Archives

Native spirituality

Nov29

@fennellcheryl on instagram 

Tell me about native spirituality I asked

It’s all about living in harmony with each other, animals and plants and the natural world 

We are all one family

Here, we grow spiritually by being kind, serving others and working for peace and unity 

In the other worlds of God we continue to grow 

Life and death are on the same continuum 

The spirit is constant in both

We need to thank the creator for his bounties

We need to keep our oceans and rivers clean

We need to hunt sustainably 

And we need to heal from the wrongs done to us in the past

Art can play an important role in this healing

Art can bring people together and increase understanding 

Art can build a bridge between cultures

These are all aspects of living spiritually

Nov 29th, 2023

In conversation with Cheryl Fennell, artist and designer @fennellcheryl

Morning thoughts

Nov24

In the quiet of the morning

No sounds is heard but the faint tick tock of the clock on the wall 

It’s still dark outside

It’s me and a cup of Earl Grey tea in my red mug

And dried fruit in the beautiful blue Japanese bowl we got as a gift years ago

Both are on the silver tray my mother brought from Bosnia when she was there 

This tray has designs on it and reminds me of Persian copper trays

And their beautiful engravings

I feel content

But my mind is also busy with all the projects I have on the go

My volunteer work for the Baha’i community

My work for the Persian Art and Culture magazine

Both of which come with monthly deadlines

My writing and publishing

The work of running a house

And now, back to teaching Daphne English

After a year that I didn’t do so due to my treatments

My to-do list is always full

I cross a few items off and add a few more

But that’s life

And life needs to be full of worthwhile activities

I’m grateful and content

As I finish writing, I hear the clock go tick tock, tick tock

Nov 24, 2023

Resistance

Nov21

You insist on taking our rights away

Our right to wear what we want

Our right to dance in public 

Our right to voice our opinions without fear of reprisal

Our right to be the voice of other women 

Our right to be free

And yet we resist

There is no truing back

You lash out with the hijab police

We continue to walk without our headscarves

You imprison those who speak out

They continue their work in prison and win awards

You pass laws to increase the restrictions on us

We continue to do what we want

Women’s resistance may be quieter than that of men

But women are strong 

They don’t back down

Even if they are not demonstrating in the streets

They are still furthering their cause

And if you ask me 

Women will win this fight

Nov. 21, 2023

magical alphabet

Nov20

They look like writing

Beautiful, soulful, intricate strokes

But this alphabet was created by Lorraine Prichard

Inspired by the Tablets written in the hand writing of the Bab

A Holy soul in the East has influenced a receptive soul in the West

And the result is mesmerizing 

Never say, “They are easy to be reproduced”

There is a lot of precise moment, and astonishing artistry involved 

And Lorraine does this effortlessly 

Black strokes on a large, striking, yellow upside down triangle

White lines on a black rectangular background

And the list goes on

These creations come from a magical place

That we don’t often consider or think about

Nov. 19, 2023

After Lorraine’s studio exhibition 

free play

Nov8

Po

“Creativity is free play with no rules”

This speaks to me

This frees me to be who I am

To create what I want

Not to judge myself or my work

Creating should be fun, not a burden

Creating should bring us joy

Rules create restrictions

And creativity needs freedom 

When we create

There is no right or wrong

What we create is a reflection of who we are

Others may not understand it 

Or may be critical of it

But that should not discourage us

What we create is valuable at all times

Sometimes the finished work may not be what we expected

Sometimes we learn a lesson we can apply later

But continuing to create is the way to success

Success in sharing our voice

Success in being a conduit for the forces of the universe

So, let’s play

Let’s create and be joyful 

Let’s not worry about rules

As they say, rules are made to be broken

There would be no innovation

If everyone kept doing the same thing 

November 8, 2023

*Rick Rubin

I say no!

Nov5

You say cover your hair

I say no!

And my daughter says no 

And her daughter will say no

It’s not possible to control half of society

There has been an awakening

You can’t turn the clock back

You put more forces on the street 

Go ahead 

This is not a battle that you can win 

One woman here

One woman there 

We are supporting each other every day

Our dark long hair is flowing on our shoulders 

And down our backs 

The wind plays with it joyfully

You hear my laughter as I chat with my friends

We will bring joy back  

Times have changed 

Jail time and arrests don’t frighten us

This is a worthy cause 

Each generation will be bolder than the one before 

And things will be different as time goes by 

What you want is against reason

And it’s plain to see 

Women are smart and they know that 

You say cover your hair

I say no! 

Nov 2, 2023

Living in the now

Oct29

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The future is unpredictable 

Especially when you have been diagnosed with cancer

There is always the chance of recurrence down the line 

But you can’t think like that 

You can’t think you are totally healthy either 

Because that may not end up being true 

So what do I do? 

I am healthy right now 

Relatively anyway 

So I’ll focus on that 

And appreciate each day

I am healthy and I’m getting the best treatment possible 

So, I’m grateful 

And I’m thankful for the lessons I have learned

And what I can share with others

Which will hopefully make a difference 

The future is unpredictable 

But I will live in the present 

And appreciate now! 

October 25, 2023

It’s only your body

Oct29

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It was difficult to lose my hair

Mom, it was only your body

You looked beautiful anyways 

You eyes shone bright as always 

I have scars across and under my breasts

Mom, you know that the physical matters not

Your spirit is strong and untouched 

I have little dots tattooed on me for radiation

Mom, no one sees them anyway

Your smile is as beautiful as always 

I have a portocath in my arm

It pulls sometimes when I stretch

Mom, it’s only your body

And you are as active as before anyway

I no longer have my breasts 

That’s also only your body

Your soul shines bright everyday 

October 27, 2023

The gift of time

Oct27


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When you overcome an illness

There is a sense that it was meant to be

That you are meant to be here still

And continue this physical existence a little longer

When you overcome an illness

You don’t take life for granted

You know that your time on this earth is limited

And you need to use it wisely 

There is nothing wrong with our existence after this life

As the spirit’s life is never ending

But we are here for a purpose

And need to use our talents and abilities

In the service of our community 

When you overcome an illness

Life becomes more precious

Time becomes more valuable

Projects becomes more urgent 

Family becomes more important

And you become grateful for the gift of time

October 29th, 2023

Life after retirement

Oct21

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Life after retirement can be very full and fulfilling too

I can do all the things I love to do 

Writing and publishing 

Interviewing and translating

Serving on various committees 

Travelling 

Staying in touch with my high school friends 

And having stimulating and funny exchanges with them

There are a few other things I do regularly too

And all of them bring me a lot of joy 

Yes, there is housework and paper work and those need to be done

But if the rest of the time I’m busy with what I like

A little housework didn’t hurt anyone 

October 21, 2023