"Love always hopes". I experienced this when my dog, then young, was on the edge of death through illness. I couldn't bear the loss because I loved him so much - for that reason I "hoped against hope". I had the same experience with my son. I could not bear the pain of his self inflicted demise - love meant I could do nothing else but squeeze every slight indication of hope - if I didn't care I wouldn't have bothered to do so. Maybe this is the connection between hope and love - if we didn't care we wouldn't hope and the measure of care is proportional to the measure of love. Btw my dog is alive and well and my son is now doing great!
Thank you @Bruce Clark for your comment… for me it points to what so many have lost… the deep caring, hoping against hope, that Love IS. As Joanna says we have become so afraid of pain… our ‘Dance’ is not to be one of avoidance, rather finding the Dance that will lead us through the fear and pain of Life. 🫲♥️🫱
That’s an interesting observation- does that come from a Buddhist way of seeing the world? I wouldn’t trust anyone who can’t feel deeply! In my approach to moving spirituality, emotionally moving is one of the keys!
Yes, Eline! That’s a Dharma drop with a splash of Joanna Macy, a pinch of Leonard Cohen, and a full-body bow to the holy mess of being human. Buddhist, yes—but also Celtic, Sufi, Magdalene… any path worth walking weeps at the threshold of the Real.
Feeling deeply isn’t a side effect—it’s the pilgrimage.
And when you’re present, there will be grieving to do, but that this — strangely, interestingly, kind of miraculously — increases our capacity to love this world. This touches my heart. We said goodbye to our beloved Teddy Rupert aged 13 in 2022. Holding him in our arms, we held him in the moment - fully aware, tenderly with love.
Because of The Inner Landscape of Beauty interview, I actually landed up in being invited to Western Ireland in 2023.
The O’Donohue family is just amazing. Mary O’Donohue drove a group of us around and allowed me to “draw and ride” in the front passenger seat. I’ve never been the same: motion, time and distance on the auld sod.
Thank you so much for sharing Joanna’s Wisdom… the Call is so strong in our time to stand with our grief and all the pain we have been avoiding… real-eyes-ing… by moving through the pain we actually become more Whole, more Wholesome with greater capacity for The Holy, The Divine, The Dance with Presence.
Thank you 🙂 just some thoughts:
"Love always hopes". I experienced this when my dog, then young, was on the edge of death through illness. I couldn't bear the loss because I loved him so much - for that reason I "hoped against hope". I had the same experience with my son. I could not bear the pain of his self inflicted demise - love meant I could do nothing else but squeeze every slight indication of hope - if I didn't care I wouldn't have bothered to do so. Maybe this is the connection between hope and love - if we didn't care we wouldn't hope and the measure of care is proportional to the measure of love. Btw my dog is alive and well and my son is now doing great!
Thank you @Bruce Clark for your comment… for me it points to what so many have lost… the deep caring, hoping against hope, that Love IS. As Joanna says we have become so afraid of pain… our ‘Dance’ is not to be one of avoidance, rather finding the Dance that will lead us through the fear and pain of Life. 🫲♥️🫱
Amen to that 🙏
I was scared initially.. thankfully.. they are still with you🙏
This was beautiful. I've written down Joanna Macy saying 'THIS moment we're alive: you can dial up the magic of that anytime'. Thank you
Grief is just love that refused to give up when reality got weird.
Joanna Macy teaches what most spiritual influencers won’t: that feeling deeply isn’t failure, it’s fidelity.
If you’re cracked open, good. That’s where the light leaks in.
That’s an interesting observation- does that come from a Buddhist way of seeing the world? I wouldn’t trust anyone who can’t feel deeply! In my approach to moving spirituality, emotionally moving is one of the keys!
Yes, Eline! That’s a Dharma drop with a splash of Joanna Macy, a pinch of Leonard Cohen, and a full-body bow to the holy mess of being human. Buddhist, yes—but also Celtic, Sufi, Magdalene… any path worth walking weeps at the threshold of the Real.
Feeling deeply isn’t a side effect—it’s the pilgrimage.
Totally agree!
I met Joanna Macy through On Being and I have been moved and changed and enamored ever since. We need her wisdom; these times are on fire for it.
And when you’re present, there will be grieving to do, but that this — strangely, interestingly, kind of miraculously — increases our capacity to love this world. This touches my heart. We said goodbye to our beloved Teddy Rupert aged 13 in 2022. Holding him in our arms, we held him in the moment - fully aware, tenderly with love.
The On Being Project never disappoints.
Because of The Inner Landscape of Beauty interview, I actually landed up in being invited to Western Ireland in 2023.
The O’Donohue family is just amazing. Mary O’Donohue drove a group of us around and allowed me to “draw and ride” in the front passenger seat. I’ve never been the same: motion, time and distance on the auld sod.
Krista, your show stands out for me as one of the finest. You and your guests inspire me to be a better, wiser being and for that, I am grateful. 💙🙏🏼
Thank you so much for sharing Joanna’s Wisdom… the Call is so strong in our time to stand with our grief and all the pain we have been avoiding… real-eyes-ing… by moving through the pain we actually become more Whole, more Wholesome with greater capacity for The Holy, The Divine, The Dance with Presence.
🫲♥️🫱
Joanna Macy
On hope as grief, presence, love.
Let’s listen, learn how.