Always Returning

It's such an honor to release the second edition-a 15th anniversary edition-of Where the Heart Resides: Timeless Wisdom of the American Prairie. Given the inevitable surge of time, my book features a new title, updated content where appropriate, edited chapter titles, a new cover design, and a new dedication. It was a pleasure to work on this edition, because everything still resonated with me - perhaps, more so. The beauty of sky and land, still intoxicating, still true.

I wrote Heart Resides in 1998-published it in September, 1999-when we lived in Missouri. But, as my new title suggests, I've had the good fortune to return to my beloved prairie roots - to a place that firmly lives on in my memory, and otherwise.

The eerie dance of time, nearly invisible when gazing on a vast open space.

Returning to South Dakota in August of 2008, ten years had already elapsed since I'd carved out an accessible set of ideas and observations coined prairie wisdom. Of course my perceptions deepened during the years that interceded-as my spiritual awareness expanded-and I realized that whenever we are deeply aware of our surroundings, wisdom (inner knowing) is available to us. Thus, the new title: Always Returning - The Wisdom of Place.

This happens to be my place-this prairie landscape, the people who inhabit this terrain, and the lifestyle that has evolved-but you have your place, as well. Perhaps it's also in Dakota, or maybe it's in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, or Florida, or intrinsic to a wild city landscape that rings with noise: night and day. Or your place might be in a foreign country. Maybe you are homeless, or between jobs, or moving cross country. Maybe you reside in an institution, a special home for seniors or people with disabilities, or perhaps you still live with your parents. Wherever you find yourself, the most important thing is to be there fully. Not as a visitor, your shifting gaze drawn elsewhere, but in body and soul, as you come to know the completeness of each moment, finding wisdom in everything you see and encounter.