Ephemeral echoes
acknowledging the nature of life
"Breathing in, I calm my body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment."~ Thich Nhat Hanh
I came across a poem while cleaning out some files in my office at church and it intrigued me.
Someone, I do not know who, took the time to clip a poem out of a newspaper and save it. After reading it, I discovered why.
It is called Ephemeral Echoes and I will be the first to admit that I had to look up what the word “ephemeral” meant.
As Wikipedia reminds us the word is derived from the Greek word ephēmeros (meaning "lasting only a day"), and it reminds us that our time is short and should be cherished.
In the Bible, "ephemeral" describes the fleeting, temporary nature of human life and material things compared to the eternal nature of God. It highlights that worldly pursuits are short-lived, urging believers to focus on spiritual and everlasting matters.
For example, in the Book of James, human life is compared to a vapor or mist that "appears for a little while and then vanishes". Similarly, Psalm 39:5 states that every person at their best is "but a breath".
Perhaps the poem also had more meaning to me as I reflected on the sudden passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham. How could someone be here one moment and gone the next?
I have lost people in my own life suddenly yet whenever it happens, even to people that I have never met, it still surprises me…
For whatever reason, the poem reminded me that in a world filled with mindless doomscrolling and frantic chaos, remembering the simple beauty of our existence is really the key.
Here’s the poem. I will let you decide how it fits into your view of our current world.
I still don't know who took the time to clip this poem and tuck it away, but I'm glad they did.
Maybe that's the point - the paper yellows yet the words found their way to me anyway.
In a world built for scrolling past the present, may we keep reminding ourselves to look up and see what really matters.
What we own won't outlast us, but the care we plant in others just might.
What do you think?
For information about why I started this newsletter, please go to the about section.
The word is…
In honor of my dear friend and mentor, Sister Agnes, I am choosing to focus each issue of my newsletter on one word.
This time our word is Life.
"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." ~ Robert Brault
Tranquil Moments…
I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:
This week’s Smile video…
The old adage "it takes a village to raise a child" was turned on its head when it took a child to unite a village in North Carolina. Steve Hartman goes "On the Road" with the story.
#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove
Stories from the Stage
Yunus Quddus shares what a stray cat taught him about courage during his rough-and-tumble childhood. Grab a Kleenex…this is a good story…
What I am reading…
This week I continue listening to Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer as part of a book club at church.
I can’t say enough good things about this book….every chapter is a beautiful story…and I think it is among my favorite books of all time!
The Amazon description is as follows: “As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers.
In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowing together to reveal what it means to see humans as “the younger brothers of creation”. As she explores these themes, she circles toward a central argument: The awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgement and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the world. Once we begin to listen for the languages of other beings, we can begin to understand the innumerable life-giving gifts the world provides us and learn to offer our thanks, our care, and our own gifts in return."
Photo memories…
“We take photographs as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone…” Love these photos of my Dad and Mom (I think it’s from their honeymoon in 1948)…
Mind/Body connections…
Take time to check in with your breath and invite balance to your nervous system.
Comedy Lift…
I love to share funny cartoons or memes with friends and family. Who doesn’t need to smile? Here’s this week’s Comedy Lift…
Music Moments
Music inspires me in many ways. Here’s I’ll Fly Away by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash ...Enjoy!
Quote of the week
Until next week. Please remember…Begin and end each day with a grateful heart…and always, always be kind….
The Kindness Boomerang newsletter is a 2025 recipient of the Sunshine Blogger Award.
Your discovery of this lovely poem in an unexpected place matches an experience of my own. Not long after my wife's passing last November, while going through a folder of financial documents that she managed, I found a little prayer in her handwriting on a small index card, a prayer intended for someone grieving, asking that God heal their heart, fill the empty space, find peace. This was astounding - it seemed to be placed there for me at that moment. There are no coincidences! Thanks for your post - I loved the closing quote of the week.