"A Swirl of Terns" Commissioned Sculpture by Stefan SaVides
Sky Lakes Medical Center, Klamath Falls, OR
Photo by Lisa Anselme

February 2019 President Monthly Ezine

I discovered the writings and work of Maya Angelou during high school, first with her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Throughout my late teens and twenties, I read and reread her books, poetry, and essays, hearing in her voice an understanding and knowledge of some of the aspects of life with which I struggled. I dazzled at her turn of phrase and ability to imbue simple words with such meaning and wisdom.

In 1995, Dr. Angelou wrote her poem A Brave and Startling Truth to mark the 50^th anniversary of the United Nations. That fall, she spoke at my university and I was thrilled to see and hear her in person for the first time. I still have the poster from the event. You can imagine my excitement just a few years later when I found myself living in the same city as Dr. Angelou and shopping with her at Whole Foods!

Her words and writing seem to be one of the first places my mind goes when it tries to make sense of life and world events. Over the past few days, I've been thinking about her poetry as I watch the news and think about my place in the world as a healer.

We, this people, on this small and drifting planet
Whose hands can strike with such abandon
That in a twinkling, life is sapped from the living
Yet those same hands can touch with such healing, irresistible tenderness
That the haughty neck is happy to bow
And the proud back is glad to bend
Out of such chaos, of such contradiction
We learn that we are neither devils nor divines

In her book Mom & Me & Mom, she writes,

"Love heals. Heals and liberates. I use the word love, not meaning sentimentality, but a condition so strong that it may be that which holds the stars in their heavenly positions and that which causes the blood to flow orderly in our veins."

As I think about all of the ways in which I do and can learn to embody the Attributes of the Heart, including unconditional love, I think about those wisdom keepers whose words seem to pierce through any number of paradigms, ideas, and philosophies, taking one to the heart of the matter. That's what I find in Maya Angelou's words-the Attributes of the Heart. During a month in which many of us are bombarded with the sentimentality of Valentine's Day, may we all find within ourselves, and those we hold dear, love that heals and liberates.

Member Spotlight
Got a story to share? Let me know! If you'd like to share what you're doing in a member spotlight, please use this form to let me know what you're up to! I'll then incorporate these stories into Perspectives in Healing and future ezines to share with our global community.

Quarterly Group Read
The read chosen for the first quarter of 2019 is How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery. It is a small but mighty book that shares the simple wisdom of animals and how we can learn so much more from them than they might ever learn from us.

Online Discussion Groups
I will again be hosting online Zoom sessions to provide a space for support, connection, and dialogue with me in a small group setting. Use this link to submit your interest in the sessions scheduled for 2019. Dates and more information about the sessions can be found on the online form.

Meditation for February
Continuing with the theme of healing and love, this video from Meditative Mind provides a sound bath for the heart chakra and a backdrop for heart-focused meditation.

Become an Evergreen Supporter
Join me in becoming an Evergreen Supporter of Healing Beyond Borders. I've pledged to support the mission and vision of Healing Beyond Borders through an automatic credit card deduction each month. For more information, including giving levels, visit the store on our website and click on the Evergreen Support tab.

Online Store
And speaking of our store, have you seen all of the new products in our online store? There are quite a few new resources, supplies, and gifts that can support your learning, practice, and teaching. Profits from the sale of products from our online store directly support the mission of Healing Beyond Borders.

In light,

Joel G. Anderson, PhD, FGSA, CHTP
President, Healing Beyond Borders Board of Directors