I’ve been thinking this morning about a book called The Finding Stone that was given to me many years ago at a workshop.  It’s been out of print for quite a while, and I lament that fact periodically.  Written by Christin Lore Weber, it’s an amazing parable about the harrowing and hallowed journey that is each of our lives.  The first part of the book is a poetic parable and the second part takes passages from the parable and extrapolates, enlarges on each passsage.  About birth, death, and everything in-between, it’s an amazing, beautiful, uplifting journey!

Here’s a passage:

“She leapt up waterfalls
And through churning rapids,
Using all the power of the sea
Stored in her heart for seven years.

“The way home is within me.  I find my way like salmon smelling the waters of the place they were spawned.  If there is a trickle of water from the stream of their origin, the salmon find it.  They do anything to get there.  And I?  I am still on the move.  Still catching the scent.  I can say this:  I have seen others find their way.  Many of them are older, women and men who seem to lean back into their lives as if they could rest in themselves.  They like who they are.  They laugh.  They do not expect to be everything to everyone.  They do not expect to live forever.  I learn from them.  I use the power stored in my heart to find my way home.”

I do wish that one day someone would re-print this wonderful little book.  In the meantime, and with great appreciation to Christin Lore Weber, I’ll occasionally post a passage here.

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And now, shifting gears, we move to the campaign trail, where it’s a different world entirely.  Wisconsin votes today, and by reports Clinton and Obama are in a tight race up there.  The Clinton camp is working to undermine Obama by accusing him of “borrowing” some of his rhetoric from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.  Frankly, I don’t think it’s going to help their cause; it’s worlds away from Joe Biden’s well-publicized entry into the annals of plagiaristic infamy. 

The Clinton folks do themselves no favors with stuff like this and only appear slightly desperate and nit-picky.  Meanwhile, Bill seems to be losing his temper again and himself becoming the story, rather than standing back, being supportive, and letting this be Hillary’s gig.  After incidents like the recent dust-up in Ohio with the heckler I have to wonder.  This is something that he should have just walked away from.  Were it “his” campaign, would he have been more disciplined?  In my heart, I really wonder about the amount of self-sabotage that rattles around inside of Bill … and the myriad ways it can affect Hillary’s campaign.

Finally, while the Algarve Roster isn’t posted yet, here’s some news from Heather Mitts, indicating that she’ll be traveling with the team to Portugal.  It strikes me as a wise and creative move by Pia – showing her confidence and support for Mitts and perhaps relieving some of her nervousness/stress … so that she can rehab slightly more slowly and carefully (and not set herself back the way she appears to have at this recent camp).  I am going to be very curious to see the roster (out today or tomorrow) and then, come early March, start tracking the Algarve results!