Life is full of hard edges and complicated choices. Braver/Wiser gives you weekly message of courage and compassion for life as it is. Every Wednesday we deliver an original written reflection and brief prayer, grounded in Unitarian Universalism. Join the Braver/Wiser community and sign up today!
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Music is my solace and my comfort, the one thing that’s always with me. I feel its vibration deep in my soul; it’s my spiritual practice. Music tells the story of my life.Reflection | By Connie Simon | May 23, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Arts & Music, Body, Creativity, Direct Experience, Music Sunday, Secular, Spiritual Practice -
I choose to believe in community. I choose to believe in the difficult, slow work of building a common life.Reflection | By Elea Kemler | May 16, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Challenge, Community, Conflict, Democracy, Direct Experience, Humanism, Interdependence, Relationships, Secular, Seven Principles, Unitarian Universalism -
Tell me the story of my birth, and help me understand how you were changed the day I entered the world. Help me know love, deep in my bones.Reflection | By Mandie McGlynn | May 9, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Beginnings, Birth, Child Dedication, Children, Direct Experience, Family, Father's Day, Fathers, Humanism, Love, Mother's Day, Mothers, Parents, Secular -
However imperfectly I may be living this life of mine, there’s no one better at it, and there’s no one else who can do it for me.Reflection | By Lindasusan Ulrich | April 25, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Beauty, Direct Experience, Earth, Earth-Centered, Humanism, Nature, Searching, Secular, Self-Care, Self-Respect, Spring, Vernal Equinox -
My heart broke the day my son stood in the bathroom crying. He handed me a pair of scissors and told me to just cut it. I told him how beautiful his hair was and how sad I would be to see him cut it.Reflection | By Rayla D. Mattson | April 18, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Beauty, Body, Children, Courage, Direct Experience, Gender, Humanism, Mothers, Parents, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Self-Respect, Strength -
I want the spaces in which we meet to be encased by aspirations and forward loving, not affirmations and self-applause. I want to love the people I disagree with, knowing that we’re all just out to find a little more life.Reflection | By DeReau K. Farrar | April 11, 2018 | From Braver/Wiser -
In real life, we can only place the pieces, one by one, and see what kind of picture we create. Sometimes we turn out to have chosen the wrong piece. Sometimes the picture is wildly unexpected.Reflection | By Amanda Poppei | April 4, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Bridging Ceremony, Calling, Choice, Coming of Age, Coming-of-Age, Contemplation, Courage, Direct Experience, Discernment, Hope, Humanism, Journey, Playfulness, Searching, Secular -
I know deep in my spirit that I am held by the Mystery; part of the Mystery and witness to it; an agent of stardust whose perception of the world might not be all that there is to see.Reflection | By Teresa Honey Youngblood | March 28, 2018 | From Braver/Wiser -
What if we encouraged and celebrated each other for who we are? What if, instead of criticizing, we challenged with love, affirming the good we see in one another?Reflection | By Connie Simon | March 21, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Acceptance, Compassion, Connections, Direct Experience, Humanism, Secular, Self-Respect, Unitarian Universalism, Worth -
Last year for Lent, I decided to say yes to any request. I made it all the way to Easter without having to honor my decision.Reflection | By Nathan Ryan | March 14, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Choice, Christianity, Direct Experience, Humanism, Lent, Power, Privilege, Relationships, Spiritual Practice, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism -
To offer hospitality, we first have to identify ourselves — sometimes in inconvenient or uncomfortable ways — as helpers; as willing to offer kindness or connection to someone we might disagree with.Reflection | By Erika Hewitt | March 7, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Abundance, Acceptance, Connections, Direct Experience, Diversity, Generosity, Hospitality, Stewardship, Unitarian Universalism, Unity -
Being faithful doesn’t mean endless work. It also means attention to the movement of spirit that can appear as an hour of sleep, the truth of a toddler, or a donut in the middle of the day.Reflection | By Robin Tanner | February 28, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Children, Direct Experience, Faith, Living Our Faith, Parents, Spiritual Practice, Violence -
I wanted so much to believe that God was watching over this boy, that God was tender and protective and fiercely on the side of life and that this boy would not slip away.Reflection | By Elea Kemler | February 21, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Children, Depression, Direct Experience, Family, Healing, Humanism, Illness, Mental Health, Mothers, Presence, Secular, Unitarian Universalism -
I spent time feeling embarrassed—that somehow I had failed—because I had filed for divorce. It’s been over nine years now, and I wake up every single day happy with my decision.Reflection | By Rayla D. Mattson | February 14, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Children, Direct Experience, Family, Love, Mothers, Parents, Secular -
“Now,” the yoga instructor said, “begin to chant GOD GOD GOD as you vigorously circle your arms.” Oh boy, I thought, Here we go. Of course it couldn’t just be arm circles.Reflection | By Tara Humphries | February 7, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: Arts & Music, Challenge, God, Interfaith, Joy, Letting Go, Spiritual Practice -
Spirit of Compassion, remind us that our task as humans is not perfection, but faithfulness.Reflection | By Lindasusan Ulrich | January 31, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Acceptance, Balance, Direct Experience, Forgiveness, Humanism, Letting Go, Psychology, Secular, Self-Care, Self-Respect, Worth -
I’m not the same person who stood in that tattoo parlor eleven years ago. Still, I don’t for a minute regret being permanently marked with this snapshot in time, of my wounds and my hope.Reflection | By Mandie McGlynn | January 20, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Body, Children, Direct Experience, Discernment, Humanism, Secular, Self-Care, Self-Respect, Women -
I wanted so badly to break free and let loose—but I just couldn't. I was stuck in my own false ideas of the congregation's expectations of me. Luckily, there’s still time.Reflection | By DeReau K. Farrar | January 16, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Acceptance, Arts & Music, Body, Direct Experience, Empathy, Freedom, Joy, Limitations, Multiculturalism, Race/Ethnicity, Self-Respect -
Liking somebody, even loving somebody, is not enough to protect them from shade that you cannot even see, much less understand.Reflection | By Teresa Honey Youngblood | January 10, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Anti-Oppression, Character, Children, Coming-of-Age, Direct Experience, Humanism, Race/Ethnicity, Secular, Truth -
My oldest child was confused: why would no one stop and help us? Even though people weren’t stopping to help us, my son said, he wanted to be more like me and stop to help someone anyway.Reflection | By Rayla D. Mattson | January 3, 2018 | From Braver/WiserTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Caring, Character, Children, Compassion, Conscience, Direct Experience, Generations, Integrity, Living Our Faith, Mothers, Parents