Weekly Reflection: On Certain Days

A hawk swept above, cutting a 
path through the clouds. Then, 
both hawk and path were gone, 
swallowed by the sky. In my mind, 
I could see its trail. By the next 
day, no trace. 

As the year unfolded, there was 
tragedy and pain, each cutting its 
path through our lives. Then, they 
were gone. And though I feel the 
scars on certain days, no trace. 
They are, in time, swallowed 
by life.

So, it’s hard to explain how I 
come to you, shaped and mis-
shapen, cut and healed, with 
nothing to show for it, with 
everything to thank for it.


A Question to Walk With: In conversation with a friend or loved one, describe something you have been through that you have nothing to show for it, but have everything to thank for it.

This excerpt is from my book of poems, This Slow Quick Dance.

Discover the Transformative Power of Love
June 3-9, 2025 — Free Online Summit

In the quiet hours, when the world falls away, we begin to remember what matters.Not as an idea, but as a presence — the felt sense of love moving through us like breath through leaves.

Love is not a task to be mastered, but a home we return to again and again.

This is why I’m grateful to share that I’ll be joining the Power of Love Summit — a free, 7-day offering of deep conversations and gentle truths with fellow seekers and friends, including Tara Brach, Anne Lamott, Jack Kornfield, Stephen G. Post and many more.

If you feel called to sit with this gathering — to reflect, to listen, to remember the deeper currents — I invite you to join us.

The summit is free to attend, and you’ll receive access to bonus conversations with Deepak Chopra, Jane Fonda, and Marianne Williamson upon registering.

Sign up here

May this be a space that helps you come home to what you’ve always known:

Love is not far. It is already here.

Upcoming Events with Mark in 2025!

June 27-29, 2025: This 3-day retreat with Mark dives into the great matter of Friendship at Omega in Rhinebeck, NY. Explore how friendship is indispensable to us, and the inevitable trials by which our bond is strengthened or broken, and how our friendships bring us back to life. For details or to register, click here.

July 18 - 20, 2025: You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: The Power of Friendship is a 3-day retreat at Siena Retreat Center in Racine, WI. For information and to register, click here.

Aug 22-24, 2025: The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life is a new retreat from Mark based on his upcoming book. This 3-day retreat at Mercy by the Sea in Madison, CT will celebrate the publication of his 27th book and look into the gifts and the rhythms of aging. Click here to reserve your spot!

September 7, 2025 | 11 am PT / 2 pm ET | ONLINE: Banyen Books & Music FREE book event Mark Nepo in Conversation with Joel Fotinos. Click here to register.

September 21, 2025 | 1 pm PT / 4 pm ET | ONLINE: Book Passage FREE event Mark Nepo in Conversation with Brooke Warner for The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Click here to register. 

2026

January 11, 18, 25, 2026: New Webinar!! The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life. Register now at live.marknepo.com.