| Friday, May 9 |
Out on a Limb |
| Over the years, we gain the wisdom to see where we may have made better choices. But wisdom is not about regret. It's about seeing how the lessons of the past can inform our decisions today. Maybe we should be cautious again ... or this may be a time to consider a higher risk. In either case — caution or risk — wisdom allows us to take in the thoughts of others, consider them, and then make decisions according to our own values and circumstances. |
First Light | Midday Meditation | Evening Reflection
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 On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed the second Sunday in May would be celebrated as Mothers' Day. Some say the idea of a holiday honoring mothers is an ancient one, dating to at least Greek and Roman times. "Mothering Sunday" in England is believed to date from the 1600s. In the United States in the 1870s, Julia Ward Howe wanted women to rise up and oppose war in all its forms, calling for a Mother's Day for Peace. Her idea was influenced by Anna Jarvis, a young Appalachian homemaker who, in 1858, created what she called Mothers' Work Days. She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors. Jarvis's daughter —also Anna — later successfully led a campaign for declaration of a national holiday.
 On May 9, 1882, William F. Ford, of New York, was issued a U.S. patent for an updated design of the stethoscope. In his patent specification, Ford wrote, "My invention relates to a spring connecting the two arms or ear-tubes of a stethoscope and governing the pressure exerted by the ear-tips in the ears of the examiner." Previously, he wrote, the spring that connected the arms could vibrate, creating sounds that might cause confusion and prevent an accurate diagnosis.
 On this date in 1955, "Sam and Friends" begins airing nightly at 6:25 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. on WRC-TV, Washington, D.C. Jim Henson would go on to become a beloved creator of television programs and films, with his equally beloved characters — The Muppets.
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Somewhere between jumping off a cliff, and nailing your shoes to the ground — is a reasonable level of risk.
By temperament, my children come at this from different ends of the risk/reward equation.
My son often won't even volunteer an opinion without first carefully thinking it through to be sure he won't be mistaken.
My daughter might bet her allowance on intuition alone.
Life — or really "living" — is not for the faint of heart. That's fundamental. For one child, it's a question of risk tolerance; for the other it's risk management — as I try to help them both move towards the middle and find a balance that invites good things to happen without taking really irrational chances....
Thing is, we often don't know the risks we're taking, until we crash and burn. But that's just as true if we never try to get off the ground — you can risk wasting life.
—Reed Galin
New Morning Treasury
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It's been a day of joys and sorrows, successes and failures. As you move into your evening time, here are some thoughts about the risk of not deeds but relationships:
To be vulnerable means you're capable of being hurt.
I wrote ... in my journal, "The more people I love, the more I am open to hurt."
To get married is a very vulnerable thing to do — to have children, to have friends.
It's that whole risk-taking that we have to do if we are creative and if our humanness is to be furthered.
—Madeleine L'Engle
New Morning Treasury
Weekly Prayer
There are times when I talk too much.
There are times when I repeat things which I have no right to repeat.
I pass on a story which may not be entirely true
or add my own embroidered flourish to a tale in the telling.
O God who always listens, forgive me.
Help me remember to keep a deliberate
and constant check on my tongue.
Keep safe within me the hurts and secrets that others have shared,
for they trusted me, and I was glad of that trust.
Keep safe within me the confidences of children,
lest they be hurt by my crass joking over their tender moments.
Keep safe within me those safe disclosures of weakness and fear
shared in a moment of intimate vulnerability by my spouse
as a further expression of love for me.
Keep safe within me all those communications
which were entrusted to me for safekeeping.
Help me to listen, as you do Lord.
Help me to use my ears more than my mouth.
With your help, Lord, may I never again hear myself
betraying a confidence or breaching a trust.
Instead, transform me, Lord, into a listening, trustworthy friend.
Amen.
Weekly Prayers are drawn from many faith traditions.
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Out on a Limb
 Have you ever let an opportunity pass you by because you were afraid to take a risk? We tend to be a society that depends on guarantees and safety nets.
I'm Timberly Whitfield! Visit our online community for my new reflection: how our fears could cause us to lose the chance of a lifetime.
You'll see the links to my reflections under "Videos." (Free registration is required for viewing.)
Please share your own thoughts in our forums. Have you ever been afraid to take a risk?
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From Readers
"And the last shall be first."
This week's "Last Light" photo is spectacular. I am really glad you decided to publish it.
In our ever shrinking global village, what is first light for some is last for others, so for half the world this was indeed a first light.
That is one of the awesome things about the dependability of our creation. Each day, without fail, our sun rises and sets and brings with it a never ending cycle of hope.
—Cherie Booker, M.Div.
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This Week's
Last(!) Light
This week, we received a wonderful photo taken by Dianne Hellekson just as the sun was setting in Faith, South Dakota.
We didn't have to think about it too long to decide to use it — even if it is a sunset rather than the sunrise we typically use in this spot.
Readers, thank you for generously sharing your inspirational photos. And if you prefer to send photos of sunsets as well as sunrises — that's great!
In any case, we do love to be able to publish your brief comments about where the photo was taken and what it meant to you.
If you would like to share a photo that you yourself have taken, please see "First Light Submissions" information at the end of this newsletter.
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Today's Blessing
May we be willing to face the pain of self-examination as we think about reasons for our past choices and seek wisdom for current and future decisions.
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Spiritual Practice
Scripture reading, meditating on sacred books and writings, is an important daily spiritual practice for many people. Find today's readings from a number of traditions on FaithStreams®.
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About Daybook
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