by Lucy Mathews Heegaard | Jun 6, 2016
Why does “doing the right thing” often conjure thoughts of hardship, as if doing the right thing is synonymous with sacrifice? What if, instead, one simply did the right thing for the reward of doing the right thing?
The photo below is from Glendalough, “Valley of the Two Lakes,” in Ireland where a sixth century monk named Kevin (Coemhghein in his native tongue) made his home. In this place, the legend of Kevin’s love for nature and animals was born— a legend that Irish poet Seamus Heaney borrowed over a thousand years later to craft a reflection on doing the right thing.
A few years ago, when I heard Irish poet Seamus Heaney introduce his poem “St. Kevin and The Blackbird,” I was touched by his description of the story as “a little meditation” on “doing the right thing for the reward of doing the right thing.” (more…)
by Lucy Mathews Heegaard | Feb 1, 2015
Dublin wears its soul on its sleeve. Joy and sorrow are close to the surface, past and present mingled. I have no doubt this is why the city captivates me the way it does.
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by Lucy Mathews Heegaard | Jan 18, 2014
“Not all those who wander are lost.”— J.R.R. Tolkien
The only way I know to become acquainted with a city is to wander its streets by myself. Though I always start out with a destination in mind, I often choose to veer off course, taking detours or following alleyways that seem to beckon. Given my poor sense of direction, I do arrive in some unexpected places on occasion. But I never consider myself lost.
I don’t do as much wandering these days as I did when I was younger. However, a recent trip to Dublin gave me the nudge I needed to change that and I was reminded how priceless it is to explore a new city for the first time.
