I have become bored and disenchanted with my own story, and with other stories I have believed throughout my life. It's been a slow, gradual unraveling; decades long. But like the last bit of a toilet paper roll, the closer it gets to the end, the faster it unravels; which can make the thought of how to handle sh*t without it pretty scary. 
Though I have looked into alternative stories to try on, the idea of replacing one with another feels desperate and disingenuous, so I have decided instead to learn how to love the blank page instead of judging the stories previously written. It's amazing how quiet things get when the harsh voice of judgment is switched off. 
On my birthday at the end of May, I began a daily practice of writing a "tiny poem" first thing each morning as my sole intentional spiritual practice. With a lifetime of hyperreligiosity and hypergraphia behind me, this has been good medicine. 
The above words form one of these tiny poems, through which The Sacred seems to have agreed to meet me; as and where I am presently capable of showing up. Not to be overly dramatic about my ongoing personal dark night of the soul, nor to make light of  long term personal struggles, spiritual and otherwise; but the joke is not lost on me that it seems the only time I feel any semblance of divine presence anymore is when I relinquish all narratives and judgments pertaining to myself and my life experiences. The blank page being the only holy writ that speaks to me. When I allow myself to relax into a space of genuine self-acceptance, and say, "yep; and still I love you", that's the only place this side of a hot fudge sundae I am able to access a proper hit of holy dopamine. 
As I sit here typing this, I am home from work, nursing a bout of walking pneumonia. Though I suppose technically, in the moment, it is sitting criss-cross applesauce pneumonia! I did take my pneumonia for a short, slow walk this morning as the sun was rising, which is when I snapped the accompanying photo. 
How dearly I love saying good morning to the morning! 
Thank you for joining me on this little thought-amble and word-ramble. 
Sending love, smiles, and dollops of holy dopamine,
~Cheryl Anne 

I would wish you a warm hello, but in most places where my friends and few readers dwell, it's plenty warm enough already. So, just plain hello, I suppose. 
While I have been writing daily since the end of May, I have not been inclined to put anything "out there". Out There is honestly not my cup of tea. My cup of tea is, well, a cup of tea. Sipped slowly; In Here, preferably surrounded by trees. 
I think I can feel selfish for sharing when I don't seem to have much capacity at all for engaging online. Sort of like baking something for the potluck and stealthily leaving it on the table and scurrying to the car before others begin to arrive. Not that I have ever done that, right? ;-) 
I keep a Healing Things journal, where I write down helpful quotes, little healing thoughts that come to me, and a list of what I perceive I need less of, and more of in order to be as healthy as possible. 
My top two entries: 
Less isolation. More connection. 
Less powering through. More self-compassion/care
Hmmm...One sort of cancels out the other. It's a long list, which I started a few years ago, and truthfully hadn't looked at in quite a while until today. 

What does any of this have to do with the above poem? 
Well, my Dear Brigid has recently been gently nudging me into a lighter, healthier, and hopefully happier place in my head, heart, and life. Hard work at any time, but in the context of the times in which we are living, it feels especially challenging. Just slightly shy of impossible, actually. But I am trying. And I am hoping to find the courage and capacity to venture a little further and more frequently, Out There. Which is important, because that's where I meet you; and I think you're wonderful, and beautiful, and worth the effort. 
Blessings of the Gold and the Green, and the Holy In-Between be with you. 
~ Cheryl Anne 

It's a doozy of a time, eh? The seeming burning down of all sorts external systems, and my acquired internal systems have decided to join the party. It's my prayer that it will all somehow shake out for the best; collectively and personally. 

"Help me to journey beyond the familiar
and into the unknown.
Give me the faith to leave old ways
and break fresh ground with You."
~St. Brendan, the Navigator 

When the unknown becomes less frightening than what we are experiencing, the time for courage and change is at hand; and the hand that reaches for ours belongs to the most beautiful friend we could possibly imagine. 
It is this friend who inhabits my earliest memory in this life, and I feel compelled to be reacquainted with that beautiful presence, who was too soon displaced by constructs and complexities. I am thankful for the lingering essence of this presence that has been wooing me back into relationship my whole life. I believe that such a relationship is alive in the deepest, quietest heart of every being. It is the best and truest part of us, waiting to be remembered and embraced for the healing of ourselves and the world. What is most unknown to us is who we actually are.
May we gently re-member and mend. 

Deep Peace, Great Love, and Original Blessing,
Cheryl Anne 

I saw roses and a bunny on my evening walk. The bunny scurried away, the roses did not. Hence the photo! Several scooches; one warm smile and returned "hello". It's amazing how big a joy and comfort one warm smile can be. I'm thankful. :-) 
Though my posts be few, my fond thoughts and wishes for you are many and frequent. 
Deepest Peace, Love, and All Possible Goodness,
Cheryl Anne 

Peace, Love, and All Goodness,
Cheryl Anne 
~ Solemnity of the Annunciation 2026

I’m mostly without words these days, but I am deeply thankful to walk among compassionate and courageous Friends of All Kinds. 
Sending Love and Gentlest Blessings, 
Cheryl Anne 

    My discovering the stories of the life and legends of Saint Brigid of Kildare as part of a greater feminine spiritual awakening in the mid 1990s, opened a door to great inner friendship, joy, and creativity in my life. One of the greatest sources of joy was learning about the folk customs celebrating Brigid, and I eagerly began sharing those with my young family. Some of my warmest memories are of the preparations on Brigid’s Eve. Choosing a scarf or piece of material to tie on a tree for Brigid’s blessing to use as a token of healing and comfort throughout the year, helping the children select special items to place on the porch, and a cushion for Her to kneel on to pray for our home and family. And of course, preparing the food and a leaving a little oblation to offer Brigid in thanks for stopping by and blessing us! It was truly magical, in the sense of wonder and happiness the occasion brought to our hearts and household. Oh, and I drank my one beer of the year! 
    This year I am living entirely alone (or so it may appear!) for the first time in my life. I hadn’t given much thought to how I would celebrate Brigid’s Eve, though I knew there would be some modifications due to the effects of a terrible ice storm we experienced last week. I didn’t feel safe trying to make my way to a tree on the grounds in the dark, icy, single digit windchill. As Goodness would have it, I happened upon some information yesterday that in certain regions of Ireland the custom was to hang items on your doorknob, so Brigid would inevitably have to touch them to get inside! Problem solved! I made a buttered bannock and brewed some Irish tea in lieu of the usual celebratory Irish beer, and set up tea service for two at my little ice cream parlor table. There I proceeded to have a heart-to-heart chat with my dear Soul Friend over a sweet cuppa. This just may be a new form of prayer for me! Con*tea*mplative prayer? 
 (That one’s for you, Good Padre!) 😉
     I awakened at dawn this morning to a soft snowfall, as seems to happen occasionally on this day of the year. To my childlike heart it is Brigid’s calling card; evidence of a gentle, gracious visitation. I am fully aware of the inherent difficulties of ordinary life, and the weight of current events that make me question many things about humanity. None of those things disappeared overnight. But there is something about stepping into a kinder, imaginal space of Presence, and opening to Wonder, that can lighten that heaviness a bit, and bring a gift of refreshment and inspiration to continue on in tenacious hope, having been reminded that we are not alone, even when it seems that we are; and that we are accompanied by Unfailing Love at all times; within and all around us. 
Go gently and tenaciously, my Friends.
Blessed St. Brigid’s Day! 
With love and prayers, 
Cheryl Anne
    

   A hopeful, warm hello to anyone who reads these words! It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise to me, after more than three decades of friendship with Brigid, that the occasion of Her Feast would call my creative spirit out of hibernation. Still, it was a joyful surprise to feel the stirrings of a song in my soul as I made my tea this morning. 
   Under  the weather, and the weight of the world this winter, I have been hunkered down; lacking adequate energy for sharing words. But my Dear Lady Brigid; well, She is a wellspring of illuminating generosity, and always has a way of prompting me to come out of my little self protective hole, metaphorically speaking.
 (I am suddenly feeling a kinship with a certain groundhog!)
    I pray that this little song may bring a gentle ray of hopeful light and warmth into your heart, and that you are able to access, with the help of Friends, within and all around you, all that you need to weather the harsh conditions in the world, till Light blooms. Hold on. 
Sending love and prayers, 
Cheryl Anne 

Today, along with being New Year’s Day, is, in the Roman Catholic tradition, the “Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God”.
 I am admittedly what would technically be considered a “lapsed Catholic”, but anyone who knows me, knows that the love of Mother Mary forged in my Catholic-schooled childhood, has never left me. Quite the contrary, it has been kindled throughout my life, regardless of my spiritual meanderings. She seems happy to meander with me, as a good mother tends to be when walking with her curious little ones. 
Part of me would love the sense of security that might come with following the rules and rubrics of the faith tradition I inherited from my earthly mother. Another part of me regularly smiles wryly and nods, “no”. The tug of war between those parts can be exhausting. Words like “obligation” are particularly difficult for someone who suffers from scrupulosity and religious trauma. 
It was helpful for me to hear the word, “Solemnity”, defined as “serious joy”. That definition helped me sort out the way in which I needed to attend to this day. Seriousness becomes something different when it’s inextricably joined with joy. If joy is lacking in our faith, whatever the tradition, then we are easily pulled into a self-serious fog. Fear, obligation, and guilt. The joy I speak of here is not a fluffy, spun sugar sort of thing, but an awareness and connection with a deep, abiding brightness that is ever present within and all around us; able to burn away the fog. Profoundly hard to find at times, She is worth squinting and looking for with great determination, in all circumstances. 
Wishing you and those you love a seriously joyful New Year! 
~Cheryl Anne

I woke up in the wee hours of this last day of the year, with this prayer praying itself through my barely conscious heart into the quiet darkness. It felt incredibly soft, warm, and promising; so I would like to share it with you. 
In light of all that has been and will be, may we remain open and responsive to the gentle promptings of Unfailing Love. 
You are in my heart and prayers.
This Day and throughout the New Year. 
~Cheryl Anne 

I hope this stillpoint of the year allows you to likewise stop, settle, and rest in Love.
~Cheryl Anne 

May we apprehend the Divine Tenderness present in the gift of shared tears, and taste in them a hint of the sweetness of the full potential of Justice, Healing, and Peace. 
~Cheryl Anne 

I had no intention of writing or posting here today, or any day, honestly. I thought I was done here, for various reasons. I even announced as much to a couple of close friends who know how tricky these things can be with me. But just like when I announce an impending sneeze and it inevitably retreats, my announcement of closing this weird little abbey once and for all, served only to swing the heavy door wide open and let in a brisk wind against whose strength I could do nothing but shrug my shoulders, surrender, and ultimately offer welcome. 
I may say more about this later. For now I am resisting picking at and pathologizing my soul, so I will simply leave this here. If you are still here, still reading, thank you. 
In the Light of Hope, I wish you Peace, Love, and All Goodness.
~Cheryl Anne

A quiet hello from the hearth. It seems my fallow season decided to make an early appearance in the guise of a difficult bout of Covid. Difficult physically and otherwise. I had already decided that I needed a stripped down bare bones sort of wintering, and the complete undoing of my energy and ability to function stepped in to facilitate. 
With too much time alone with my brain, there has been much pondering and prioritizing. There has not been energy for fresh creativity. My new little living space is a gentle cocoon which is thankfully easy to take care of and is conducive to this season of simple being that seems to be genuinely all I can muster. That’s not a judgement or complaint. It’s more a soft surrender.  The tricky part is learning to decompress without becoming depressed. To compassionately allow my knots to be undone. 
I came across this piece from 2019, and in honor of a beloved friend who recently lost his brother, it feels like an appropriate thing to share here today. I am not sure what, if anything, will follow in this space, as everything within me feels raw and retreated. There are many things I have thought, believed, and written over the course of my life that I am no longer sure of, but the idea that What is True cannot be lost (even if I don’t honestly know what the heck that means!) and that every little thing glinting in the sunlight and buried in the cold, hard ground is inherently sacred; these words still comfort me and keep the flame of wonder flickering in my soul. And so I leave that tender, tenacious little flame flickering here for you, my friends; and I wish you comfort and kindness and all truly good things. 
In Peace, 
Cheryl Anne 

May we look to the lowly and see the potential of healing the world through eyes of innocence and wonder; inspired to create love, peace, and beauty for those who are depending upon us. 

Perhaps for actual angelic reasons, or perhaps it’s just the way I am wired, but Michaelmas seems to act as a herald to me; calling me deeper into Soul and Season. Calling me home to the gentle glow of hearthfire in the center of my heart. I don’t think I have ever needed that more than I do now. I have a dear friend who refers to this time of year as “the light pulling in”. I want to cooperate with that invitation. 
 I’m thankful for the coinciding of this inner calling towards home and my finally feeling an inkling of being able to cultivate a sense of home physically in my new little place. 
Blessings of Hearth and Home to you;
within and all around!
~Cheryl Anne 

Still adapting to the demands of a new job (taking care of seven wee humans), and having finally fully moved into a new wee abode, I enjoyed my first early morning walk in my new neighborhood. This was just one of the sights along the way that made me smile and feel a sense of gratitude and home. 
Wherever,  and whatever size you may be; may you be met with all the help and love that you need. 
Go gently,
~ Cheryl Anne 

A few days ago marked the one year anniversary of the inception of this space for sharing some of my writings, which means it has also been one year since my cancer surgery. I have managed to honor most of my intentions in relation to keeping this space. I was a couple of days late with a few posts, but did post twice weekly for the duration of the year. I still owe personal poems to a few Founding Members; a promise I will seek to fulfill as I settle into a new little home and more livable work schedule. I am thankful for the grace extended by those folks as this past year brought with it more upheaval than I could have anticipated. Which brings me around to the poem I chose to share today. It was written ten years ago, but could have been written ten minutes ago, as my essential perspective and day-to-day struggles have remained largely the same. I suppose I am chronically myself. 
I had considered changing the name and focus of this space at the occasion of the one year point. I have attempted to reinvent myself creatively a few times over the years; thinking perhaps I might be able to reshape my thinking and feeling by seeking to live into a title that carried a different energy signature. Alas, I find myself still very much needing to warm myself by Brigid's Hearth in this little abbey of my broken, chronically hopeful heart. If anything, I feel inclined to nestle more deeply into this heart-space as an act of greater acceptance of who and how and where I actually am. 
One thing that will be changing here is the regular Tuesday/Saturday pattern of posting. It's been a good discipline, but I would like to loosen that a bit and share more spontaneously. I promise not to inundate anyone's inbox. Everything here is available to read without the necessity of subscription or emails, though it is nice knowing who is stopping by. 
My heartfelt thanks once again to those who were supportive of the founding of Brigid's Hearth at Oak Abbey. The financial help last year, through my time of recovery and income loss, made a beautiful difference. 
You all remain in my heart and prayers, with great love and gratitude.
Even if no words come,
~Cheryl Anne