Sleep, Eat, Love, Work and Deep Quiet

22 February 2012
7:07 PM

Sunrise at	8:26 AM	in direction	113°	East-southeast
Sunset at	5:44 PM	in direction	248°	West-southwest

Duration of day: 9 hours, 17 minutes (6 minutes, 48 seconds longer than yesterday)

Much of my life is like that of anyone's life and especially anyone who lives in the U.S. or Canada.  I eat, sleep, dress - these are factors that we all must have secure in order to be comfortable.  What makes me comfortable is different from a person living in Miami, but the goal is the same.  I am lucky to have meaningful work - and even a person who is out of work or retired or works within the home has tasks to do.  We all have activities that we engage in during the day.  I use a computer for my work, much like most other people with jobs in the U.S.  I sit at a desk, I serve people as well as focus on my developing computer software needed to integrate our tools with the university system and its needs.  I am very fortunate also in that I genuinely like the people I work with. 

I love my husband, my dogs, my children, my friends.  I feel drawn to people I read about because of how they think or how well they express themselves.  I feel drawn to Aliy and have been lucky to get to know her.  I love Dawnetta and her essential, mystical hippie spirit.  The times I have spoken with Sebastian I have been impressed with the quality of his being.  My friend June constantly provides me with warmth and humor and support.  I admire Gwen's intelligence and ability to make things out of nothing, which has made her valuable in her position as Director of an important program.  My close family and extended family communicate regularly. 

All of the things I have describe mark me as no different than anyone else on the face of the planet, despite where I live.  There is strength in knowing that.  We all face hardships and unique circumstances.  We all have personal obstacles that we must overcome; we all have moments of inexplicable joy.  This is the human condition where ever we live.  I love talking about Alaska and the beauty here.  I love the unique aspects of my life, but at the core, at the very center of my being I need the deep quiet of a peaceful heart in communion with the infinite universe.

I won't speak of God or religion because how we understand and express that pull to the depths of our being, to our soul place does seem to vary and I don't want to talk about specifics.  But, I do want to say that the quiet of Alaskan wilderness mirrors the quiet I seek inside.  But we still do seek it within ourselves.  We still long for the deepest, most intimate relationship with what is lasting.

Sometime when I look into the night sky and the aurora are flowing, the stars are glistening, or the moon lights the snow in its long arc across the sky, I almost see the edge of eternity.