this is what i see when i look at my grandparents

miracles, rituals, and the fruit of 60 years of partnership in place

for three months, i've been living with my grandparents in the beautiful forests of western ma, feeling into the reverence of shared presence and deep, reciprocal relationality.

I've watched the ferns unfold and dandelions erupt from the earth, felt the sheen of dew upon bare feet as I walk outside to great the seven directions, bathed in the light of the rising sun… and each day i am massaged by scores of birdsongs, caressed by the hush of wind that breathes through the mass of vivid green limbs, and fed by a stream of love and friendship that emanates from this very home.

today, my season of living here ends and a 9-month journey of training at MAPLE begins. as I step from one place to the next, I want to offer this reflection in gratitude to Don and Janee, my grandparents and greatest inspiration in life.

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lessons from my elder Stones

i am proud of my grandparents.

it’s been a delight to share in the daily life they lead, role modeling 60+ years of partnership and 55 years of attuning to the land they call home.

each morning, i give my grandparents a hug and watch how they greet this dear and challenging life. Papa Don steps into the kitchen with prayers on his lips, singing praise to our dear cat-friend Fonzi as he opens Fonzi's cage.

on sunny days, Papa Don sits where the light falls, letting the warmth of the sun sink deep into his skin as bird-song resonate all around. he journals often, then rises to greet Janee as she descends into the room. they move with familiar, quiet grace - taking vitamins, preparing coffee, slicing a pear and setting out a small bowl of nuts & dried berries - and then they sit and read together.

I listen to the voice of my grandfather as he reads out loud from the Science of Mind, Richard Rohr, and Mary Oliver - a daily ritual of reflection and attunement to the sacred — one small step, taken together.

the day unfolds in a familiar rhythm - showers, breakfast, feeding the chickens, tending the gardens and greenhouse that give nourishment so generously - purple asparagus towers, explosive arugula, vibrant poppies, rhubarb and greens…

and even in their 80s, both give care constantly towards their local community - organizing town board meetings and care for the nursery, giving rides to neighbors in need, helping friends with taxes and spending time with their youngest great grand-children, who live nearby.

this is what i notice perhaps above all else: care and rituals adorn their weaving of life.

care & rituals structure space

rituals give a structural shape to the time-dimension of life.

rituals like spaghetti on friday nights, a glass of wine and fresh veggies at 6, and the family gathering for stone-ground waffles and homemade apple sauce each weekend do more than bring people together —

they also carve out a sense of spaciousness, resisting the relentless commodification of time in our hypercapitalist-digital society. even simple rituals (any rhythmic, repeated social gathering) invite us into a timeless space, fit for real human connection and appreciation.

taken together, the life that emerges is rich in meaning, the flow of time slow & spacious. as we move in mutual attunement of our bodies, each other, and the natural world, each day is permeated by a deep sense of gratitude, wonder, and grace.

from this wellspring, I see my grandparents hold the world and each other with loving care, inviting in friends and providing a sanctuary to three generations of family.

the greatest gifts keep flowing

Papa Don once said to me that his philosophy of how to approach life can be boiled down to three words: curiosity, acceptance, and gratitude. the combination of all three, he suggests, might be called love.

the manifestation of this practice that I see is a life marked by friendship, family, and grace. the circle of friendship around my grandparents stretches far, and the bonds are deep.

people show up for one another in their times of need.

the community is real, durable, strong — something you can trust in.

this, I believe, is the blessing of deep roots, which stem from commitment. the fruits of a spiritual friendship stretching across six decades touch thousands of lives. the nourishment spreads through the land, transforming the social soil of a collective mind.

loving attunement and care radiates out, reproducing itself in each relational field, brightening every soul touched by the earnest care and compassion of the people who live here.

and that is the greatest gift I’ve received from my grandparents:

i’ve witnessed, first-hand, that through taking the small, incessant steps of life together, one breath at a time — two people can transform the world around them into a basin of love.

that’s why I believe in miracles.

I grew up in a basin of love. I’ve seen the magic of decades of friendship and generations of family living intimately together, sharing in the pains and beauty of life.

it doesn’t take conquering all competition and making millions of dollars — it comes from the slow, steady march of open minds and beating hearts, from unrelenting compassion, from those with the courage to greet the world with a smile, and the grace to be amazed.

this magic lives between us.

miracles are possible in our lifetime — they are waiting for you.

“Everywhere you go, you carry light with you.”

- Janee Stone

“You let it shine.”