starmusings

To the wood

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 14:15:06 GMT

What are you drawn to when it comes to natural resources? Do forest walks leave you reminiscing about your childhood days of discovery and natural experience? What kinds of effects do these beauties of nature afford your wellbeing?

I am always drawn to nature, no matter where I travel to, in this world of abundance around me.

Whether that is pondering over the greatest and mightiest oak in the whole forest or enquiring over the forensic scenes of uprooted trunks left over from storms; each has their place in the feelings evoked from the stories they own.

Wood has consistently played a huge role in my life, having had a Carpenter father who worked tirelessly to get the perfect smoothness or the exact dovetail in the furniture he proudly and cleverly made.

My oldest memories are the gentle falling of wood-shavings being planed across the patch of grass in our cosy backdoor. The smell of those crisp curls and their ability to be transformed into all kinds of heuristic, child-initiated play-props, has lived with me all my days.

If and when I choose to add to the curation of my home surrounds or update my current living space; textures, scents, colours and the memories evoked by them, are largely evident. Equally, I return to the child in me that searches for the seat-giving stump of restful rejuvenation, an old withering log that provides table space for a last-minute picnic or a step bridge across a small river.

The shady patches offered by the towering canopies above, bring their own exquisite gifts of dancing light.

I need to go to the woods and I need to go often it appears. I need to continue searching for new paths, to feel the undulating ground that keeps my balance intact as I move forward into a different age and stage in life.

Most importantly I need to continue to stand and breathe with these mighty oaks and branch-twined pathways that call to me, 'Come and find your own route. Come and feel rooted.'

Maria Cairnie

In the comfort of my love

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 17:01:49 GMT

Someone once reminded me of a story that occurred when I was a child coming home from school one day with homework about the senses and I was asked the question 'With what do we feel?' and my infantile answer was 'comfort'. How amazing to think that the word comfort has come to mean so much to me into my adult life and beyond and that I can live with the hope that my words and sharings continue to bring comfort to many.

Someone you know today or even you, yourself, may be hurting, may be searching, may be filled with fear, needing comfort, rest or understanding and you yourself may be the one person that someone out there is hoping will be able to offer comfort, a little love, a gentle tenderness, a helping hand…

For everyone out there who understands and accepts their need to offer comfort to someone else, to spend time looking after others and nurturing their worries, anxieties or growth during these difficult times, may you also receive an abundance of comfort, help and love in return.

In the comfort of my love

You are hurting now my darling

let me hold you to me closely

let me wrap you in my comfort

in the comfort of my love

You are crying now my darling

let me catch the tears you’re weeping

let me hold them as they’re falling

in the comfort of my love

You are sighing now my darling

let me breathe with you till morning

let me calm you now to settling

in the comfort of my love

You are sleeping now my darling

let me lie with you in resting

let me dream with you till waking

in the comfort of my love

- Maria Cairnie

Tenderness

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 16:59:07 GMT

It’s at times of real difficulty, stress or heartache that we often see the greatest amounts of kindness and tenderness that any one human being is capable of giving or sharing.

In all of the sadness, struggle and deep despair that is being caused by the devastation of this awful virus and the impact on those infected and challenged by it, we’ve seen a huge outpouring of incredible human values where people that flow with human compassion and tenderness are doing everything they possibly can, to ease the pain and discomfort that others feel.

We can’t truly know or express happiness at a time when we witness and are surrounded by the open suffering of others in our lives and in our world. We are all keeping our own counsel on how much life is changing day to day and the roles that we are taking on as a result.

One thing is for sure though, no matter what is going on in our external surroundings, we can all keep a significant amount of tenderness in our hearts with the knowledge that it can and will bring comfort to somebody somewhere.

I wrote this poem a long time ago at a time when I desperately needed the unreserved tenderness of another human being, to help me through a really difficult time.

The one thing that always struck me about this coming together of one human offering their self so selflessly to another is that for me, ‘hope’ became the most stalwart force.

I hope you find tenderness where and when you most greatly need it.

Tenderness

Soft words are all you’ve spoken

Settled them like pearls

on a neck

of frozen vocables

Were you hoping

to quench the mouth

that is dry from crying?

Soft sentiments are all you’ve delivered

Dropped them

like wish-stones

into the deep well of healing psyche

Were you aiming

to trace the soul

that’s suspended in searching?

Soft heart-lines are all you’ve restored

Orchestrated them

like Neptune’s

wave-laps of recovery

Were you aiming

to free the shelled hope

that is set to cultivate?

- Maria Cairnie

You are enough

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 16:58:35 GMT

Self-work is a long, sometimes arduous, at times very difficult but also greatly rewarding journey and the amazing thing about it is that it really should never end.

I share this poem with you after hearing the wonderful news of a very healthy baby boy being born this week. At a time when we’re all struggling with keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe and fighting difficult thoughts in our own heads and in the heads of the young people in our care, (whom we want to keep calm during the turmoil that this virus has created), there is still time to celebrate the infinite joy of a healthy delivery.

I myself never became a mother in my lifetime although I had a very personal struggle in trying. If there’s one thing that my life has taught me, it’s that some things are meant to be and some not and there is great work to be done in acceptance along the way.

One thing I’ve always been immensely grateful for, is the incredible journey I’ve had throughout my career to work with and positively impact thousands of young children in Scotland and to have brave and talented nieces and nephews that I love very dearly.

I’ve had ample opportunities to share a mothering kind of love both far and wide and not everyone is this fortunate. For this I’ll be eternally grateful.

This poem can be viewed in any way that the reader sees fit but for me I’m thinking of the baby being born this week – for it is enough that health, safety and strength are with him.

I’m also thinking of myself and not feeling guilty in doing so as I know how far I’ve had to come and how much self-work I’ve had to do to get here.

I am enough.

You are enough

I don’t need you to be

anything more than what you are

and what a great unburdening that is –

to say it out loud!

Only you, only you

can bring me this freedom of expression

this enlightenment, this intent,

this beautiful starlit awakening

You are whole

and you

my darling,

you are enough

- Maria Cairnie

The Braw Bride of the Barras

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 16:39:41 GMT

A day in my life as I reminisce over conducting a wonderful wedding ceremony that was to be a walk down memory lane in the heart of the Glasgow Barrowlands.

I recently received an email to let me know that a wedding I officiated at in September of last year, had been featured in the Braw Brides blog. This was a really exciting thing to see and moved me to take the fine opportunity of sharing it with you.

I do this for many reasons but mainly because this kind of work brings me a huge amount of joy, love, happiness and excitement and I feel like I am truly making a difference in the day of each and every couple I get a chance to meet.

Also – isn’t it a wonderful thing to be able to see the story of a whole day unravel?? To bask in the joy that must’ve been shared and felt on that very day by all who were in attendance.

I have been fortunate enough to travel the length and breadth of Scotland both in this capacity and in a Storytelling capacity and I can say again and again and again - Scotland is an amazing country for weddings.

You can only imagine how excited I was then when I was asked to conduct a ceremony in The Famous Glasgow Barrowlands for this incredibly hip couple!

I have very fond memories of visiting Rita’s fashions in the Barras as a child, with my mum, picking up fresh fish and all other sorts of delights, whilst wandering through the streets looking at all of the things people didn’t need or want anymore. Piles and piles of memorabilia just waiting for my inventive brain to make up stories to attach to them. The atmosphere was amazing back then and the people and their street-life taught me many lessons about what it is to be human, to be alive and to be kicking it up with gusto and gratitude and with the life that’s in me.

On the day of the wedding, the banter on entering the venue had its own kind of electricity as I stopped to speak to a man dealing in bikes of every kind. The sun was blazing and the feeling of love, humour and family connection around me as I stepped inside was and still is something I will always care to remember.

This is the poem that was woven into the script for Laura and Mike and it was perfect for them.

You can see all of the photos by the very talented Martin Venherm at the link below and you can contact Martin here: https://martinvenherm.com/contact/

https://www.brawbrides.com/blog/iconic-glasgow-wedding-barras?fbclid=IwAR3Fvsp6OyaeGgDkYjtw1JiTeDtuB7HZRq-oeflMG3ZCsQ4hCxp-gR-7WV4

All that I am

You’re my mussel

my clam

my words

my yarn.

My wool

my cloth

my sweet,

fragile moth.

You’re my north

and my south

my body,

my mouth.

My day

and my night,

my dark

and my light.

My waking

my sleep;

the thoughts

I hold deep.

You’re my freedom

my plight

my flee

and my fight.

You’re the reason

I’m here.

You’re my hope

year on year.

You are mine

and I’m yours

as a matter

of course.

You’re my storm

and my calm.

I woman,

you man.

You are all

that I am.

We’re both part of

this plan.

- Maria Cairnie

Show yourself

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 18:39:00 GMT

Show yourself that you are capable of so much more than worry by stopping to take time to breathe, stand still, look at yourself closely and know how far you’ve come.

If the last weeks of this pandemic and lockdown have taught us anything at all about our own selves, those that share our homes with us, our wider communities and society and the rest of the living world, it is to be daily and purposefully reminded of how incredible the gift of life and the gift of self really are.

Minutes, hours and days have gently encouraged us to slow everything down to living in the present state, to take refuge in our homes if we are fortunate enough to have them, to savour the flavours, colours, textures and nourishment in our food if we are fortunate enough to be able to do so, to hold closely in our hearts the health, vitality, strength and lives of our own bodies, and the bodies of our family, our friends and our loved ones and to take the most profound yet simple joy from very simple day to day living.

Many of us have our own names for the processes of noticing the tiniest or greatest things and appreciating their inherent value. Some choose to call these processes daily mindfulness practice, some call it gratitude and some call it faith.

Whatever words you choose to define the act of slowing down enough to appreciate the simple things in life are entirely up to you…

Show yourself