Attention Is a Prayer

Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts.
-- Wendell Berry ¹

Hello Holy Mischievians, I am on the move in France. Along with my shoes, clothes and poetry books, I am accompanied by these North Stars (why not three?):

✶ If you deeply observe, everything is your teacher.
(Widely attributed to Gautama Buddha.)

✶ Attention is a prayer.²
(Terry Tempest Williams)

✶ Staying aware of the importance of creating and tending my glimmers, little micro-moments of joy that I believe are an essential human food group and are everywhere abundant … but so often part of the unreported news.

I grow tired of seeing the faces of people who are famous for forgetting themselves, losing their moral compass and who have sent their own North Stars packing. I would rather look at so-called everyday people … fellow humans whose beautifulness is just bursting out of them. As I wander around amongst strangers (aka new old friends), I have harvested some of their images to share with you, with their consent. It’s a sampling of some of the suns, moons and stars amongst us. Visual prayers to tuck into the pocket of your day. Each a soulful encounter, however minuscule, and a heart connection that lingers. It really doesn’t take much for that to happen in a human life.

People from various French markets and shops who sell cheese, vegetables, bread, charcuterie and dresses; a waiter in a restaurant; others from a lunch gathering.

These precious beings are each and all a miracle and a marvel. A wonder. The poet Matt Moberg says: Wonder is the oldest form of resurrection.³ We sure could use some resurrection right about now.

Good to visit with you, beautiful humans.

❤️ Debra

1. From “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front” by Wendell Berry.

2. From the Terry Tempest Williams talk at the 2026 Bioneers Conference: “The Glorians are Among Us” (which I highly recommend). Attention is a prayer is a concept Terry adapted from the French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil.

3. From an unnamed poem by Matt Moberg. It is long but well worth the read.