i got a new book yesterday. called 'the book of qualities.' recommended by my dear friend sorrel. it's wonderful. poetic and artistic renderings of everyday emotions and essences. you may see some popping up here from time to time. the one that hit me today was devotion. 

 'devotion lights candles at dusk. she braids her grandmother's hair with an antique comb. she works as an ecologist at the university. she wears long flowing tunics with bright cotton pants. she has never taken a dance class, but she moves with an unstudied grace, sensitive to the edge where her body meets the air. devotion balances periods of great stillness with times of movement and exuberance. she has prayed in many temples and seen evidence of God in unlikey places. she keeps a postcard of Saint Francis above her desk. a Yemenite amulet hangs in her window. always she remembers to honor the Mother.'

i long for a time when devotion comes for a visit and stays for a long time. she is a frequent, but quick house guest. she tries to enjoy my home, but she has a hard time being in this city. it's rough for her here. all of the transience. and the people who move too fast for her slow and intentional ways. she feels invisible and afraid when she's here...but i've promised her that i'll have a home where she can stay, protected, some day...