This week Awesome Stories brings you native wisdom, the Lullaby Project, stormy weather and silent blessings.

Keepers of the Coast

I love this project. A group of indigenous tribes, from the central coast of British Columbia, have formed the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, otherwise known as CCIRA, to protect and preserve their ecosystem. Their vision is to combine native wisdom and modern science to ensure that the marine ecosystem that has sustained their tribes for millennium will continue to thrive and sustain them into the future.

The Lullaby Project

This is a beautiful project for at-risk mothers (both homeless and incarcerated) and their children. The Lullaby Project pairs expectant mothers with professional musicians to create a lullaby for their child. The transformative power of music helps form a lasting bond between mother and child. I know that I love lullabies and would love to have been sung them more, especially one created just for me, and sung by my mother. What a wonderful gift for these families!

Stormy Weather

Mike Oblinski, a photographer whose gorgeous storm photos I’ve featured many times, has created a beautiful video called Vorticity. I found the video to be very moving, emotionally and visually. Jason at the Washington Post wrote a gushing article extolling the virtues of this film. The film makes me feel like I’m connected to a beautiful and dynamic swirl of motion. Vorticity was filmed across 9 states during May and June, covering 20,000 miles and 60,000 photos to catch the storms! Despite the incredible effort, Mike is grateful for the opportunity.

Silent Blessings

This is an interesting practice that I want to try. Barbara Brown-Taylor suggests that we make a practice of really noticing the details in our lives. Pause, look at the details, ponder the connections and the essence of this person or object. As an example, look at one flower, notice the colors, smells, petals, leaves, stalks, and any insects living on the plant. Then ponder the sun, rain, soil and insects that contribute to its growth. But most importantly, just notice and be with the flower and give thanks in a silent blessing. This ritual will not only create a blessing but a moment of presence or sacredness, that if turned into a practice, might shift your world. I just put her book, An Altar in the World, on my reading list.

May we take the time to appreciate the good in ourselves, others and the world around us!