Praise For
Opening Thoughts on Everyday Living
Digging Deeper, Looking Farther
“When you discover that a friend who works for justice and peace is also a contemplative writer it is a wonderful surprise! Don Welch has spent a career teaching and advocating. Now he is publishing his first book of reflections and poetry. This book is beautiful and it calls us all to stop and see that where we are is in a holy moment. Don is a gift. And Don’s writing is a gift. Give yourself a gift and take the time to read it!”
— The Rev. Becca Stevens, founder of Magdalene and Thistle Farms
“Humble observations and elemental wisdom from one of the sweetest souls in the South. We meet Don Welch’s heart and see the world more clearly for it.”
— Rebecca Wells, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
“With Opening Thoughts on Everyday Living, Don Welch demonstrates what an underappreciated, meditative act it is to direct our attention to our words, and what they might mean, and what they point to. Maybe in your reading you’ll experience a slowing of your breath, like I did, as Don’s marvelous ‘Opening Thoughts’ lead you into a place of thoughtful kindness. And maybe, like me, you’ll find yourself moved to take a walk afterwards and noticing that your attention is heightened, your mind more playful. Attention is a magical thing, and I guess that makes Don Welch a magician for directing ours to such wondrous spaces of the heart.”
— David Hutchens, author of Circle of the Nine Muses: A Storytelling Field Guide for Innovators and Meaning Makers
“I love this book. Like the ‘Opening Thoughts’ it includes, it defies easy description. It is a wise, whimsical, poignant, and profound collection of anecdotes, observations, musings, meditations, poems, stories, and songs. It captures much about one man’s inner life, and in so doing, it provides universal insights. Slow down and enjoy.”
— Chris Guthrie, Dean, Vanderbilt University Law School
“In Opening Thoughts on Everyday Living, Don Welch offers consistently wise, clear views on everyday living. This book offers a clarion call for those of us who want to see, listen, and be in a world that’s often begging for and competing for our attention. Dwell in Welch’s awareness for a little while; I promise you won’t be sorry!”
— Bonnie Smith Whitehouse, Director of Honors and Professor of English, Belmont University, author of Afoot and Light Hearted
“In Opening Thoughts on Everyday Living, Don Welch turns those fast food sound bites so beloved in the South inside out and upside down. In the process, this kind and thoughtful gentleman serves them back to us as a five-star meal that reminds us just how nourishing ‘small talk’ can be when we mean what we say and say what we mean.”
— Hal Cato, CEO of Thistle Farms and founder of Hands on Nashville
“I’ve known Don Welch for almost 50 years and have read much of what he’s published, but this book surprised me. He is widely known for his insights, analytical skills, and clear writing, and here he also demonstrates an uncanny ability to step back, discern the niceties and oddities in our everyday worlds, and open up new ways of perceiving them. As he invites us to linger over them with him, he makes the process rewarding with his playful use of words and his poetic expressions. This book deserves to be read slowly and thoughtfully — again and again.”
— Douglas A. Knight, Drucilla Moore Buffington Professor of Hebrew Bible Emeritus and Professor of Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt University
“Don Welch shares his personal thoughts and struggles using humor, poetry, imagery, metaphors and more. In doing so useful suggestions emerge as guiding points for one’s life journey and he offers much that touches one’s spirit and mind.”
— Rev. Dr. Roberto Gómez, United Methodist, pastor
“Prepare to be moved! Get ready to hear the music in your own life again! This book is a treasure trove of reflections, songs and poems written to the beat of a generous storytelling heart. You will return to it again and again to refresh your soul.”
— Ian Morgan Cron, psychotherapist, Enneagram Master teacher and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Jesus, My Father, the CIA, and Me, and The Road Back to You
“When I think about Don’s writings I’m reminded how the written word can be a gift. No matter where I am on the planet, his stories instantly transport me to a tranquil spot under a tall shady oak in Nashville where a wise and slightly weathered gentleman is thoughtfully persuading me that everyday life can be a wonderful adventure.”
— CJ Casciotta, Author, Get Weird: Discover the Surprising Secret to Making a Difference
