my mother talking more quickly to her mother and father as the grains became fewer and fewer and then Gerry and I would quickly say “Hi Grannie. Hi Grandad” (and not much more) and the phone call would be over.
Decades later, a phone call from an island on the west coast of Canada to the Netherlands can go on and on and on for hours as laughter bursts forth with the stories that are shared … like this photo I took of my dear husband Hans in our Studio talking on the phone to his siblings in Zeist. The invention of the phone and the under-four-dollars for several hours of conversation cost allowed us to stay well-connected with our Dutch family without concern that we would be going over our phone budget.
Thank you Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson for being the earliest developers of the telephone and thank you to all who have played a part over the years in creating portable phones, lower long distance phone rates, free 911 calls, etc. You have brought countless people a sense of security that practical help can easily be contacted in case of emergency, and brought much joy as the voices of loved ones are heard and conversations are shared. And while I know that phones can be frustrating these days (what with the increasing prevalence of scammers), I’m very grateful they exist. “Throwback Thursday” … I love it!
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by June | Jul 24, 2017 | Blogposts
People ache at the escalation of political deception and lies, racial inequity, economic consequences, bullying, religious persecution, sexism, cultural confusion, injustice, hatred and more.
Spirits grieve and minds shut down, holding on to beliefs without openness
to scientific research, reason, wisdom, history, knowledge, fact. Sometimes it seems as if there is more that separates than unites.
May the focus be more on the Good that unites than that which divides. May Love be felt and awe experienced in the midst of pain and distress and desolation. May logic and reason and fact educate, inform, guide. May there be hope for tomorrow … and the tomorrows which follow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Text adapted from my poem published in “RACE AND PRAYER: COLLECTED VOICES, MANY DREAMS Malcolm Boyd and Chester Talton, editors
Morehouse Publishing 2003 ISBN 0-8192-1909-6)
Photo & text © June Maffin
© June Maffin 
Photos and Text © June Maffin
