The Spirituality in the City section of our magazine never fails to move and inspire us. In this edition, taken from our new Spring 2019 issue, six readers tell us what kindness means to them, and how they have experienced it in their own lives.
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Spirituality and the City: What Does Love Mean to Me?
In the Winter 2018/19 edition of Spirituality in the City, we asked some of our readers to answer the profound question, ‘what does love mean to me?’ Their answers were deeply enlightening and heartwarming. They gave us a lot to ponder about!
In our Autumn 2018 issue, eight of our readers shared with us what their relationships have meant to them. This season, it’s all about the bonds of love! You can pick up a copy of the magazine at our stockists across the country, or subscribe here to receive a copy direct to your door.
SPIRITUALITY & THE CITY
THE BONDS OF LOVE
Liz Lynch & Ciara O’Neill (couple)
Liz
It is hard to put into words how I feel about this wonderful woman. She is full of life, love and laughter. Ciara and I share a quirky sense of humour and I know that with her, I can always be fully myself, no matter how silly that is.
Ciara has great empathy for other people’s worries. I am lucky that she has made it her mission in life to take care of me. Ever since I started dating Ciara, I have felt enveloped by her boundless love and I hope she feels the same from me.
Ciara is very modest and doesn’t seem to know how wonderful she is. Her smile lights up a room and her laughter is infectious. I feel blessed every day knowing she is my wife.
Ciara
My wedding day was the happiest day of my life. I am so grateful to everybody who campaigned for marriage equality, and of course the wonderful Irish people who voted yes to love on that magical day in May 2015.
What I love most about Liz is her caring and compassionate nature. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for the people she loves.
Liz is the funniest person I have ever met and she makes me laugh every day. Meeting Liz is the best thing that has ever happened to me. She is my best friend and favourite person in the whole world. I know that she believes in me and loves me unconditionally, and that is the best feeling in the world.
Martin & Magda Janik (couple)
Martin
Magda is my soulmate. I know it isn’t our first life together: we have loved each other many times before. Her calmness, her beauty, her love and the amazingly multi-dimensional depth of her being makes each life so worth living. I had a dream about Magda after I saw her for the first or second time, and after that dream, I knew she was the one. We were 16 and 17 at that time. This year was our 25th anniversary of being a couple and our 20th wedding anniversary. Magda stands by me during our happiest and most challenging moments and I love her to bits. She is an amazing mum to our daughter Pola, who we both absolutely adore.
Magda
I love Martin: my husband and my best friend. Martin is warm, loving, kind and funny. He has a great passion for life and energy that always amazes me. He is intelligent, creative, and always eager to learn and experience new things, which makes our journey together very interesting. We always know what each other is thinking without saying a single word. Martin makes me feel loved every day and I love him for that. He is also a fantastic father to our daughter Pola, who adores him.
This year is very special for us as we are celebrating 25 years together and the 20th anniversary of our wedding. I am grateful for each of those years and excited about all the years to come.
Dave Weakley & Sara Weis (father and daughter)
Sara
My dad is a great person: very kind, hilariously funny and super talented as well. He is a wonderful human being. Because we both work in the field of music, we have a lot in common. I’ve learned a huge amount from him. His advice is very valuable to me. Music is such a difficult profession, it’s great to have people around you who understand that and who can be supportive. Both of my parents are hugely supportive – they both work in the arts – and they are wonderful. My dad is my inspiration. We have great craic together, and he’s just the best dad I could ever have asked for. His experience of getting out there and putting himself before an audience taught me how to be brave.
Dave
Sara is so talented. From a very early age, she always showed promise and excellence at singing and acting, and this promise has really borne fruit over the last few months. She recently began to put herself out there and start singing … and she is absolutely marvellous. I could go on forever about my tremendous admiration for her!
I’m incredibly proud of her. I know parents are supposed to be the role model for their children, but she is more of a role model for me. I’m a musician myself, and I derive a lot of joy from listening to her and watching her while she is performing.
Livia Devi & Carolyne Marks (friends)
Livia
Carolyne and I share a sacred space of beautiful heart-connection, love, joy, respect and appreciation. Her wisdom and life experience always guide me on my path. Her teachings about love, life and relationships have helped me to grow and evolve. We always have so much fun and laugher when we meet, enjoying life to the full!Her presence in my life is a like a warm ocean breeze on a summer day. The stillness, flow and richness of our connection its so cherished!
I am truly honored and grateful to have you as a friend, Carolyne.
Carolyne
My name is Carolyne and I am very fortunate! Why? I have a beautiful friend and her name is Livia. Yes, she is physically beautiful, no doubt about that: however, what I am referring to with the word ‘beautiful’ goes far beyond that superficial perspective. You see, as within, so without. My friend is beautiful in Soul. When we are together, there is simply harmony, peace and so much joy. At times, we have very deep, fulfilling and meaningful conversations and I love to grow with her this way, as well as simply sitting in silence and connecting on a very different level at other times. When out and about, we like similar things, laugh about the same nonsense and appreciate the world and nature with all our hearts. Being able to share this love of life with someone is a great treasure and a special gift.
This version of our long-running, ever-popular Spirituality and the City series appeared in the summer 2018 issue. In this instalment, it was all about LOVE. Love appears in many forms in human relationships, and here, we celebrated that wonderful fact. Thank you to everyone who contributed!
Couple: Eva Lennox and Andrew McAvinchy
Eva: The thing I love the most about Andrew is his big heart. He is a beautiful, kind and sensitive man with a wicked sense of adventure. He is full of sweetness and a joy for life and I feel grateful that I get to experience all of the undulations of life with him. He is capable of holding a deep level of intimacy that continues to bring our relationship beyond previous boundaries.
We are different in lots of ways and sometimes that drives me mad, but it offers the possibility to see things from different perspectives. I love that Andrew is my husband, I love that he is my friend, I love that he is in my life. I just love Andrew!
Andrew: Ram Dass said in a Netflix documentary we watched together recently that Rama asked Hanuman, “Who are you?” Hanuman answered, “When I don’t know who I am, I serve you. When I know who I am, I am you.”
Eva and I are always in this dance where sometimes I feel like Forrest Gump waltzing awkwardly with Jenny for the first time, other times we rock and roll like John Travolta and Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. What I love about her is that she’s always listening to the music, no matter what is playing, and she’ll always give me a gentle nudge so I can find my rhythm again. Eva is kind, open, fiercely loyal and sexy as hell. What’s not to love?
Mum, Saralee Cassidy, and Sons
As a family we have our ups and downs, however, we are very open and truthful about how and what we feel, our experiences, fears and loves. When we’re having a heightened day things can go a little awry, so on those particular days we like to practice a simple feel good exercise; we affirm what we love about each other! There is only one rule – keep ?it very real! Here’s a little peek into our world!
Rory, who is the youngest, is loved for his kindness to animals, for being smart, nice and so funny. Peter, who is the middle man, is loved for being smart, a leader and cool and good to play games. Jack, who is the eldest, is loved for being super smart, creative and great at the Xbox. Mummy is loved for being different, smart, being in her own world, being kind and hugs.
It’s a very simple exercise but it does create an attitude of gratitude for every person in the family.
Couple: Antoinette and Ben Patton
Ben: There are loads of things I love about Antoinette, but lately what comes to mind is the way conversation flows with her. We both do a lot of thinking out loud, and often my opinions aren’t fully formed and can be controversial, but regardless she is willing to give them a chance. I think we both recognise that conversation with your spouse needn’t be as careful as with everyone else; we can create a sloppy dialogue together. There’s a trust there that I really value, and it has only grown since getting married. I think in the age of digital footprints this type of liberated, unjudged dialogue is a rare and special thing.
Antoinette: I love his curiosity and enthusiasm. I love how open and genuine he is. His positivity is contagious: it’s hard to be around him and not feel happy. He’s also a lot more sensible and practical than I am: he keeps me grounded.
We’ve travelled together, worked together and occupied some pretty tiny apartments together. He’s my constant companion and I feel halved when he’s not by my side.
Mother, Lynn, and daughter, Sienna Hodgins
Lynn: Sienna is the brightest part of my life. From the very second she came into this world, she has made me the happiness and proudest Mum. She’s quick witted, intuitive, thoughtful, fun and such a gentle, loving soul. Guiding her through this life is the best gift and purpose l could have ever wished for. She has been a great teacher to me in many ways. I can’t picture what my life would have looked like without her in it. I’m very grateful. She is my world and l value every second l’m with her.
Sienna: I love my mum so much because she’s different to other mums. She has helped me though everything in my life. If ever l have a problem, she sorts it out. She’s not just my mum, she’s my best friend. It’s just been me and mum for most of my life and I’ve loved every second of it. She’s so much fun, I love her smile and she’s a great chef. My mum is very adventurous and my life has always been very exciting. She works hard to give me a great life. She’s the best Mum in the world and l wouldn’t want any other Mum.
This evening, we are excited to share the first two stories from our popular Spirit and the City series. The theme this time around is “renewal.” Contributors were asked to share their thoughts on how the warming energy of the new season inspires feelings of renewal in their own lives. The other four stories can be found in our new Spring issue – pick up a copy today or subscribe to have it delivered right to your door.
Lauren Kelly
Snowdrops are blossoming, cherries are sweetening, air is softening; the beauty of nature is reawakening. Spring, a beautiful reminder of how enchanting change can be. The winter storms of life may have struck your heart, windswept your dreams and drowned the magic of your soul, yet still, here you are, ready to bloom. Flowers can’t grow without rain. Each drop of water deepens a tree’s roots. Allow spring help you to take your time of pain and turn it into your own sense of beauty. Planted deep in the wounds of your winter were seeds, waiting for this magical moment to grow into exquisite flowers. They can cut down all of the stems but that will not stop spring from coming; no adversity will stop you from blossoming. The darkness has passed, the light is coming, it’s time to live your life in full bloom, young wildflower.
www.thepeachydream.blogspot.ie
Bob Robinson
It’s hard to talk of spring in a city without seasons. The summer is a saucy tease, and winter is a no-show. I’d like to say back home in Scotland we do weather properly, but honestly the Dublin approach seems far more civilised. I choose to measure spring from the day I don my shorts: a watershed of great significance for me and my knees. On that day I wake from hibernation, my body breathes its first unstifled breath and I become myself again. More than myself – I am connected to the world in a hairy-legged embrace. And when I walk with spring in my step to the sunrise of a fierce-mild morning, when the eyes of every second passerby flit down in puzzled judgement at my glorious shins, I thank God I never moved to warmer climes than Dublin, or I would surely be a nudist by now.
To read the rest of our Spirit and the City stories, pick up a copy of our new Spring issue in your local stockist or subscribe today.
Here is a sneak peek of our most recent Spirituality & the City series, where six people talk about the things that make them grateful. You can read the other four stories in the series by picking up a free copy of our Winter 2017 issue from one of our wonderful stockists across Ireland. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the magazine and have the Winter issue – as well as the next three magazines for the year ahead – delivered right to your door!
Josh Scannell
Last year, I had just returned from the States where I’d spent time in huge cities like LA and Detroit. I remember walking the streets here and feeling this overwhelming sense of home, like I was being hugged by the city. When you can call Dublin home, it’s like being a member of the royal family. Anyone can wear a crown here. I was mistaken for Hozier on a famed 12 pubs night out with the lads. I was King for a moment, before remembering we’re all Kings and fame is a drag anyway. I guess it’s different if you’re actually Hozier and not a cheap stunt double, fooling drunks into taking bad photos and giving you free Guinness! I’ve left it all behind now. There’s no more free Guinness and nobody asks for my photo. People in Dublin get it like nowhere else on Earth and we should never forget that.
Kamilla Harra
When I think of Christmas, I remember the warmth and unity that permeate the streets around this time of year: the
twinkling lights reflected in people’s eyes, the smiles and laughter, the ‘Merry Christmases’ and ‘Happy New Years’ from complete strangers – said with genuine warmth and almost familial care – the local choir carolling on a crisp Saturday morning with such enthusiasm and cheer. The curious thing is that I grew up in a country where Christmas was replaced by celebrating New Year’s Eve. What amazes me as I ponder this is that my memories from two different countries, although somewhat different, capture the same Spirit: the Joy of being Alive, of being Together, of Loving and Celebrating one another – beyond any other reason or religious purpose. To me, it is a beautiful time to focus on expressing our generosity, connectedness, and the magic of being alive!
soulradiance.org
Here is a sneak peek of our most recent Spirituality & the City series, where six people talk about the things that make them grateful. You can read the other four stories in the series by picking up a free copy of our Winter 2017 issue from one of our wonderful stockists across Ireland. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the magazine and have the Winter issue – as well as the next three magazines for the year ahead – delivered right to your door!
Here is a sneak peek of our most recent Spirituality & the City series, where six people talk about the things that make them grateful. You can read the other stories in the series by picking up a free copy of our Autumn 2017 issue from one of our wonderful stockists across Ireland. Alternatively, you can subscribe to the magazine and have the Autumn issue – as well as the next three magazines for the year ahead – delivered right to your door!
Daizan Kaarlenkaski
Change is my true friend and teacher, and the very core of Life itself. When it appears, in any way it presents itself, from challenging to deeply satisfying and everything in between, what is your reaction? Change could involve the loss of a loved one, challenges in your own health, losing your career, getting married and having children, having to sacrifice your old self-centred ways, or being moved to an unknown situation that challenges your current way of being. When things make you very uncomfortable, when you feel like you have absolutely no control over the outcome of anything, will you shut down and distract yourself with something else? Or will you face this discomfort, hear it, feel it, deeply allow it, and grow in wisdom, compassion and truthfulness? Nothing in this life is guaranteed, and even the greatest difficulties can be used for the highest thing, for your own freedom.
If you enjoyed this sneak peek, check out the full article in our Autumn 2017 issue, available in stockists throughout the country now.
This is an excerpt from our Summer 2017 issue. Read our 4 other stories by subscribing soon so we can post you a copy or picking up a magazine from one of our lovely stockists all over Ireland. Tell them we said hello!
Bebe Gardner
Beloved, Utterly vulnerable and knowing that everything I think I know, continues to be transformed in the light of your love, I offer you my deepest gratitude. The expansion and contraction, the fear and elation, the surrender of it all, the grief in feeling it all, Being it All, passing through the eye of the needle with You into Vibrant-Blossoming-Beauty…is Life’s greatest gift. I’m so grateful for your commitment – not to ‘us’, but to Love. For your dedication to Truth and Intimacy. For calling me to Deeper Woman as I call you to Deeper Man. Your constant ability to show up just kills me… in the most painfully beautiful way. I love your reflection and the mirror you are. I love how what moves through you, moves through me, and vice versa. I love being able to drink you in, in all weathers…. You move me so, my love.
Conor Clear
I’m not sure what the collective noun for grandchildren is…a whirlwind of grandchildren? A pandemonium of grandchildren? Well, whatever the word is, there’s only one person who keeps the show on the road when the whole family comes together and that’s the kids’ granny, my mother, Anne. Anne is the one who is always planning the next family get-together. She keeps my two adult brothers and I in check (not that she needs to, of course), while finding time to maintain a busy social life and get a crossword done, every day. She even puts up with me when I pop in for her famous lasagne or chicken pie! While Mam can hilariously be my harshest critic when I’m on TV (she turns the volume down when my voice-overs come on the telly!!), she’s also the one who encourages me to spoil myself; we share a love for afternoon tea and for trips to London to see a West End show every so often. So, to the woman who keeps it all together, thanks Mam and let’s see a show in London soon xxx
This is an excerpt from our Summer 2017 issue. Read our 4 other stories by subscribing soon so we can post you a copy or picking up a magazine from one of our lovely stockists all over Ireland. Tell them we said hello!
This is an excerpt from our Spring 2017 issue. Read our 4 other stories by subscribing soon so we can post you a copy or picking up a magazine from one of our lovely stockists all over Ireland. Tell them we said hello!
David O’Brien
This year I want to move home to live in a part of the city where I feel I am inspired by my surroundings. The buzz of the local small businesses, cafés, restaurants, bookshops, local parks, leafy green quiet back streets and the cinema. I want to feel engaged with people in the community, chatting on the footpath with passers by, going to events and getting involved, finding new opportunities to build friendships and connections with the people living around me. When I step into my home, it will feel like a place of relaxation, freedom and creativity. When I step outside my front door, I will breathe in the excitement, delight and wonder of what each new day has to offer.
Miller Anthony
I have put together a proposal to speak at TEDx Dublin on March 31st. I know the feeling I want to build. I want to share my enthusiasm for life. I want to lift the audience out of the story of fear by connecting with each of them and by looking them in the eye and sharing my energy. They will be able to feel my conviction in what I am saying. I will also be making this feeling real for them, by getting them to do experiments. So, they will gain the experience, not just the information. I can feel the feeling of them connecting with me and their hearts lifting as they become freer, as they let go of those limiting stories. So, they can start to create a greater flow in themselves. I feel the strength of myself standing on stage, holding all the energy of the room. Allowing those limitations to evaporate and leaving everyone energised.
This is an excerpt from our Spring 2017 issue. Read our 4 other stories by subscribing soon so we can post you a copy or picking up a magazine from one of our lovely stockists all over Ireland. Tell them we said hello!
Sophia Carvalho
My love towards Dublin is increasing every single day. Not just because I got to know my love at college but also because of all the diverse beauty that Dublin likes to show every day. I see the beauty of Dublin walking down Camden, Aungier and George’s street. The amount of good restaurants along the way combined with the colourful murals of ‘U ARE ALIVE’ and ‘DON’T BE AFRAID’ give you a beautiful feeling of being part of Dublin. I love Dublin in general because of its mentality. The people here accept life as it is and try to enjoy it whatever comes and they make the best out of it. If there’s sunshine, yeah everyone goes out and enjoys it. If there’s rain, yeah everyone goes into a pub to have a beer or have a tea on their couches at home. It’s very rare to see Irish people complain about simple things. They go with whatever comes…sunshine..rain…and the humour never gets lost.
Roisín Fitzpatrick
We made the effort to rise early and to trek up the grassy hill at Slíabh na Callaigh to reach the highest point in County Meath. With a clear blue sky overhead, we all awaited the rising sun with eager anticipation. At 7.12 a.m. she peeped above the horizon like a blazing orange disc immediately sending a shaft of light into the Neolithic chamber. After illuminating the large standing stones to the left of the entrance, the golden rays then slowly reached the back stone and shifted from left to right bringing the ancient rock carvings beautifully to life. A small group began drumming and chanting to fully embody the experience of being embraced in this ancient womb at this sacred time of year. From a slow methodic beat, the pace became higher and faster as the rhythmic sounds undulated to a crescendo. What exquisite joy to feel at one with the beauty of nature and the eternal light – Solas Síoraí – past, present and future.
Paul Harrington
What I love about Ireland at the moment is also what I love about Dublin. I love the people here, the mix of nationalities and diverse cultures, that somehow all seem to fit together to become modern day Dublin, and in turn, modern day Ireland. These days you can walk down the street and hear different languages being spoken on every corner and find some new unique place to eat popping up all the time. Yet everything still seems to remain quintessentially Irish. It seems that people who have travelled and experienced ways of life that they appreciated elsewhere, have decided to bring a little bit of that home with them, to share with the rest of us. It all makes for such a rich experience living here, full of influences from around the world, interwoven with our own Celtic traditions. The Ireland that I knew as a kid has changed completely, but in its place is a country that has faced hard times, embraced change, and come out richer and stronger than ever before.
Piera Sarasini
I was born in Italy but I left when I was 19, spurred by my innate sense of curiosity. As a ‘people’s person’, my impulse was to fi nd others who, like me, wanted to make the world a more peaceful, creative place. Initially, I lived in England and Scotland, studying linguistics and various esoteric traditions. In my 20s, I met an Irish man who introduced me to the magic of his country. On my first visit, I felt a deep connection with this land of ancient wisdom. A supernatural and yet vulnerable force held the mirror of awareness right in front of my soul. I was moved. So I moved. Ireland has been my home for two decades. Here, I have become an anthropologist and an author, supported by my soul family and guided by the energy of sacred sites, gently leading me into an ever-growing, profound, heart-centred human experience.
Gianluca Tarralo
When I was asked to write this short piece on what I like about Ireland, it took me a while to fi nd an answer. Not because I was short of things to talk about. On the contrary. In the last 15 years, since I have made Ireland my home, I’ve had the chance to appreciate many things about this country and especially about the people that make it what it is: The kindness, the humour, the smooth roughness, the ‘it’s grand’ attitude, the closeness to their inner ‘wild’ side. It then struck me that there is a place, a crossroad where all these roads seem to meet: Music. There have been no other countries I have visited or lived in that have such a special connection to music and to its tradition. And I feel that it is in music that many of the things I appreciate about Ireland come together.
Fabrizio Vitali
It’s been now 11 years since I moved from Italy to Ireland and there has never been a moment when I questioned this choice. I quickly realised that in Ireland I would have a chance to become what I wanted to be, mainly for one reason: the ability of believing in your own dreams! I always felt that in Ireland this is still possible because of its history and culture, but most of all because of the unconditional support that the people and community around you are ready to give. It feels like that the people support your process of achieving whatever you want to achieve rather than the achievement itself, and this generates self-confidence, trust and empowerment at its core! It is ultimately about being who you want to be and Ireland’s magical and bubbling culture nourishes this incredible core value so much needed in our times!