"Hearing heals." It sure does. Yet so few people truly and deeply listen, myself included. Thank you for this beautiful and gentle reminder to slow down and tune in. Hearing is not only healing to those that are heard, but it is also healing to those of us doing the listening. Also love the story about traffic shutting down for the annual crossing of the newts, toads, and frogs in Bath. It took somebody to notice and take action to alter their fate. Inspiring.
"Our industrial-oriented lives are not only raucously loud, they are also ravenous—and therefore growing louder." This is the primary reason I left the city. I left for spiritual reasons. I needed to be in quiet place that gets all the way dark at night. I was beginning to feel like city life was separating me from the Creator.
Exceedingly well put Alissa. One of the reasons visiting Africa for the first time was so life-changing for me last January. I had never experienced "whole Earth" on that level before and now I crave it in a way that goes well beyond words. It altered my entire existence.
"Every spring in Bath, England the thoroughfare of Charlcombe Lane is shut down to traffic for six weeks in order to protect thousands of newts, toads, and frogs who follow the ancient siren’s call to migrate (riskily) across its half-mile pavement expanse to a breeding lake. Before the street closure was instituted, more than sixty percent of this amphibian community was killed by cars. Somebody finally took notice and acted to alter their doomed fate. Last year more than 600 volunteer hours were devoted to assisting as many as 3,200 of these small souls traverse this treacherous stretch of road to reach their watery birthing grounds. As a result, their mortality rate has plummeted to a mere 6 percent. "
And Steph wrote this, absolutely stunning, all is breath it seems!
"I like to think of the frog-song this lake now exhales every evening as the sun gives way to moon. Where language becomes listening and silence meets mystery, the unsaid and unsayable get their long-awaited place at the table."
Absolutely stunning, I adored these lines: "I like to think of the frog-song this lake now exhales every evening as the sun gives way to moon. Where language becomes listening and silence meets mystery, the unsaid and unsayable get their long-awaited place at the table."
Beautifully written and inspiring. Thank you. Just last weekend I read a book which mentioned that the most beautiful gift you can give someone, is deep listening. A skill I would like to improve. I've thought about it over the week and now I have even more to think of. And you were right-loved the part about the frogs. 💚
Thank you for reading and commenting, means so very much! Love your Substack name by the way.
Listening is a skill we're not taught to cultivate in our culture. I too have been working to improve there, it's such a powerful restorative act. And it allows us to hear the frog song too!
"Hearing heals." It sure does. Yet so few people truly and deeply listen, myself included. Thank you for this beautiful and gentle reminder to slow down and tune in. Hearing is not only healing to those that are heard, but it is also healing to those of us doing the listening. Also love the story about traffic shutting down for the annual crossing of the newts, toads, and frogs in Bath. It took somebody to notice and take action to alter their fate. Inspiring.
"Our industrial-oriented lives are not only raucously loud, they are also ravenous—and therefore growing louder." This is the primary reason I left the city. I left for spiritual reasons. I needed to be in quiet place that gets all the way dark at night. I was beginning to feel like city life was separating me from the Creator.
Exceedingly well put Alissa. One of the reasons visiting Africa for the first time was so life-changing for me last January. I had never experienced "whole Earth" on that level before and now I crave it in a way that goes well beyond words. It altered my entire existence.
Thought and spirit provoking!
Steph's best blog yet! I didn't know this below!
"Every spring in Bath, England the thoroughfare of Charlcombe Lane is shut down to traffic for six weeks in order to protect thousands of newts, toads, and frogs who follow the ancient siren’s call to migrate (riskily) across its half-mile pavement expanse to a breeding lake. Before the street closure was instituted, more than sixty percent of this amphibian community was killed by cars. Somebody finally took notice and acted to alter their doomed fate. Last year more than 600 volunteer hours were devoted to assisting as many as 3,200 of these small souls traverse this treacherous stretch of road to reach their watery birthing grounds. As a result, their mortality rate has plummeted to a mere 6 percent. "
And Steph wrote this, absolutely stunning, all is breath it seems!
"I like to think of the frog-song this lake now exhales every evening as the sun gives way to moon. Where language becomes listening and silence meets mystery, the unsaid and unsayable get their long-awaited place at the table."
Absolutely stunning, I adored these lines: "I like to think of the frog-song this lake now exhales every evening as the sun gives way to moon. Where language becomes listening and silence meets mystery, the unsaid and unsayable get their long-awaited place at the table."
I love your story of the bird song in Rome. ❤️
Standing ovation over here! Love where the path of this essay leads me!
Just read this piece again. Even richer the second time around!
Beautifully written and inspiring. Thank you. Just last weekend I read a book which mentioned that the most beautiful gift you can give someone, is deep listening. A skill I would like to improve. I've thought about it over the week and now I have even more to think of. And you were right-loved the part about the frogs. 💚
Thank you for reading and commenting, means so very much! Love your Substack name by the way.
Listening is a skill we're not taught to cultivate in our culture. I too have been working to improve there, it's such a powerful restorative act. And it allows us to hear the frog song too!
Hard-of-hearing aids
for a heart-hearing we-world.
Call and response must.