Interconnection is

Hello friends,

This is one of those strange spring weather weeks here in Portland, Oregon. Sunshine and rain alternate. Tulips spring up as the daffodils fade. Crows gather sticks for nests, flickers call, squirrels chase each other, and tiny finches fill the trees.

Far away, children starve in the Congo and Gaza as bombs rain down. Closer to home, other children starve in open air prisons in the southern deserts of Texas and California. Closer even still, people camp out on the sidewalks in the rain.

Not one of these is separate from the other. The only thing that separates us from the world around us are our emotions, preconceptions, and our minds. The deep reality is that everything in the cosmos is interconnected and interdependent.

To cultivate this interdependence, I return—as always—to the small things. Clean out and refill the birdbath. Pick up a piece of trash. Talk to animals on my walks. Buy more eSims for civilians in Gaza. Send money to a trans person who lost their job. Visit a friend who is ailing. Attend a local art show.

Take walks in the sunshine or under more storm clouds as they darken the vernal sky. Look at the moon.

I read books that soothe my soul. I write books that envision a world I want to live in, or help folks learn something, or to simply escape for a while.

What am I mostly reading lately? Historical mysteries and gay rom coms. What am I writing? Doing final edits on a writing business book, while cooking up more fun, crime solving corgi adventures, and two larger projects that are going to take some time.

How about you? How are you fostering a sense of connection? And what soothes your soul?

best wishes — Thorn

Speaking of corgis, did you know that Pride Street, aka the adventures of Klaus and Marsha, includes three books with a fourth on the way?