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I sat down with my cappuccino and Norah Jones at 5 a.m., debating where this letter would lead. The meaning of grace and a quote from Maya Angelou (thanks to a late night conversation with my partner) popped into my head. How would I tie the two together? Let's see, both so vital and perfect for our first edition of Canon Living.
"When we cast our bread upon the waters, we can presume that someone downstream whose face we may never see will benefit from our actions, even as we enjoy the gifts sent to us from a donor upstream." -- Maya Angelou.
It's as if Maya herself has experienced our small communities set so perfectly along the Arkansas River Valley.
My ties to both the community upstream and community downstream are strong. I grew up in Salida with all of its beauty, culture, and good hearted, hard working families. It is a community that has helped mold the person I am, a lover of the arts and outdoors. A place where I have laughed, loved and lost.
My mother was born in Canon City. Her uncle owned a stake in a coal mine in Wetmore, and both sides of her family owned ranches outside of Florence. Who would have thought I would live in the community that hosted my mother's birth and follow in my grandmother's foot steps by having both my children here.
Both Salida and Canon have taught me the meaning of the word grace. While in Salida I felt I understood the meaning of this word. It's small and simple, right? Webster may define grace as a prayer said befor or after a meal to bless and give thanks, or the smooth elegant way a gazelle moves across a plain. Divine grace is a little harder for me to grasp, It's not tangible like its counterparts.
Divine grace is an indispensable gift for development, improvement, and character expansion. This is where Canon comes in. This past year, life has helped me touch the surface of the meaning of grace. Not the comprehensive meaning of the word .... but the heart and soul meaning. I now understand how to give and receive it for growth, and especially peace. I hope to continue to understand this complex word throughout my life.
As we cast our bread upon the waters, we can only hope it will be beneficial to others. We also hope to be able to recognize the gifts bestowed on us -- as blessings for growth.
The staffs of Canon Living and Different Fish Design give this magazine to you for your enjoyment and encourage you to call it your own. It is designed to enlighten us about the bread that is cast out and those who benefit.
Thank you to everyone who believes in us and supports our dream.
------Cinnamon Lynn |
