The Everyday Human

May: On LoveMay 13Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Final Fantasy VIII.Unlike Keats’ Bold Lover from yesterday, you can’t make time stand still. You can’t live eternally in anticipation, but seeing that and knowing it is a gift, because you can recognize the moment when it’s here—each and every moment. The meeting. The seconds leading up to the kiss. The kiss itself. And the parting. Each is sacred. Each is a sentence on a page in the book of your life. So when you have those special moments with your loved ones, recognize it—say the words: I want the present to stand still, knowing full well it will never happen, but you can relish in the fact that you even experienced it in the first place. It’s the fleeting nature of the moment that makes it so special—so accept that it won’t stay, but don’t let it slip away either.Reflection title: You Don’t Have To Let It Slip AwayCreative inspiration: Final Fantasy VIIIReflection Question: Do I acknowledge the wonderful and fleeting moments in my life with those I love? Or do I take them for granted, believing I’ll always have more?

May: On LoveMay 12Today's reflection was inspired by John Keats' poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn."What if it’s neither the journey nor the destination? In Big Panda and Tiny Dragon by James Norbury, Big Panda asks, “Which is more important, the journey or the destination?” To which Tiny Dragon replies, “The company.” So you have to ask—would Keats’ Bold Lover be satisfied living frozen in time just nearing the kiss if it weren’t with someone they loved? Someone they couldn’t stand the thought of not kissing? And what would your journey through life toward death be like without those you love along for the ride? You might travel to beautiful places, savor delicacies, or hear the sweetest melodies—which is all well and good—but wouldn’t it be better if those you love were right there with you?Reflection title: Journey? Destination? Or Something Else?Creative inspiration: John Keats, "Ode on a Grecian Urn"Reflection Question: Have I been too fixated on the destination? Or a destination and not enough on the ones I love who are with me?

May: On LoveMay 11Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Terry Pratchett's novel Sourcery.Love—it’s what makes the world go round. And it’s what allows us to survive on that same world made of rock and water, hurtling around the sun at 67,000 mph. Love is a beautiful thing to have, and some of the pragmatists or cynics out there might say, “Eh, it’s fine. But it’s a luxury. You don’t really need it.” And to that, I say, “Nay, it is essential in how it binds us together socially, emotionally, and even biologically. It’s how we survive this—whatever this is. It’s what makes life worth living.” Reflection title: Where Would We Be Without It?Creative inspiration: Terry Pratchett, SourceryReflection Question: What will I do to spread the love today?

May: On LoveMay 10Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Shakespeare's Hamlet.Hamlet writes to Ophelia, declaring an unshakable love, and then his actions betray both those words and her. Did he mean the words he wrote—if only for a time? Was the love true, then, even if it didn’t last? That’s the harder question. But don’t be afraid to ask it. A love untested might be no love at all. Now, that said, listen to these words: Do not compare your love to others. You cannot measure your heart against someone else’s failure. You may doubt the stars, the sun and even truth itself. But if you hold the love in your heart as sacred and steady, if you feel it in your soul and know it to be real—what reason would you ever have to doubt it?Reflection title: To Doubt or Not To DoubtCreative inspiration: William Shakespeare, HamletReflection Question: Do I measure my heart by someone else’s story? Do I let doubt take root where certainty once grew? Do I know the love I carry to be real? 

May: On LoveMay 9Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Oscar Wilde's play An Ideal Husband.It’s so important to love yourself. As the cliche goes, you can’t love someone else before you love yourself—and it’s true. It starts with the society within you—your soul. And it’s a lifelong romance . . . the most complex and fragile relationship you might ever have. It’s something, if nurtured, that deepens over time, just like any relationship—romantic or not—and each stage brings a new level of understanding and affection. It’s so important. I don’t think I can say it enough. If you take one single thing from this book (or podcast), take this: care for yourself, take care of yourself, love yourself. It all starts there. Reflection title: Take Yourself Out on a Date, SeriouslyCreative inspiration: Oscar Wilde, An Ideal HusbandReflection Question: Do I give myself the same care, respect, and attention that I reserve for others? Where could I strengthen my relationship with myself? And where am I taking myself out on a date—seriously—and when?

May: On LoveMay 8Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Carl Sagan's novel Contact.Love—is it a mystical force of the cosmos? I deny that it is and claim rather that it is a deeply human one grounded in action and presence and in choice. One that transmutes our insignificance in the expanse into greatness. It is the only answer to the question and it is the only thing that can anchor us in the endless vastness of the stars and human consciousness. Some may say love is a construct. Maybe that’s true. Maybe it’s not. But if it is, it is our most honest invention, and our greatest gift back to the universe.Reflection title: Our Most Honest InventionCreative inspiration: Carl Sagan, ContactReflection Question: Have I been listening? Do I understand yet what the universe (indifferent or not) is teaching me about love?

May: On LoveMay 7Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the 1998 masterpiece of a video game Xenogears.We can imagine that God had a choice when creating humans: create us perfectly, or make us flawed. And God chose, very obviously, to make us flawed. If we were perfect, then we would not help each other—perhaps even, we would not love each other. Would we even have a need for something like love?And so in order to fly, and as we are imperfect, and as we each have only one wing, we are dependent on one another.There’s a somber beauty in this idea. Who we are with others lies at the core of our being—the essence of what it means to be human. To exist in isolation, well that would make us something else entirely.Reflection title: The Two Great AngelsCreative inspiration: XenogearsReflection Question: Who do I rely on to fly? And who relies on me?

May: On LoveMay 6Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the book The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The fact that someone loves you so much that your mere presence is all they need to feel whole, protected, and loved in return is a remarkable and beautiful thing. It’s not always possible, of course. Other obligations call, you need your own time to be yourself, but know that when they need it most . . . that’s when it matters most. Those are the moments of fragility that you will be the glue holding it all together. Might that be a bit of pressure? Sure. But that comes with the territory of love. Stay now, while you can. Because one day, your time will be up, and you’ll no longer be able to.Reflection title: StayCreative inspiration: Markus Zusak, The Book ThiefReflection Question: Who do I need to stay for? And who do I need to stay for me?

May: On LoveMay 5Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "Music, When Soft Voices Die (To–)" by Percy Bysshe Shelley.It can be beautiful to hear a song you only listened to with your mother long after she is gone. It can be painful to smell the perfume or deodorant of your partner after they’ve left to live their life with another. It can be surreal to touch the wooden handle of your grandfather’s hammer and be transported back in time to his woodshop.And . . . it can be comforting to know that those loved ones you have lost, in whatever way the world has taken them from you, live on in your memories—memories hidden in a chest that only secret keys of the senses can unlock.Reflection title: The Key to the ChestCreative inspiration: Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Music, When Soft Voices Die (To--)Reflection Question: What slumbering love do I hold in my heart? Has anything stirred it awake recently? What do these feelings evoke in me? 

May: On LoveMay 4Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "Hyla Brook" by Robert Frost.There is a type of love out there. A love that love does not and will not tolerate ideals of perfection or expectations of permanence. No, instead it exists and thrives in the fleeting moments and in our flaws. This love’s roots grow deeper as the bearers age and are wind-stricken and suffer storms and are changed by time in the ways that only time can change us.This is the love that exists solely for you to love others for who they are—nothing more, nothing less. When the brook is rushing and babbling in spring and the frogs are splashing, and when it is dried and empty in the heat of summer, carpeted with dead leaves. Through it all and always.Reflection title: For What They AreCreative inspiration: Robert Frost, "Hyla Brook"Reflection Question: Do I hold ideals of perfection or expectations of permanence for those I love? Or do I love them for who they are?

May: On LoveMay 3Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "Love Walked Alone" by Stephen Crane.One cannot be stronger than the other. The stronger love grows, the stronger heart’s pain grows right alongside her—waiting, always waiting. The reason is simple as to why it’s so difficult for some to love—it is because the risk for suffering is so great. But the ultimate question you must ask yourself is this: is love worth the risk of the heart’s pain that comes with it?Reflection title: An Inevitable CompanionCreative inspiration: Stephen Crane, "Love Walked Alone"Reflection Question: I cannot have one without the other—so am I accepting of both love and heart’s pain? Is the risk worth it to me?

May: On LoveMay 2Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince.There is so much—too much—emphasis on the wrong stuff. On what it means to live a good life. On what it means to be successful. Too many people have suffered from the belief—instilled in them from a young age by parents, peers, television, or now social media—that money and shiny objects and status equal happiness. And there does not seem to be an end in sight, so indeed, it bears repeating.Start by looking inward and teaching yourself through questioning: What is essential to me? What, at the end of my life, will be my regrets? What essential, immaterial things in my life like love and friendship have become eroded by the quest for the material? And once you have your answers, it will be time to do something about it. Never forget what matters most—the love in the air between partners, between parent and child, between friends, between you and our life-giving planet, the Earth. Never take for granted the time you have, and learn to use it wisely. Work to live, do not live to work. Keep your eyes shut and your heart open, because next thing you know, you’ll look up and it’ll be time to say goodbye to the fox.Reflection title: It Bears RepeatingCreative inspiration: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little PrinceReflection Question: What is essential to me? What, at the end of my life, will be my regrets? What essential immaterial things in my life like love and friendship have become eroded by the quest for the material?

May: On LoveMay 1April, the month On Nature, is over, and May, the month On Love, is upon us.Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Paulo Coelho's novel The Alchemist.Loving someone or something—to truly love them unconditionally and selflessly demands that you change and improve. Always. Your mind, body, and soul. It is to give away parts of yourself to them in the hopes that they may benefit, grow, and thrive. To truly love someone means to offer them your best self. Nothing short of it will do. And so you work toward this goal, all the while knowing it is unreachable—that the best version of yourself is each rung on an endless ladder. And with every step up you take, you are becoming better, you are loving better, and you are making the world around you better.Reflection title: The Endless LadderCreative inspiration: Paulo Coelho, The AlchemistReflection Question: How am I working to become better than I am for those that I love?

April: On NatureApril 30Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "The Gardener 85" by Rabindranath Tagore.Buy a bag of bulbs and plant them in the ground and think of all the other dirt-covered, cracked hands that dug through the same dirt you’re kneeling in now. Smell the honeysuckles and lilacs in April, think of all the others who stuck their noses into the flowers of the ancestors of that plant, those flowers that were visited by the bees of a hundred years ago and were turned to seed where the cycle continued through time to you and will continue on after you.Do this and know that you are never alone. That you and the plants and the gardens and fields are all threaded together in one massive tapestry of time. Reflection title: April 30, 2125Creative inspiration: Rabindranath Tagore, "The Gardener 85"Reflection Question: What can I do today, in the garden or in nature, that will echo 100 years into the future? What can I do to ensure that life will be able to flourish 100 years into the future?

April: On NatureApril 29Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from my novel Dead World: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale.According to National Geographic, about 571 species of plants have gone extinct in the wild since the 1750s. And since 1900, an average of eight plant species have gone extinct every three years.I don’t know what the world will look like 10 years from now, let alone hundreds or thousands—what life, what plants will be left, but I can try now, while I’m here, to protect that which exists and add to it where I can. And who knows, maybe that future I dreamt up doesn’t have to be harsh and gray and lifeless or post-apocalyptic—maybe it doesn’t have to be at all—maybe if we do something now, it’ll be greener and brighter. Reflection title: Greener and BrighterCreative inspiration: Eastin DeVerna, Dead World: A Post-Apocalyptic TaleReflection Question: What can I do in this present moment to ensure a brighter future? What can I do as an individual, and what can I do as part of a community? 

April: On NatureApril 28Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell Berry.We fear a future that does not exist, one that we created and then let control our lives in the present. This is a very human thing to do—anxiety has helped us survive for millions of years out in the plains or in the forests and mountains. And it’s easy to say, “Do not let it control you,” when you are not suffering from it. But when your mind has been apprehended by it? That is another matter. So best to prepare, and best to repair—find your places in nature, those ones that heal you and free you. Breathe the air, watch the swaying of the trees, the still water of a pond, the blue skies and bright stars. Do this every chance you get. When on vacation or out on a hike or stopping for a moment in the grocery store parking lot to look up at the clouds and imagine where they’ve been and where they have yet to go, watch the birds below them on their way south or north without forethought of grief—then breathe, and repeat. Reflection title: Imagined FuturesCreative inspiration: Wendell Berry, "The Peace of Wild Things"Reflection Question: What future have I created in my mind that I am dreading? Can I strip it down and see the objective truth by living in the present?

April: On NatureApril 27Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the graphic novel A. Guardian by me (Eastin DeVerna).You can try and retrace the steps you took, the paths you chose in your life that led you up to this moment here and now. You can ponder over the what ifs and what could have beens till the cows come home. And while reflection is good, dwelling can sink you into a dark pit. You are here now in your position, in your relationship or not, and all that you can do is decide how you will move forward in this moment and each thereafter.You may wake up and wonder where your spark went, where the desire to bound through the woods and dance with the leaves went, and if you do, do not despair. It is a good thing. Because, after all, you can’t look for something until you know it’s missing, can you?So find your peace, seek it out—out there in the world, in nature, in a book, in a prayer or meditation, or just in the silence of your mind. Find it, and keep it as a touchstone in your pocket.Reflection title: Keep It Secret, Keep It SafeCreative inspiration: Eastin DeVerna, A. GuardianReflection Question: Where do I seek out peace? And where do I really find it? How can I practice better finding it in my mind?

April: On NatureApril 26Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the video game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.At what point does your life begin? At your birth? Or the moment your parents met? The moment an ancestor of yours who you’ll never know—one who will never know you—escaped death, fleeing a bear, wearing a helmet in a war, or stopping to pick up their scarf before crossing the street when a truck came barreling through the intersection?Does it end with your death? Or does it live on in your ideas and actions? The river of time and life—trying to comprehend it is like trying to bail out the Mississippi with a tablespoon. It can’t be done. And you shouldn’t want to. Rather, look at yourself in its surface, dream of the past, live in the present, and contemplate the future. Dip your feet in once in a while, grab a canoe, and just drift. Reflection title: Gently Down the StreamCreative inspiration: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeReflection Question: Where am I in the river’s flow? Do I resist the current or go along for the ride?

April: On NatureApril 25Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Tombs of Atuan.We speak often of nature’s serenity and tranquility—it’s ability to heal and comfort. But its darker side—its duality—should be no surprise, for we humans have inherited both edges of this sword. The capacity for love and kindness, and for hostility and indifference. The ability to wage war, throwing lives away as fodder, and then care for the orphans and hope and pray they never will have to live through another like it.We learned from nature, we exist within nature—so some may say, then why should we be any different? The answer is simply because we can. The answer lies in our power to choose. We must never forget where we came from, but we also must never squander our gift of agency and turn a blind eye to where we can go.Reflection title: A Double-Edged SwordCreative inspiration: Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of AtuanReflection Question: Am I squandering my gift of agency? Or am I actively cultivating it and learning to make the world around me a better place?

April: On NatureApril 24Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Sara Teasdale.She wakes from the long sleep. One in which she dreamt of blossoms and wind and rivers and soil. The day’s first light falls upon her as she rises from her bed of moss and leaves and she steps forward into the world with nothing to separate her from the air or ground or sky.She watches the sparrows flutter, listens to their song, watches them alight upon the antlers of deer, twitching their tails in an odd language, one that brings a smile to her face.A great city stretches out before her. It was once a place where she was not welcome, where they would take blade and poison and wage war against her. But she does not recall that life—not since this place has been burned and hollowed out. The buildings and spires of cement and steel that rejected her touch have no choice now but to let her in and she gives it not a second thought as her children of vines and moss and lichen clamber over the structures, using them to reach such great heights as they have never reached before, and they do not offer their thanks to these spires and buildings because these spires and buildings exist solely for them and for them to climb.Listen on for the rest . . .Reflection title: She Will Walk Without Memories of UsCreative inspiration: Sara Teasdale, "There Will Come Soft Rains"Reflection Question: Do I walk more with humility, knowing my place in nature, or with hubris? What will I leave for nature when I am gone?

April: On NatureApril 23Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.The mysterious beauty of winter is undeniable, and so too is the fact that it has hardened humans, building resilience and forcing innovation out of necessity. The cyclical nature of the seasons offers a reminder that the difficult and sparse times will end, but also that they will return—and in those times, you can still find beauty and peace . . . but don’t get complacent. You can do with that what you will—ignore it and bask in the warmth and abundance of summer, or build up your stores, strengthen your shelters and prepare. The choice is yours. Reflection title: Come and Go, Come Back AgainCreative inspiration: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big WoodsReflection Question: Difficult times, like winter, will always end, but they will always return. What am I doing to prepare and strengthen myself for this inevitability? 

April: On NatureApril 22Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Monty Don's book My Roots: A Decade in the Garden.When you are planting, you are facilitating life. When you are planting, you can forget your contracts to society for a moment or a few hours or a day. In this time, it is you and nature, you and the planet—you have no mortgage or rent or job, you do not have to eat or watch or buy—your task is simple and singular.You’re neat and organized? Great—create your little world of plants in rows or by alphabetical order or species. Do you subscribe to the chaos variety of life? Also great—grab a handful of seed and throw it around and see what survives the birds. Plant whatever and wherever you want without a second thought and let nature do its thing.Reflection title: Build Your KingdomCreative inspiration: Monty Don, My Roots: A Decade in the GardenReflection Question: When was the last time I planted something? When and what will I plant next?

April: On NatureApril 21Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Robert Frost's poem "Birches."In modern times, it is the constant stream of news—of knowing every horrible event happening around the globe the moment it happens, coupled with the daily burdens of being overworked and underpaid, the stress of being responsible for the survival of others, all while battling anxiety, depression, and an ever-growing movement of oligarchs and extremism, that can make one weary of considerations and make life feel like a pathless wood at times.Though, there is something beautiful about a pathless wood. It’s nature as she intended. There is opportunity in the ability to go in any direction, until you stumble upon a deer path, anyway. Sometimes, in following paths laid out by others, or even in carving one yourself, you may not like what you find at the end of it. There is fun to be had as well in wandering the pathless. Climb that birch there, climb as high as you can until you’re off the ground and can see eye-to-eye with the birds, feel the winds fresh before they fall to the ground, and just get away from it all—before your weight becomes too much for the birch and it eventually lowers you down like a tired parent taking their child from atop their shoulders. The people of Earth can and will make you weary, but they will also fill your cup. After all, it is the right place for love—where is it likely to go better? Yes, you could do worse than here and now, being a swinger of birches.Reflection title: Swing Life AwayCreative inspiration: Robert Frost, "Birches"Reflection Question: Have I grown weary of considerations? Where can I find the fun in the pathless woods of life?

April: On NatureApril 20Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from a book near and dear to me because . . . it was written by me: Lux: From the Kingdom of Darkness. At this time of year, the Viola Sororia, also known as the common blue violet, stand humbly in the shade of the trees on either edge of the creek. They sit quietly on the side of the house and shed displaying their blue-purple flowers and green heart-shaped leaves for any who wander into the shadow seeking mystery or reprieve from the sun and heat. They’re small flowers, but beautiful and strong, and no matter the heat of the summer or cold of winter, they’ll find a way back—every year, never looking to steal the show in spring against the daffodils, irises, and tulips, and never looking to out compete the zinnias and cosmos and dahlias and sunflowers of summer. They are cheerful and fulfilled it would seem, satisfied with their lot in life, their place in the world. They do not ask to be moved into the sun or to be watered on the 90 degree days. They take the wind and the rain and the sun as it comes, and they are happy. When they first come up in the spring, I stop, crouch down, and take a moment to look at them. And then I thank them for teaching me so much. Reflection title: Viola SororiaCreative inspiration: Eastin DeVerna, Lux: From the Kingdom of DarknessReflection Question: Am I content with what I’m given like the blue violet? Or am I always wanting more? How can I learn to be happy in my shade?

April: On NatureApril 19Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from another Yogi teabag. Despite the damage to humans and everything we’ve built, hurricanes stir and thrash the ocean waters, mixing and redistributing nutrients like a blender, further supporting life that may not have had access to them before. They balance the planet’s temperatures by moving excess heat from the equator, bringing it to the atmosphere where it is cooled. And when disaster strikes unexpectedly in your life, when there is violence and war and sickness and political upheaval, know that it is a storm, stirring the stillness, but from it, life and ideas and love will spread to places they once did not reach.The storms and rain are chaos, yes, but they are born of nature from Earth, and never forget that from their brutality, comes beauty and life. Reflection title: Weather It, AlwaysCreative inspiration: Yogi TeaReflection Question: What storm have I had to weather recently? How can I remind myself that the dark clouds will disperse and the sun will always shine again?

April: On NatureApril 18Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Richard Fortey's book The Earth: An Intimate History.Our lives are less than the blink of an eye—cosmically speaking. Humanity, too. Here one day, gone the next. So, what do we do with that? We remind ourselves that everything happening around us—the things in our control and the things we have no agency over—is temporary. We’re lucky to be here while the Earth allows it. Don’t forget it—each and every day we get is a gift. And it is also a cosmic anomaly. We are alive. We are living creatures in the vastness and emptiness of space. Think about that as often as you can. Try not to gorge yourself on resources. Try instead to embrace and nourish nature. Love others and love yourself before it all changes and disappears, and we become less than a memory. Reflection title: Are You a Tick?Creative inspiration: Richard Fortey, The Earth: An Intimate HistoryReflection Question: Have I listened well to the lessons of nature? Am I a gorging tick or a caring custodian?

April: On NatureApril 17Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from the song "Where Do the Children Play?" by Yusef / Cat Stevens.While there’s something so innately human about a child's ability to play anywhere, they shouldn’t have to play just anywhere. Even the playgrounds, and while I am grateful that designated areas for children exist, are often lacking imagination, lacking nature, and they’re brutally hot in the warmer months without the shade and protection of trees. Children should have the opportunity to play on the sandy shores of the ocean, in a pristine mountain lake, or deep in the forest—in whatever bit of nature that might be available to them before it’s torn down and bulldozed over—where the wind sings and the animals speak. It is in these magical places that they learn and grow and connect with where they came from—nature, Earth—but to echo yesterday’s reflection, it is up to us to make sure that these places still exist for them. So again, do what you can. If you have children, or even if you don’t, go ahead, don’t be afraid to look crazy playing in the woods, in the grass, or in the dirt. It will do you good.We all have to do our part to make sure there are still places left for the children to play.Reflection title: Go Ahead, Go CrazyCreative inspiration: Yusef / Cat Stevens, "Where Do the Children Play?"Reflection Question: When was the last time I brought my children to the woods or the beach or mountains just to play? If I have no children, when was the last time I played in the woods or at the beach or in the mountains? When will I next?

April: On NatureApril 16Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from N. Scott Momaday's book Earth Keeper: Reflections on the American Land.As bleak as the outlook may be when you look around at the damage we've done to the planet, and at times when despair settles in as you watch the local woodlands get cut down and bulldozed in just a few weeks time, destroying or displacing the life that once called it home, just remember that nature is a resilient thing and despite the chainsaws and chemicals and smog, a little bit of green will always find a way. And consider the future generations who will either be left with a mess of mammoth proportions to clean up—a mess we made that they simply inherited, how kind of us—or a world of lush green life, fresh air, and clean water with which to play in, grow food in, and simply exist as a human in—the way nature intended when she created us. It’s possible. Don’t give up. Strive with all your strength to give them, those who come after, that gift of wonder. It starts with you.Reflection title: The Beginning Starts With YouCreative inspiration: N. Scott Momaday, Earth Keeper: Reflections on the American Land.Reflection Question: Have I looked after my little patch of earth with the hopes of leaving it better for those who come after me?

April: On NatureApril 15Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Kéramos."Is it any surprise some of the greatest paintings and works of art are interpretations of nature? We see beauty in the natural world and are compelled by something mysterious within ourselves to replicate it. We hear the sound of water by a creek or the sea and create music to bring us to tears or stir us into action in the same way. The wind moves through the trees, speaking to us like ghosts and all we can do in a vain attempt to translate its ancient language is write poetry in answer.The beauty of true art is that it comes from humans, and the beauty of humans is that we come from nature. Find art in nature, and then make some for yourself.Reflection title: Colors of the WindCreative inspiration: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "Kéramos"Reflection Question: When did I last find art in nature? When did I last create art myself?

April: On NatureApril 14Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Rachel Carson's The Sense of Wonder.As the work day continues on and the tasks pile up and the personal to-do list gets pushed back, a sort of pressure builds like a tea kettle coming to boil.The screens have taken enough from you for the time being and it's time for you to step away and find your medicine in nature.Take a walk, watch the sky, look at the leaves of the trees blowing in the wind, breathe the fresh air and look at all that your eyes were meant to behold in the natural world. All it takes is 10-15 minutes in nature to wash the dirt from your mind and replace it with soil on your fingertips. This is where you are meant to be. Not boxed in by walls and surrounded by screens.Feel the rejuvenating and healing spirit of nature.Reflection title: Take Your MedicineCreative inspiration: Rachel Carson, The Sense of WonderReflection Question: When did I last turn to nature for rejuvenation? Can I set a goal to spend time in nature even one day a week with no phone and no distractions?

April: On NatureApril 13Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Wallace Stegner's The Sound of Mountain Water.We are trading in the mystery and beauty of the natural world for trinkets and devices that spike our dopamine for a few moments to days and then are quickly discarded or forgotten about. We live greater than the kings of old, having virtually any type of food on the planet prepared and then delivered right to our door. Need a new hose for the garden? Get it delivered the same day you order it. Need a replica claymore steel sword from that movie you loved as a kid? Get it delivered tomorrow. And we are masters of the climate within our own homes, making it hot in the winter and cold in the summer. We even heat and cool our pools, depending on where you live. We live as though we have shackled and beaten nature into submission, forcing it to exist solely for our pleasure. But it doesn’t exist for us. We exist together. As one. But sometimes, oftentimes, we forget it. It’s easy to, unfortunately. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day. To want the next shiny thing that comes out, dangled in front of our eyes. It happens to all of us. But we must actively remember where we came from, and we must always fight for it and fight to preserve it. We are not single and separate from nature, we are part of the trees, rocks, and soil—brothers and sisters to the animals. We must cherish and preserve the remaining wilderness at all costs, or we risk losing part of what makes us human.Reflection title: Preserve It at All CostsCreative inspiration: Wallace Stegner, The Sound of Mountain WaterReflection Question: How have I worked to preserve not just the idea of nature and the forests, but also the physical state of nature? How can I do more?

April: On NatureApril 12Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet.When lost in life, we often look for road signs, beacons atop a lighthouse, or the North Star to show us the way and guide us home. And the truth is, we just don’t look for these things, we expect them to be posted before our very eyes, to rise out of the ground and blink their characteristic, or to flare up into existence out of the abyss of nothing. We seek these things out, expecting they will guide us to the answers of our questions of life, death, love, meaning, and everything in-between—but they cannot answer us because they are not there. I encourage you instead to look to nature, to the drops of rain on the petals of a tulip, the soft bits of moss on a stone in the shade of a trail, the bees working through the day toward a communal goal, and then look to the small moments with those you love—holding your partner’s hand, making your child laugh, sitting by the warmth of a fire in the winter with friends. You may not see it, but over time, and with love and care, as with the redwood, these moments will stack one upon the other and one day, live right into the answer you seek.Reflection title: Origins of HyperionCreative inspiration: Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young PoetReflection Question: Am I rushing my answers in life? Am I hearing the questions through or leaving them half unspoken? How can I better hold to the simplicity in nature?

April: On NatureApril 11Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Rooted by Lyanda Lynn Haupt.When the sun retreats, it is then that the house and the world go quiet, it is then that the chaos subsides and the silence enters your mind, then that you can hear the voice of your spirit, your own heartbeat, the blood in your veins. When the sun retreats, the mind can roam with the ghosts and the fairies, the mysterious and the last bits of the unknown left in this world. When the sun retreats and you wake in the middle of the night, stumbling to the bathroom or kitchen or nursery caught in between the worlds of sleep and waking, it is the closest you’ll ever be to wandering another planet or realm. The deep darkness is silence and silence is beauty. Embrace the darkness.Reflection title: Embrace the DarknessCreative inspiration: Lyanda Lynn Haupt, RootedReflection Question: Do I embrace the dark or fear it? When did I last sit in the quiet dark with just my thoughts? Can I make it a point to do this more?

April: On NatureApril 10Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot.When has change or growth ever been simple or painless? Is the scab over your healing wound soft and pleasant, or is it hard and rough, pulling your skin tight beneath it? And what of overcoming the loss of a loved one? Does emerging through to the other side of it stronger and wiser, with more love in your heart for them and those still with you not come with endless tears and sleepless nights? Any sort of change or growth that is worth a damn has its price. It is part of being human, it is part of growing and aging, it is simply an inevitable part of life. Always remember that out of that dead land, your roots will be stirred by the rain, but you will break through to bloom once again, beautiful and strong, ready for the sunshine. Always remember the lilacs are worth the price.Reflection title: Lilacs Worth the PriceCreative inspiration: T.S. Eliot, "The Waste Land"Reflection Question: What pain have I experienced that led to personal growth for me? How can I look to nature to remind myself that pain or suffering is not the enemy, but a catalyst for change and growth?

April: On NatureApril 9Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from John Lubbock’s The Use of Life.Something happened, and I don’t know when exactly—we can probably point our fingers at those who perpetuate and glorify the hustle culture, even before them, though we’re not here to do that—but something happened where we now believe that if we are not working or being productive every waking moment, then it is a waste of time. You must firmly plant your feet and reject this notion. It’s disgustingly capitalist, and it’s patently false. We are humans after all, not robots. We are part of nature, and do not exist to simply deplete it of its resources. It is perfectly natural and beautiful to rest, as we can see by observing nature, the animals, the insects, the birds—even the trees will rest in winter. So, please, the next time those voices call out to you, shut—no, slam the door on them and tell them to not disturb you. You have more important things to do than to listen to them, like lying on the grass under the trees, or listening to the sound of water by a creek, or watching the clouds float across the sky. It is all beautiful, and by no means a waste of time. Reflection title: Slam the Door and Don’t Look BackCreative inspiration: John Lubbock, The Use of LifeReflection Question: When was the last time I truly relaxed, guilt free? Let me right now plan out my next moment of lazing in nature, because it is beautiful and important.

April: On NatureApril 8Welcome to the 100th episode of the Everyday Human!Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Henry David Thoreau's journal.We answer to so many voices. We are controlled by so many things—circumstances, events, and decisions from others. And perhaps most of all, time. But not in the natural sense of time, the kind that is seasonal, rather a human-made version of it.And the hourglass becomes a prison for us, the bars of the minute and second hands caging us in. But what if instead we lived with nature and with the seasons? What if we slept with the moon and woke with the sun? What if we embraced the chill air of winter and lazed in the summer heat? What if we drank the cider only after the apples were harvested in autumn, tasted the tomato and cantaloupe from the vine, still hot from the summer sun? What if we spun with the earth and changed our lives with the seasons? We would learn much about our planet and ourselves, I’d wager. Reflection title: Tomatoes in WinterCreative inspiration: Henry David Thoreau, JournalReflection Question: When did I last live with the seasons, truly embracing them? Have I ever? If not, how can I start today?

April: On NatureApril 7Today's reflection was inspired by another quote from J.R.R. Tolkien, this time from The Fellowship of the Ring.There is an important difference between loneliness and solitude. One can be devastating for your mental health, your physical health, and just your overall well-being. While the other can do wonders for your mental health, your physical health, and just your overall well-being. You can be lonely in a city of millions of people, and you can find happiness in solitude alone in the wilderness of the mountains, miles away from another soul and civilization.But in these wild time, often to find solitude, you must be intentional about it. You must actively seek it out. Spend time with nature and yourself, have a conversation with the wind and the trees and your soul, close your eyes and just breathe, leaving everything else behind, if only for a short while—your responsibilities will be waiting for you upon returning, you can be sure of that, but for now sit in the peace and quiet and think of a nice ending for your book.Reflection title: You Have To Seek It OutCreative inspiration: J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring.Reflection Question: Am I getting enough solitude? Where in nature can I find it—and what time?

April: On NatureApril 6Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from one of Vincent van Gogh's letters to his brother, Theo van Gogh.The traps are everywhere, and they’ll snag your arm, trip up your feet, and drop you into the bottomless pit of desire if you’re not careful. They’ll sell you the water that falls from the sky, the opportunity to move your body beneath fluorescent lights, the chance to drive hours and pay money to sleep in a bed that is not your own—not to mention the other, more obvious things, the flashy things like the new phone, car, computer, headphones, gaming system, watch, streaming service, or shopping app—whatever it might be. And look, this is the world we live in. You shouldn’t feel bad for having this stuff, or wanting it—it’s almost impossible to resist it because the 24-hour targeted marketing campaigns are so ingrained in our lives that we don’t even notice them . . . that is until you break the glass.  How to do that?Well, listen on and find out . . .Reflection title: What More Could You Ask For?Creative inspiration: Vincent van Gogh, Letter to Theo van GoghReflection Question: What material goods have I been hung up on? When was the last time I spent time with nature, art, or poetry?

April: On NatureApril 5Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Maya Angelou's The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou.The mind can be a capricious and unpredictable thing, can't it? Just like the spring weather.There might be an event or obligation in your future that you're dreading. You've gone through the scenario over and over in your mind and you can't help but see all the worst ways it could turn out. But what happens in your imagination does not equal reality. What looks like rain can turn to clear skies with the sun shining through, and most of the time, that's the case.So try and live in the present and be patient, you'll see how things turn out soon enough, and it probably won’t be as bad as you think.Reflection title: Listen and LearnCreative inspiration: Maya Angelou, The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou.Reflection Question: Am I listening to and learning from nature? What was the last thing it told me?

April: On NatureApril 4Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Bluebeard's Egg by Margaret Atwood.Something happens inside of us at a certain point, but you can’t hear it or feel it. You don’t even know it’s happening when it does. Somewhere amidst the evolutions of childhood to adolescence to adulthood, a switch is flipped that tells your brain it’s not good to be dirty. Or that being dirty is gross. That it’s unsightly or it will make you sick. That being dirt-free is the standard for which we should strive. This is a terrible lie. Humans were born in the dirt. And so it is a terrible switch that has been flipped that tells you to no longer love it, and if I could flip it back down and then break it from the wall of switches in everyone’s mind, I would.But I would encourage you to just spend time outside. Play in the garden, go barefoot, get on your knees in the grass, in the dirt if you can—you can always wash it off, can’t you?You can’t always be a child, but for a short time, every once in a while, you can undo what has happened to you at some strange point of growth and learn to love the dirt again—and at the end of the day, you will smell like the child who smells like the dirt. Reflection title: Flip the SwitchCreative inspiration: Margaret Atwood, Bluebeard's EggReflection Question: When was the last time I played in the dirt or planted something? If I have an aversion to it, why?

April: On NatureApril 3Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from Childe Harold's Pilgrimage by Lord Byron. Our daily routines are filled to overflowing it feels like, often bursting with work tasks, errands, chores, and maybe some health and wellness activities and relaxation sprinkled in.But how many of us include nature in the daily routine? How many of us make it a point to speak to the stars, watch the sunrise or sunset, or simply walk barefoot in the yard and look closely and carefully at the plants and trees?If you do not already include nature in your daily life, how can you start today?Reflection title: Pleasure and Rapture, All AroundCreative inspiration: Lord Byron, Childe Harold's PilgrimageReflection Question: How can I strengthen my appreciation of nature and work it into my daily routine?

April: On NatureApril 2Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver. One of the greatest lies we’ve ever adopted, ever believed as humans, is that we are separate from nature—or the idea that we somehow are above it and rule over it. This separation is akin to attempting to pull apart the present from the past, or ripping the day from the night. It has led to a litany of problems for us as a species and as individuals, and the fact that we have forgotten that we are a part of nature too is leading to its unnecessary and early destruction by our own hands.But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can still change course and remember our roots and work toward unification with nature—and do everything in our power to protect it now and far into the future.Reflection title: Never Forget Where You Came FromCreative inspiration: Mary Oliver, "Wild Geese"Reflection Question: Have I forgotten nature? How can I return to it—what will I do today to make it happen?

April: On NatureApril 1Today begins a new month, and with it, we say goodbye to the theme of March, which was On Death, and hello to a new theme of April: On Nature. To kick us off, this episode was inspired by the poem “April Rain Song” by Langston Hughes. I’d hear the rain start slow, then hammer down on the roof and my window faster, and it’d put a stop to whatever it was I was doing, and I’d move over to the window and look out and just watch as the world outside was transformed by it. But that wasn’t enough. I needed to feel the change in the air, the temperature drop and the humidity, smell the petrichor. And I guess my father felt the same way. The memories of my father are a heavy mix—the good, the bad, the in-between—but those quiet times out on the porch, listening to the rain . . . those were good nights. And from them, I learned to love the rain. Reflection title: Watch It, Hear It, Smell ItCreative inspiration: Langston Hughes, "April Rain Song"Reflection Question: What is my fondest memory of rain? If I don’t have any, I’ll make one next time it rains.

*Bonus Episode*March: On DeathMarch 31Today's second reflection was inspired by the poem "Canticle" by Wendell Berry.We all interact with Death in different ways. We all have different relationships with it. But what influences those relationships? Your culture? Religion? Country? Upbringing?We're told that in order to reach a glorious afterlife, the physical body must decline and fall. Have you ever stopped to think about your beliefs around Death? Where do these beliefs come from? Do you agree with what you believe? Or is a change necessary?Reflection title: What Does it Mean to You?Creative inspiration: Wendell Berry, "Canticle"Reflection Question: What have I been led to believe death means? Have I questioned any of these assumptions? Have I taken the time to consider what it means not to the church or town or city, but to me?

March: On DeathMarch 31Today's reflection was inspired by John Keats' poem "Ode to a Nightingale."We often want what we can't get. That's another odd yet fundamental aspect of human nature. Immortality, something we already looked at in previous reflections, for instance. Or at least the desire to live on in one way, shape, or form after we're gone. Why do we want this? How does this perceived or imaginary time after we die impact the present moment in which we live?While the nightingale’s song may be immortal, the bird does not sing for everlasting life, it sings because that is what it must do. So find what it is that you must do, and carry on with it joyfully until you die, and do not wish for anything beyond that. Reflection title: Why Do You Do It?Creative inspiration: John Keats, "Ode to a Nightingale"Reflection Question: What is it that I must do and create? Have I been looking for immortality in the wrong places? How can I shake this desire to better live in the present?

March: On DeathMarch 30Today's reflection was inspired by the song "This Is Not an Exit" by Saves the Day.You can hope for a long life that has a nice and comfortable ending that sees you surrounded by your loved ones in your home or garden with the sun shining and a cool breeze blowing and birds singing as you slip away to the other side.But you just don't know when you'll go, or how. It could be an accident, a sickness, a freak storm while you're on vacation.And while the ending of your story is out of your control, you can prepare for it in whatever shape or form it takes by living well now—being kind to others, caring for nature, and loving yourself. Do this, and whenever your end comes, you can go with the comfort of knowing you lived it well, the best that you knew how.Reflection title: All the World’s a StageCreative inspiration: Saves the Day, "This Is Not an Exit"Reflection Question: Am I doing all I can now? Am I living the best that I know how, or can I do more? What might that look like?

March: On DeathMarch 29Today's reflection was inspired by the song "The Green Fields of France" by Eric Bogle.You can study it, write about it, protest it, loathe it, but it seems that from the beginning and at least until this point in time, that it has always been with us. That violence and death at scale are a part of humanity despite grand and sweeping declarations of peace. Or despite the fact that World War I was supposed to be the war to end wars. No matter what, it always seems to creep back in from the shadows to happen again, and again, and again, and again. Is it possible? To have a world without war? I don’t know. Perhaps it is just the way it was, is, and will be. But at the very least, we don’t have to accept that. We can hope and do everything in our power, however small or big, to work toward seeing the end of it—to work toward never having to stumble across a field of white crosses or old faded photos of the Willie McBrides of war. Reflection title: It Was Always Here, but Does It Always Have To Be?Creative inspiration: Eric Bogle, "The Green Fields of France"Reflection Question: While it may seem futile, what small steps can I take toward peace?

March: On DeathMarch 28Today's reflection was inspired by the poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen.The textbooks and governments and politicians and propaganda outlets would all have you believe that it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country.You are told that it is good to offer the one thing that is truly yours in this world—your life—so that borders may be maintained or expanded, trade agreements can be written, minerals can be acquired, oil can be bought and sold, vengeance can be exacted, and so that certain gods can be imposed over others—and typically at the behest of one man, or a few.But do they tell you of the torture or brutal ends you might meet by bomb, bullet, fire, chemical, or other? Do they show you the face of those young humans crying and dying in foreign lands far from their parents and friends and homes? No, they do not show you the guttering, choking, drowning youths. Because why would they when they could instead tell you it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country?Though, herein lies the question: Do you believe the old lie?Reflection title: Do You Believe the Old Lie?Creative inspiration: Wilfred Owen, "Dulce et Decorum Est"Reflection Question: Well, do you believe the old lie? If so, why? Or is it not so black and white?

March: On DeathMarch 27Today's reflection was inspired by a haiku by Matsuo Bashō.This reflection deals primarily with the subject of child death. If you are sensitive to this subject, I'll be back tomorrow with another reflection should you decide to skip this one.The parent whose child has died will forever bend with the weight, but they also have a choice: They can let the weight bend them to breaking, or they can wait for time to begin to melt the snow that weighs them down, remaining strong while keeping their new shape, for it will never be forgotten. It is their new way of life and their new reality. It is the way they will always remember that which they have lost, and be grateful for the time, however short it was, they had. Reflection title: Bend Not BreakCreative inspiration: Matsuo Bashō, Haiku 22Reflection Question: How can I be more aware of the limited time I have with those I love? In what ways will I resolve to become more patient and present with my children, family, or friends?

March: On DeathMarch 26Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from A.D. After Death by Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire.Nothing can escape it. Because how can you escape something that is inevitable? Something that simply was, is, and will always be? Why would you try? Why would any of us try? Whether you see it or not, acknowledge it or not, Death walks beside you always. But the child is nothing to be feared. It is inherent in all that exists. It is a part of you just as much as life is. It is everywhere. The end of something. The short and precious existences of the living and the inanimate, too. Even the seconds of the universe, some might say god itself, are ticking away toward an end.So instead of running from or fearing it, embrace it, love it, and next time you cross a shadowed corner or come upon a near-empty gas tank, a filled-up journal, or a drained coffee mug . . . look directly at it and wave and say, "I see you."Reflection title: I See YouCreative inspiration: Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire, A. D. After DeathReflection Question: Where have I seen Death recently? Did I turn and run? Did I even realize it was there?