Click to download the Touchstars image
it is time for the pilgrim in me
to travel in the dark,
to learn to read the stars
that shine in my soul.
I will walk deeper
into the dark of my night.
I will wait for the stars.
trust their guidance.
and let their light be enough for me.
~Joyce Rupp, from “Old Maps No Longer Work,” Dear Heart Come Home
Dear Friends,
There’s something magical about a night sky in December. The stars seem somehow closer and crisper, as if they’re noticing me. And if I pause long enough to notice them back, they’ll tell me their story.
It’s the story of how, in spite of the oceans and borders that seem to divide us, all 7 billion humans sleep beneath the same night sky. And we always have. That’s a beautiful truth, don’t you think?
Centuries ago ocean navigators waited until twilight to set sail. In the days before compasses and maps, these wayfinders relied on the stars to orient them.
The Courage & Renewal Touchstones are what orient us in a Circle of Trust. Each principle and practice is a guideline for holding a space and creating a trustworthy container of community. The Touchstones are like stars, guiding us to know who we are and where we stand, and quietly whispering a story of our shared humanity.
With this metaphor in mind we’ve turned the touchstones into “Touchstars,” as a reminder of these ways of being with each other-ways of being more compassionate, more self-aware, and more aligned with our “true North.”
One of my favorites is the practice of turning to wonder. Isn’t that what the stars invite us to do?
What’s your earliest or fondest memory of stargazing?
What’s your favorite touchstar?
As you look up at the stars this month, know that I’ll be doing the same when the sky is clear. And I’ll be thinking of our shared sky.
With gratitude and best wishes,
Terry Chadsey
Executive Director
P.S. Experience the principles & practices of the Touchstones at a Courage & Renewal program.
P.P.S. Thank you to facilitators Karen Erlichman and Dan Hines for inspiring this metaphor through the wayfinding theme.
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