Brown-eyed Baby Brother's Birthday

Today is my brother Tim's 37th birthday. I'm sure he'll be quick to remind me that my 40th birthday is fast approaching, but today is all about Tim. One of the high points of Tim's life took place from 1972-1975, when he had the good taste to worship me and when I could get him to clean up my side of our bedroom. Since then, Tim has earned family kudos for his musical talents and for his ability to grow an astonishing amount of facial hair (for a Whalen). I happen to think that Tim's two most notable achievements are convincing the lovely Colleen to marry him and fathering two extraordinarily good looking and smart children (Liam and Molly). A close third would surely be his knack for being a cool uncle to Seamus, Jack, and Brendan. I predict good things for Tim in 2009; chief among them, I'm sure, will be a trip to Spokane to visit his favorite sister. I'm sure he won't forget to bring Liam and Molly--he knows better.

Happy Birthday Tim!

The spirituality spot

I think I've found a scientific explanation for my psycho-spiritual battles. It turns out, I have been trying to quiet the "me spot" in my brain. This gives 2009 some much-needed focus! Check it out...



http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20081224/sc_livescience/spiritualityspotfoundinbrain

Mercy

Snow stops the sounds
Running round in my head.
It covers all the crying
And creeping away.
It brings the breath from my mouth
And suspends it so I can see it.
It muffles my mind’s mantra
Of I want, I want, I want.
It saves me from my smallness
And sweeps me into the silence,
The whooshing expansiveness,
Of the great I Am.