Day 51: July 30, 2012 ~ Starry Starry Night

Day 51: July 30, 2012 ~ Starry Starry Night

"We had the sky, up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made, or only just happened—Jim he allowed they was made, but I allowed they happened; I judged it would have took too long to make so many."

~Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

"For my part I know nothing with any certainty but the sight of the stars

makes me dream."

~Vincent Van Gogh

Working a dream in my wonderful dream group today brought up some memories from someplace deep in my soul, about how even as a young child I felt drawn to connect to the mysteries of the universe, and loved to gaze at the stars. I remember as a little girl sitting in my bedroom at night looking for the first star to appear so I could make a wish—you know: star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have this wish I wish tonight. It was a very important part of my bedtime ritual.

I also have very fond memories of my uncle Bill teaching me about the constellations when I was 12. That summer I visited Uncle Bill and Aunt Vivian at their cottage in Westport, Connecticut. One evening we rowed out onto a lake and he pointed to the stars and named the various constellations. The only one I remember is Orion—for some reason that one made an impression on me. To this day every time I see Orion in the sky I remember my uncle Bill and that special connective time together.

Connection...that's what it's about. When I look at the stars I feel a sense of ONENESS with all that is, connected to something eternal, beyond right here right now, and connected to the source of all life. It's quite magical. Is it a sign that I'm getting old if I say that sometimes I long for the simpler days gone by...when we took time to sit outside and look at the stars and ponder the mysteries of life, time to sit and watch the fireflies or take walks in the moonlight...rather than spend hours in front of our iPads, iPhones, computers, or watching "reality" shows or 24-7 news shows on TV?

That's why I loved our summer vacations at the cabin in the Adirondacks. No electricity, no phones, no cars, no TV. The evening entertainment was going down to the dock to watch the Perseid Meteor Showers or counting shooting stars. "OH look! Did you see that one?! It streaked across the whole sky! Wow, there's another one!" And constellations galore—the Big Dipper (affectionately referred to as "the Big Dip"), Delphinus, Cassiopeia (the "Lazy W")...

Today I am in deep appreciation of the magic and wonder, the awesome beauty of the starry starry night, for the reminder of our connection to eternity, to oneness with all that is, and for very special memories of magical moments with loved ones. Blessed be.

Day 50: July 29, 2012 ~ The Miracle of Flight

Day 50: July 29, 2012 ~ The Miracle of Flight 

"They done it! They done it! Damned if they ain't flew!"

~Johnny Moore, shouted while running to the village of Kitty Hawk, 17 December 1903

"First Europe, and then the globe, will be linked by flight, and nations so knit together that they will grow to be next-door neighbors. . .What railways have done for nations, airways will do for the world."

Claude Grahame-White, 1914

Orville and Wilbur Wright's first powered flight, 1903 

Every time I step onto an airplane I feel a sense of awe. I marvel at how casual and nonchalant the crew members and passengers seem to be—I wonder, don't they realize what a miracle this is?! This giant bird weighing how many tons (?) powers up and barrels down the runway at 150-180 miles per hour in seconds flat until it gains the necessary speed to gently lift off the ground and fly gracefully above the earth. At cruising altitude it maintains a speed of about 500 mph, and upon reaching its destination it slowly descends and touches down, coming to a complete stop in a matter of a few seconds.

When a plane I am traveling on touches down, I want to shout "Halleluiah! Bravo! Great Job!" It always feels as if I have just experienced a miracle. As I exit the plane I want to hug the pilot. I always say "Thank you". I want to kiss the ground and say prayers of gratitude! For the crew, however, it's all in a day's work. They'll probably turn around and fly back, or continue on to some other destination, without giving it a second thought.

I think about what it must have been like in the days of the first flights. How exciting it must have been for the Wright brothers, who after years of studying birds in flight to understand aerodynamics and experimenting with gliders, in 1903 managed to get a plane off the ground for a full 12 seconds. Then in 1905 Wilbur Wright set a world record for the first successful powered piloted flight in history, remaining in flight for 39 minutes.


We've come a long way since those days. Now air travel is commonplace. I was curious to know how many flights a day there are, so I did some Google research. The numbers are pretty amazing: on any given day there are more than 87,000 flights in the skies over the United States alone (only 35% of those are commercial carriers; the rest are private planes, military flights and air cargo flights). At any given moment there are roughly 5,000 planes in the skies above the U.S.


I used to be a nervous flyer. Somewhere along the way I learned to relax and enjoy the ride, and now I just marvel at the agility, beauty, and grace of these big birds. I love to look out the window at the clouds and the landscape below, and I am very grateful for the miracle of flight.

 

Day 49: July 26, 2012 ~ Flowers to Feed the Soul

Day 49: July 26, 2012 ~ Flowers to Feed the Soul

"Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul."

The Koran

I'm wondering how the heck it took me until Day 49 to get around to flowers! Flowers are my favorite things to photograph. Everywhere I go, I take pictures of flowers. Even at Disneyland last weekend, as we were waiting in line for the Peter Pan ride, I got out my camera and took pictures of a small patch of purple flowers in front of the ride. I couldn't help myself—they were just so beautiful. Truly, is there anything more beautiful on this earth than flowers?

Flowers feed our souls, they delight our senses with their exquisite fragrance, they brighten the landscape with their vibrant colors, they inspire our hearts to open to expressions of art and poetry and love. I think of Claude Monet, who said: "I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers". And I think of Georgia O'Keeffe, who said: "Nobody sees a flower—really—it is so small it takes time—we haven't time—and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time." Thank God she took the time to really see and share with the world her intimate experience with nature and flowers, revealing their most exquisite beauty.

As I think about it, I have some distinct memories about flowers that have made indelible impressions on my soul. One involved a mule ride in the Grand Canyon. I'm riding on this mule on a narrow path winding down the canyon, with nothing but dirt and rock walls all around, when we come to an overhang area, and what catches my eye is a beautiful little flower growing out of a crack in the rock wall—out in the middle of nowhere where no one would ever see it, there it is in all its glory, no need to be seen or acknowledged for its beauty...just being beauty, simply giving its unique gift to the world.


And I think of winters in Connecticut—after several months of seeing nothing but brown leafless trees and snow covered ground, how exciting it is to see signs of LIFE and COLOR return when those first crocuses pop up through the snow in March or April, a promise of spring's return, followed by yellow daffodils and forsythia, and then pink and rose colored azalea and rhododendron, delicate dogwoods, and the intoxicating lavender of lilacs in May. What a marvel are the crocuses, though, such tiny seemingly fragile little flowers—but think of the strength they must have to break through that thick blanket of snow! They remind us of our own inner strength in harsh times, and the promise of new life and hope.

Today I thank God for the flowers, nature's magnificent palette of color, fragrance and beauty, for their gifts of hope and renewal and infinite love. Blessed be.

Day 48: July 25, 2012 ~ Fruit, Glorious Fruit

Day 48: July 25, 2012 ~ Fruit, Glorious Fruit

"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?"

~Albert Einstein

  

This one's for my friend John, who reminded me recently of the pleasures of delectable sweet mouth-watering fresh fruit. How grateful I am for the variety of colors and flavors and tastes of this summertime bounty—peaches, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries—and the tropical fruits: kiwi, bananas, papaya, and mangoes. Mmmm...can you imagine the aroma of fresh baked apple pie fresh out of the oven?! Actually, one of my favorite fruit pies is a Scottish Bakery recipe for blackberry pie. Yummm! And then there's another favorite, poached pears with raspberry sauce...and for a real treat, a rich dark chocolate sauce poured over the top.


A couple of years ago I lived in a place where I had a little garden plot. I grew tomatoes and herbs mostly, but I also had a crop of strawberries growing. What a joy it was to walk out to my little garden in the summertime and pick a few ripe strawberries to pop into my mouth for an explosion of sweet juicy flavor...just a little bit of heaven.

I don't have a garden where I currently live, but I do make weekly pilgrimages to the local Farmers Market, where vendors offer samples of their fresh fruits and vegetables. There is a particular peach grower who draws crowds with his samples of numerous varieties of peaches and nectarines. Do you know there are more than 300 varieties of peaches grown in North America?! This particular northern California vendor has maybe 20 different kinds, and he has a display set up where you get to taste each one. Now that is Heaven! I discovered a new favorite last week: a honey-kissed nectarine...very sweet and juicy, and it does indeed taste a bit like honey.

And what about blueberry pancakes drizzled with fresh maple syrup on a cool, crisp fall morning? Or strawberry shortcake topped with whipped cream? Or hot apple crisp fresh from the oven, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting over the top...I could go on, but you get the idea! I bet you have your own favorites too.


Today I am marveling at the miracle of delectable fresh fruits, in all the many different varieties, thankful for the sweetness and delight they offer, truly manna from heaven!

 

Day 47: July 24, 2012 ~ "I Choose Love"

Day 47: July 24, 2012 ~ "I Choose Love"

"There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer; no disease that enough love

will not heal; no door that enough love will not open; no gulf that enough love will not bridge; no wall that enough love will not throw down; no sin that enough love will

not redeem. It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble,

how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangle, how great the mistake;

a sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all."

~ Emmet Fox

 

If you've been listening to the daily meditations in the Chopra Center 21-Day Meditation Challenge that I mentioned in an earlier blog, you know what a delicious experience it is. I have been appreciating Day 7's guided meditation in which Deepak Chopra introduces the mantra "I choose love", as a phrase to be repeated silently to oneself with each breath.

I was grateful that I listened to this meditation early in the morning before spending the day at Disneyland with my son and 5-year-old granddaughter this past weekend :-) Disneyland is the Happiest Place on Earth, however if you are trying to conquer it in one day, it can be a trying experience, for little folks and big ones! Especially on a hot mid-summer day, when lines are long and patience can run thin. There were periods of time when melt-downs began to occur and frustration mounted. A few times I felt irritation or judgments arising...and then I remembered the mantra and I repeated silently to myself, I choose love, I choose love, I choose love. All negativity dissolved instantly like a mist, and feelings of peace and serenity filled my being. No need to engage, resist, react...just be love, and light. The energy shifted and the dark clouds lifted. When we are at peace within ourselves, those around us feel the vibration and are lifted as well. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

My son and I had some great conversations over the course of the weekend. We talked about events in the news, especially the tragic events in Colorado last week, and he asked me if I thought there was hope for the world, hope for the human race. I thought again of this mantra, and I told him that I think there will always be violence and inexplicable tragic events...there have been since the beginning of time and it seems to be part of human nature...but that we each have the ability to choose how we will respond in the face of the most terrible events. I told him about the man whose son was killed by a gang member—how he chose to forgive the young man who shot his son and started a foundation dedicated to ending teen violence. He realized that being consumed with bitterness and hate was not serving anyone, and he chose love instead.

We all have this capacity to align with what is highest and best within us, with our true divine nature. Today I am deeply grateful for the ability to choose love, for the willingness to be a channel for its expression in our lives, expanding and multiplying its power to heal and transform. Blessed be.

Day 46: July 20, 2012 ~ For the Love of Trees

Day 46: July 20, 2012 ~ For the Love of Trees

"It is difficult to realize how great a part of all that is cheerful and delightful in the recollections of our own life is associated with trees."

~Wilson Flagg

  

This gratitude practice really has been illuminating. It amazes me how many things I (we) take for granted every day—the rich beauty that surrounds us that we pass by without noticing or thinking twice. Today I did something I don't normally do—I sat outside at lunchtime on a bench beneath a small grove of trees outside my office. I've worked there for four years and yet have never taken the time to just sit beneath these trees in silent appreciation. Watching sun dappled leaves swaying in the breeze and hearing the happy chirps of birdsong that filled the air, I was suddenly overcome with a feeling of deep appreciation. There is something glorious about trees in their mid-summer glory ~ bursting with vibrant energy and resplendent in their grace and beauty.

Memories from childhood came back to me...I realized how important trees were in my early years. There was the giant tree with a rope swing in our back yard, where my best friend Margaret and I spent countless hours and days playing, swinging, talking, laughing. There were the tangerine trees and avocado trees in our yard that provided delicious mid-day snacks. And there was the tree house that provided endless hours of imaginative play...as we enacted scenes from Flash Gordon or Peter Pan. Those memories are priceless. I don't know that I've thought of those trees much over the years. I appreciate them now.

As I sat beneath the trees today I began to think about how trees have played a prominent part in myth, literature, poetry, and film. I smiled as I thought of Disney's Johnny Appleseed (my friend Margaret's father Dennis Day was the voice of Johnny Appleseed, and I listened to the '45' of that song a lot!)...and there's Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, the tree in Swiss Family Robinson, Winnie the Pooh's Honey Tree, the baobab tree in The Little Prince, not to mention Avatar, the trees in Lord of the Ring, and of course the Tree of Knowledge, the Tree of Life, and the Bodhi Tree where Buddha attained enlightenment. Trees seem to represent something divine, a source of life, protection, support, majesty and grandeur. They are places where magic happens.

I began to appreciate all that trees teach us about the cycles and seasons of life, about patience, and about letting go. They teach us about possibility. What is the quote..."the lofty oak from a small acorn grows." Have you thought about how that happens? This tiny little acorn, planted in the soil, develops roots and grows into a seedling, a small tree, and eventually into a mighty oak tree. Is that not miraculous?!

Today I am in great gratitude and appreciation for all the trees of our earth, and all that they give to us.

Day 45: July 18, 2012 ~ 21-Day Meditation Challenge

Day 45: July 18, 2012 ~ 21-Day Meditation Challenge

"Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It is a way of entering

into the quiet that is already there, buried under the 50,000 thoughts

the average person thinks every day."

~Deepak Chopra

Today I simply want to share something wonderful with you. I received an email invitation this morning to join the Chopra Center 21-Day Meditation Challenge. I was definitely interested, so I checked it out. The Chopra Center is offering this 21-day meditation series as a gift, free of charge, through the internet. You simply register, log in, and click on the audio link to hear a guided meditation. Each day there is a new meditative image and a quote, offered as a centering thought.

Each meditation is introduced with simple instructions and an inspirational message or thought to contemplate. They are about 15 minutes long. What a lovely way to incorporate a meditation practice into daily life. I listened twice today, once this morning to center and ground for the day, and once this evening, to relax and clear the mind of those 50,000 thoughts. It's amazing what 15 minutes of simply focusing on the breath coming in and going out like the ocean tides can do to improve one's state of being.

Deepak Chopra, founder of the Chopra Center, teaches about the benefits of meditation. He says that if you close your eyes and meditate for 15-20 minutes your brain waves change. You enter into the alpha state, into deep relaxation—the heart rate slows down, blood pressure goes down, blood flow to the brain increases, and the immune system gets stimulated during this state of deep rest. It is said that regular meditation practice even slows down the aging process. In fact, he says that studies have shown that "if you meditate regularly 20 minutes a day, twice a day, for five years consistently, you are likely to be 12 years younger than people born on the same day you were."

If this sounds like something you'd like to experience...and you'd like to check out the 21-Day Meditation Challenge, here is the website:

https://www.chopracentermeditation.com

Today I am grateful for the practice of meditation and for this gift from the Chopra Center, that makes it so simple, accessible and thoroughly enjoyable. Namaste!

 

Day 44: July 15, 2012 ~ "I'd Rather Be Here Now"

Day 44: July 15, 2012 ~ "I'd Rather Be Here Now"

"Let's trade in all our judging for appreciating. Let's lay down our righteousness

and just be together."

~Ram Dass

So, this is inspired by two events that I experienced this week. The first one: A couple of days ago I saw a license plate frame that caught my eye...you know, those frames that say, "I'd Rather Be In Lake Tahoe"...or "I'd Rather Be On Vacation"...or "I'd Rather Be Fishing"...or Golfing, or whatever. Well, this one said, "I'd Rather Be Here Now." YES!

It got me thinking: how much time do we spend thinking about what we'd rather be doing, feeling like we are missing out on something by tending to the details of our daily lives--our work, our families, our relationships. We prefer to live in the hope of better days ahead. We'll be happy when we go on vacation; we'll be happy when we retire; we'll be happy when we're someplace other than where we are right here right now. Or we live in the past, retelling the same old stories over and over again, keeping ourselves and others stuck in relationship dynamics that are very old and very tired. When are we ever Here Now?

Here Now is where miracles happen--where relationship dynamics can be allowed to change, where the past may be transformed and made new by creating a new story...where we allow ourselves and others to be who they (we) are and to show up in a new way.

Which brings me to the second event. More of a miracle, really. Without going into too much detail about family dynamics, I'll just say that today transformation took place and the old family dynamics dissolved; a new day dawned. My two siblings and I got together for a meeting to talk about an urgent family matter. In the past this would not, to put it mildly, have been a really good idea. Yet all that could be felt in the room this afternoon was compassion, understanding, kindness and support, and what emerged was a clear path of action for us to take in solidarity.

Again, without elaborating, this is definitely a new thing for us. It is a reflection of the healing, growth and transformation that has been working within each of us, and a willingness to let go of the past and to BE HERE NOW. Today I am grateful for the gifts of living in the present moment, where miracles abound.

Day 43: July 12, 2012 ~ Forgiveness

Day 43: July 12, 2012 ~ Forgiveness

"To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness."

~Robert Muller

I watched the most powerful program on TV the other night—an episode from a series called Global Spirit, on Forgiveness and Healing. The video above, almost 9 minutes long, is a clip from the show.  Dr. Edward Tick and his organization Soldier's Heart helps war veterans suffering from PTSD, by journeying back with them to the place where "they lost part of their soul" and performing rituals to help them heal.

The man in the video clip above was an army captain in Vietnam who has suffered chronic grief and has carried a heavy burden of guilt and shame for his actions in the war. In this scene he releases a torrent of emotion as he and other vets with him are surrounded by the encouragement, support and compassion of Dr. Tick and loving family members. After the release, the men are encouraged to chant in a powerful mantra, "more came home because of me, more came home because of me."

In another incredibly moving scene, the veterans meet face to face with former Vietnamese soldiers, the very men they had met on the battlefield 40 years before. They ask forgiveness for all that they had done, the bombing and killing and destroying of the land, expressing deep remorse. The Vietnamese vets say, "There's nothing to forgive. You were only doing your duty as a soldier. You have to take care of yourself now." This group of Americans and Vietnamese, former mortal enemies, sit together in a circle and talk and sing and raise their glasses in a toast "to peace."

In another scene, the vets visit a temple where they join a group of monks meditating and chanting a prayer for peace. One man says, "What really got to me was when I realized these monks were in here chanting prayers for peace the whole time we were bombing their villages." The monks have only compassion and love in their hearts. There are many tears shed in that temple. That is the power of forgiveness and grace.

I was in awe watching this show. I can't wait to see the other episodes in the Global Spirit series. There are 10 of them—shows on sacred sound, dreams, art and the creative spirit, shaman healing, to name a few. You can also watch them online. Here are some websites to check out for more information if you are interested: www.linktv/globalspirit/video and www.soldiersheart.net.

Today I am deeply grateful for the gifts of grace and forgiveness, and for people like Dr. Edward Tick who dedicate their lives to helping others to heal.

 

Day 42: July 10, 2012 ~ "N-O is My New Yes"

Day 42: July 10, 2012 ~ "N-O is My New Yes"

"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things.

Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just

a lack of money or things."

~Eric Butterworth 

The title of today's post comes from a song by the wonderful New Thought musician Karen Drucker. As I thought about today's topic, I had this song going through my head. The chorus line is:

     "N-O is my new Yes. When I say No, I'm saying Yes to me."

And one verse goes: "I've been living my life living to please, full of effort and struggle and not enough ease. I've been such a good girl, but now I know, when I'm untrue to me, I lose a piece of my soul."

Today I am grateful to be on a journey of self-empowerment and prosperity building. Yes! I have discovered a book titled Earn What You Deserve: How to Stop Underearning & Start Thriving, by Jerrold Mundis, that is helping me greatly on this journey. For those of you who have no issue with abundance and prosperity, no need to read on. Skip ahead to tomorrow's blog :-) I, on the other hand, am on the learning curve in that department, and am exceedingly grateful for the insights and aha's streaming through.

The book offers specific practices to help people who have ongoing challenges with finances. The author uses the term "compulsive underearner" to describe people who are chronically in debt or somehow in financial crisis on a continual basis. One can earn a very high salary yet find themselves in chronic debt; or some of us consistently accept work that pays less than we need or would be beneficial. Inspired by the various 12-Step programs, the author suggests three "do not's" to practice on a daily basis: 1). "Just for today, I will not incur more debt"; 2). "Just for today, I will not accept work that pays me less than I need or is beneficial"; 3). "Just for today, I will not say No to money."

Well, I've been feeling quite empowered as I have been focusing on this practice. And then this morning I had a major 'aha', a flash of insight: It's not just about money: this applies to relationships as well! As Eric Butterworth says, prosperity is a way of living and thinking...it's not just about money and things. Likewise, poverty consciousness will find ways to keep away all good, whether it be in the area of finances, health, relationships...everything. 

So I have decided to extend this practice to my relationship life as well, and here are my three "do-not's":

1). Just for today I will not incur more debt emotionally or psychologically, by over-extending myself in a relationship that is not mutually supportive.

2). Just for today, I will not invest my time and energy in a relationship in which I do not receive the love, support, and soul nourishment that I need and desire. I wish to invest my energy in a relationship in which there is a mutual exchange of energy, love, and support.

3). Just for today, I will acknowledge and gratefully receive the love that is sent my way, the love that is indeed all around. Recognizing that there are many ways in which love may be expressed, I will not refuse it if it doesn't show up in a form that I think it should. Today I will not say no to love.

In gratitude for the power of NO...and YES! And for the wisdom to know when to employ them.

Day 41: July 8, 2012 ~ Stories for All Ages

Day 41: July 8, 2012 ~ Stories for All Ages

"Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old."

~Franz Kafka

"No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally—and often far more—worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond."

~C.S.Lewis

I am fortunate to have a 3 1/2 year old in my life, my niece's daughter, with whom I frequently have the opportunity to read bedtime stories. I don't know which one of us enjoys the experience more. The books feel like a bridge between the generations, a place where we can meet on common ground, the child in me meeting with the child (and aspiring adult) in her. I love the C.S. Lewis quote above—the fairy tales and fables, the treasured stories of childhood, really are written as much for adults as they are for children. They help us re-connect with the sense of magic and wonder and possibility that children have naturally. And children like it when we meet them there.

The Secret Garden was one of my all-time favorite books as a child. Reading it, I was transported to a magical world of beauty and wonder. I was so filled with joy when little Mary Lennox first discovered the secret garden that I could hardly stand it. The book gave me hope as a young person, and taught me about the possibility of healing, forgiveness and redemption, and appealed to my sense of curiosity. I recently re-read the book, as a 50-something adult, and was just as enthralled...actually, more so. This time I understood more of the symbolism and could feel how the secret garden is really a place within us, within our hearts and souls, where love may grow, with understanding, care and attention.

I think in my next lifetime I would like to be a children's book author. I recall with great fondness the books that I loved as a child: the EB White books, Stuart Little being my very favorite; the Nancy Drew Mysteries; A Wrinkle in Time, The Phantom Tollbooth; the Winnie the Pooh stories; Peter Pan; and many others. And I appreciate them even more now.

And there are stories that I have discovered as an adult that I cherish, such as The Invention of Hugo Cabret (the inspiration for the movie Hugo), published in 2007. I LOVE this book. I actually know the sister-in-law of the author Brian Selznick, and was thrilled to receive a signed copy of the book when it was first published...and got to hear all about the process of turning the book into a movie—which Martin Scorcese did with loving care and integrity to the book. I won't even try to describe the book—that would be a whole blog in itself. Check it out at www.theinventionofhugocabret.com and definitely see the film. It's a work of art, and a wonderful story...of healing, forgiveness and redemption (seems to be a theme for me :-)


In great gratitude for these stories and the authors and illustrators who create them, transporting us to realms of magic, mystery and wonder.

Day 39: July 5, 2012 ~ Summertime

Day 39: July 5, 2012 ~ Summertime

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time."

~John Lubbock

Being a Leo, I'm particularly fond of summertime. How I love to soak in the summer sun, basking in the glory of summer's palette of colors, bright yellows, pinks and blues of sunflowers, cornflowers, lupine, foxgloves, the lush green of leafy trees. Like the sunflower that turns to face the sunlight, stretching and growing to become its most radiant self, we too gratefully receive the gifts of the summer season of growth and expansion as we open to new experiences and enjoy life in all its fullness.

I remember as a child how summer would stretch endlessly on, with one objective only—to have a good time. Memories flood back as I think of summers past...swimming, tennis, endless rounds of tetherball, picnics, barbecues. A particular memory comes to me, of water skiing off the shoreline of the Long Island Sound in the days right after the movie Jaws was first released—it added to the thrill, just imagining what might be lurking in the water as you waited for the boat to come back around and pick you up after a fall. We probably all have a "first summer love" story. I recall many evenings spent watching the sunset from a secluded viewing spot above the beach that my teenage heartthrob and I affectionately referred to as "Our Place". Ahh...summer.

Another memory bubbles up...the summer of '65 when I received my first camera as a birthday gift. It was a Polaroid Swinger. It was the coolest thing! You could take a picture and develop it right on the spot. It was probably akin to the thrill of today's digital cameras where you can see the results right away. To me, it was just pure magic, and it sparked a life-long passion for photography.

And then there were summers at the lake in the Adirondacks, some of my most treasured memories. This image comes to me: laying in a guide boat on the lake on a moonless night looking up at the stars—totally surrounded by stars, the canopy above and the twinkling reflections on the flat smooth surface of the lake around us—it was a little disorienting at times actually, mysterious, dark and beautiful. And how exhilarating to wake in the pre-dawn hours to catch the morning mist rising from the lake (and perhaps to catch a fish or two, for the fisher folk among us :-). Hiking, kayaking, boulder hopping along the creek, sitting in the lean-to after dinner by the fire pit telling stories and singing songs...


Thank you, glorious summertime! May we appreciate and cherish the gifts and the memories.

Day 38: July 4, 2012 ~ Let Freedom Ring

Day 38: July 4, 2012 ~ Let Freedom Ring

"All we have of freedom, all we use or know,

This our fathers bought for us long and long ago."
~Rudyard Kipling, 1899

"Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be
daily earned and refreshed ~ else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots,

it will wither and die."

~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Today I am grateful for the liberties that I enjoy as a citizen of the United States of America. I am grateful to the courageous men and women who fought hard to establish this nation founded on noble principles of freedom, equality, honor, and justice. I am grateful for the men and women who dedicate their lives to upholding our system of justice. And I am grateful to the dissenters who challenge the system and shed light on the places where injustice still exists, giving voice to the powerless.

There is still work to be done, clearly, in the way of ensuring true equality for all people—people of every race, color, creed, sex, or sexual orientation. There is work to be done if we are to have peace or restore financial stability. Ours is not a perfect system, to be sure, but let us not lose sight of the freedoms we have. Let us not take our liberty for granted or become jaded by cynicism or lulled into complacency. As Bill Clinton once said, "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America."

If "freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men" then peace, honor and justice begins with each of us. Each one of us can make a difference. We can choose to live our convictions. We can give voice to our grievances in a thousand different ways. We can get involved in local or national politics. We can write, speak, hold meetings, sign petitions, make documentaries, create art that moves people to action. We can educate ourselves. We can start community groups and be the change we wish to see. We can respect and honor those with whom we disagree. 

In gratitude for the spirit of freedom. Let it ring loud and clear!

Day 37: July 2, 2012 ~ Feeding the Wolves

Day 37: July 2, 2012 ~ Feeding the Wolves

"There is only one righteousness: Water the fruit trees; don't water the thorns."

~Rumi

I'm sure you have heard this story, but it's a great illustration. There is a Cherokee legend that goes like this:

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Isn't it wonderful how we have choice in our lives, about which wolf we choose to feed? Take any one of those "evil" wolves...regret or guilt for instance. What does it serve to nurture that wolf? Do we think it is noble? Do we think feeling guilt will do anything at all to rectify a situation? What if we were to nourish thoughts of serenity or compassion instead, which includes compassion toward ourselves for doing the best we could given the consciousness we had at the time, as well as compassion toward another..as we are all doing the best we can given our current level of awareness. This opens the way for healing.

Or what about self-pity...who among us has not nurtured a grudge or looked for sympathy from others from time to time as a way of trying to gather support? What if we were to feed the wolf of truth instead—looking honestly at our own part in the creation of a difficult situation or relationship, taking full ownership of our beliefs and actions, knowing that our thoughts and beliefs create our reality. How much more empowering that is!

I'm intimately acquainted with both of these wolves, and I am choosing more and more these days to feed the second one. The great thing is, every day presents new opportunities to practice! The difficult or challenging relationships in our lives are the ones that offer the greatest opportunity for growth and transformation...but only if we feed the right wolf!