Debra Basham

Living and Loving

Tag: Parker Palmer

  • The Conditions for Rebirth

    Yesterday I listened to a talk with some surprising futuristic predictions of grave conditions in the United States. And this morning I saw a significant photo on the Facebook page of a friend. The photo is of a Robin sitting on the ground in some snow. That friend (and perhaps the Robin) have just returned to Michigan after some time in the south this winter. The caption reads: WTH!!!! I thought this was the first day of spring! This robin is not happy and neither am I.


    According to Parker Palmer, “There is a hard truth to be told: before spring becomes beautiful, it is plug ugly, nothing but mud and muck… But in that muddy mess, the conditions for rebirth are being created.”

    Most people can think of sayings that point to this reality of life. It is always darkest just before dawn. The only way out is through. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

    Many beautiful ways of thinking about every ending as a new beginning have also been articulated:
    “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” — Dolly Parton

    “Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.” — Desmond Tutu

    “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller

    Having served as a doula helping women through childbirth, perhaps experience is best realized in Parker Palmer’s last line: “…the conditions for rebirth are always being created.”

  • Spring

    There is a hard truth to be told: before spring becomes beautiful, it is plug ugly, nothing but mud and muck.
    I have walked in the early spring through fields that will suck your boots off,
    a world so wet and woeful it makes you yearn for the return of ice.
    But in that muddy mess, the conditions for rebirth are being created.

    ~ Parker Palmer

    No phrase brings me peace of mind any quicker than “Spring always follows winter.” In Michigan this year, as many other areas of the U.S., this is certainly a welcome thought. Spring is on the way.

    In the Imagine Healing process you use your imagination to generate detailed images of the stages for what you desire: short-term goal, mid-term goal, long-term goal. Although it won’t happen exactly as you imagine it, because you are able to have seen yourself surviving and/or thriving, your body and mind and spirit know how to do that.

    I’m thrilled to say that the digital version of the steps of Imagine Healing for preparing for surgery is available on Kindle for $2.99 (https://www.amazon.com/Imagine-Healing-Guided-Imagery-Help-ebook/dp/B013EYIK3W).

    I’m even more thrilled to say this process is not limited to surgery or even to medical or physical challenges. That is what Parker Palmer’s quotation really inspires in us.

    Because the fields of life (relationships, finances, attitudes, culture) are so wet and woeful, although it almost makes you yearn for the return of ice, the conditions for rebirth are being created by the current circumstances. Our lives—our world—is ready for us to vision the improvement we long for in all areas of our lives.

    Spring always follows winter….