Category Archives: compassion

Being Vulnerable

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

“How can you be so vulnerable?” readers have asked me over the years. That question makes me nervous. Am I too vulnerable? What criticism have I invited? Then I hear from these askers the most common response to my honesty: … Continue reading →

Posted in community, compassion, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Stories, Writing | Tagged Brené Brown, Catherine Singleton, dandelion, Downton Abbey, Esther Hizsa, Gabor Maté, Glennon Doyle, In the Shelter, Krista Tippett, Living from the Heart, Maya Angelou, On Being, Pádraig Ó Tuama, Peter Ealey, Shame, Sia, SoulStream, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Wisdom of Trauma, Thomas Hübl, vulnerability, Vulnerability Ted Talk | 2 Comments

Root Rot

Posted on July 27, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

“You see these roots here? They’re brown and have no filaments on them.” My daughter, Heidi, sat on our balcony holding my poor, naked Christmas cactus and pulled away the old soil and dead roots. “No wonder the leaves are … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Creation, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Alice Popkorn, Christmas Cactus, Esther Hizsa, Gabor Maté, healing, Julian of Norwich, Loneliness, Psalm 52:8, Richard Rohr, root rot, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Thomas Merton, trauma, true self | 4 Comments

The Gift of Self-Awareness

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

Lately, my self-awareness has risen to a whole new level. I swear there’s a little fellow deep inside me rummaging through all my crap and sending it up for me to look at. These “gifts” are about as attractive as … Continue reading →

Posted in autism, compassion, Prayer, Reflections, Spiritual Direction | Tagged Art Thompson, Caravaggio, Elizabeth of the Trinity, Esther Hizsa, Every Child Matters, Indian Residential School Survivors, James Finley, Revolutionary Love, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle, Theron Trowbridge, Tsaqwasupp, Turning to the Mystics, Valarie Kaur | 2 Comments

Here

Posted on June 18, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

Sometimes being herefeels like I’m in the wrong placeas if I could look at a map and backtrackto where I’m supposed to be.But there’s no map for the contemplative journey,let alone my contemplative journey. “Here,” the wise ones say,“is the … Continue reading →

Posted in community, compassion, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Alone, Esther Hizsa, Isaiah 66:13, Mark Harrington, Me too, Menachem Ganon, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | Leave a comment

The Infinite Love that Loves Us So Unexplainably

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

For the past three months, James Finley has been my spiritual guide. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I walk in a nearby park and listen to a podcast from Turning to the Mystics. Then I sit … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Creation, Mystical, Reflections | Tagged blackberries, Center for Action and Contemplation, centering prayer, discouragement, Ed Dahl, Esther Hizsa, James Finley, pet iguana, reptiles, Romans 12:12, self-compassion, Snappy Goat, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle, Turning to the Mystics | Leave a comment

Borderline

Posted on June 4, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

On a run, I wondered what I would share for my check-in that afternoon at the peer supervision group I attend with other spiritual directors. Typically when we check in, we don’t just share what’s at the surface of our … Continue reading →

Posted in autism, compassion, Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories | Tagged ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Borderline, Devil's Backbone, Dr. Shaun Murphy, Esther Hizsa, Gustave Thibon, Katherine May, Kristin Neff, Mitch Barrie, self-compassion, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, The Electricity of Every Living Thing, The Good Doctor | 3 Comments

It’s Time to Sing the Mourning Songs

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

Take a moment and listen to the experience of Emma Baker, a 84-year-old survivor of the Kamloops residential school. I knew about the residential schools and how bad things were, but this hits harder than any of the presentations, courses, … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, Justice, Reflections, Stories | Tagged 215 First Nations' children buried, Abigail Echo-Hawk, Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, Emma Baker, Esther Hizsa, Ginger Gosnell-Myers, Kamloops Residential School, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | Leave a comment

Love Your Body Now

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

Let me share my earworm. It’s a riff of a Backstreet Boy’s song Everybody (yeah, yeah)Love your body (yeah, yeah)Love your body now. Adam Sud should have died. Seriously addicted to amphetamines and fast foods, his body and soul were … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, compassion, Overeating, Reflections | Tagged 1 John 3:1, Adam Sud, Backstreet Boys, caring for your body, Cassandra Speaks, Elizabeth Lesser, Esther Hizsa, Food Revolution Network, Food Revolution Summit, John Robbins, love your body, Matthew 22:39, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver | Leave a comment

The Song That Is My Life

Posted on May 7, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

Do not try to savethe whole worldor do anything grandiose.Instead, createa clearingin the dense forestof your lifeand wait therepatiently,until the songthat is your lifefalls into your own cupped handsand you recognize and greet it.Only then will you knowhow to give … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, compassion, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Action against Asian racism, Burnaby Inter-Faith Committee, Burnaby Together, Elton Fernandes, Esther Hizsa, Frederick Buechner, Girl Seated by Water, James Finley, Jan L. Richardson, Martha Postlethwaite, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, spiritual director Burnaby, Stand with Asians Coalition, Svein Halvor Halvorsen, Teresa of Avila, The Clearing, Turning to the Mystics, Two hands one cup | 2 Comments

Now I See

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

. . . we attribute authority to [our weaknesses] to name who we are, and they don’t because only love has the authority to name who we are. –James Finley, Turning to the Mystics Thomas Merton 4 My weaknesses don’t … Continue reading →