No to Death

Two of my best friends keep reminding me that no one really dies.  I am glad they are both here now.

It is more the perceived decrepitude of old age - the diseases many of those dearest to me have had to endure this year - that discourages me.  I am also lazy when it comes to directing my perception to the truth.  Immortality is a choice we can realize in an instant.  It requires no effort.

We need only turn to our inner truth, the dearest friend of friends, and be willing to hear his soft, still conscious voice.  The voice is there now, always, reminding us, soothing us. 

Guide me then, dearest friend, as always, always, and in that we will defy death.

It Only Takes An Instant - Reborn Now

We are our own worst critics.  Our own false expectations, judgments of ourselves and everyone else can crush us.  When we focus on everything we've done "wrong," we transfer guilt and negativity into the world.

It's not surprising that when we act on our worst fears, when we believe them, we create false suffering.  Our perceived world becomes one of disease:  random and frightening. 

But it only takes a moment to check in with what's real - the overriding power of love - the actual now moment where we can appreciate the truth and feel immediate, healing gratitude for who we are.  The relief happens instantly, but it is our choice.

Let's do it now - accept who we are in this instant, banish all fear, and feel the comforting relief as all that stupid, internal pressure lifts.

Then we can finally breathe.  We can watch the internal drama fade into something pure and lovely and eternal.

link from Laura Carpini-Pace

   
http://www.foxwoodrealty.com/sjexx/zrucxztmwsqqr

   

Random OM

From close up - stuck in our own individual routines and habits - life seems random.  Everyone seems to be rushing around in his or her own private universe, a victim of chance.  Even when we look at the stars and planets in the night sky, stuff appears to be swirling haphazardly around a patternless universe.

But simply because we do not recognize it immediately, does not mean there is no inherent pattern - a balancing union to what is happening.    It helps me to step back from situations, remind myself that there is a big picture, and it will become more recognizable the farther away I view things.

It is helpful to pull back and surrender.

My car broke down two hours from my house yesterday on a freeway in a less than savory part of Los Angeles.  I was driving to see a dear friend in a rehabilitation center, and the entire way there I was concerned about when I should turn around and head back home to avoid Friday traffic.  I tried to plan it in advance, but in the back of my head I knew I wanted to stay and be with her a long time - to not rush our visit.  And then the car started lurching around the road.  I managed to pull off the road to a car repair shop two blocks from where my friend is recovering.  I found myself "stranded" there for much longer than I had anticipated - gladly stranded, because I was happy to see my friend. 

Our bodies are not random either.  They are designed to heal quickly, to protect us.  A strained hamstring muscle, for example, is probably acting to protect the knee.   When we listen to our body, instead of trying to force or control it, it automatically responds appropriately.

Lucky for us, it's not random at all.

Book Signing at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore

I'll be signing copies of Bear Speaks with other South Bay authors at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, 2810 Artesia Blvd. in Redondo Beach on Saturday, February 16 at 2:30 pm.  They are located on the west side of the Galleria Shopping mall. 

See you there.


http://www.mystgalaxy.com/Event/Local-Author-Meet-Greet-RB-021613

The Ultimate Caregiver

A friend of mine tells me he fell in love with his wife of twenty-five years when he pulled his back practicing yoga.  She is a nurse, and knew exactly how to make him feel better.  By the time of his recovery, he was smitten - ready to surrender his bachelorhood and worship at her feet.

Caregivers are important.  I don't see myself as a traditional caregiver; I manage when my daughter is sick to dig for decongestant, and direct her to the toilet if she needs to vomit, but that is about the extent of my care giving skills.  Fortunately, my own husband hates being fawned over when he is ill, and Anne Monique has a low tolerance for mommy fuss.

But there are certain people on the planet who excel at making the rest of us feel better.  There is a woman at my school, a fellow teacher, who keeps track of everyone.  She manages to call whenever anyone is sick and remembers birthdays.   My darling friend from Montana is like that.  She has a plethora of remedies in her medicine cabinet, not to mention an arsenal of patience -  she listens and prescribes soothing words as needed.  The best caregiver I've ever encountered is my mother.  She actually has a stash of mysterious, sweet smelling oils she rubs on just the right pulse points, and healing teas she gets from some magical source in Sedona.

My biggest personal source of upset is fear.  My ideas and creative capability get seriously stymied by thoughts that I'll never live up to expectations, by false mental movies of failure.  That is when the Ultimate Care Giver comforts me, usually in the middle of the night, but anytime I sit and quiet my mind.   This Care Giver reminds me that it is impossible to function in a state of fear and doubt, that only joy allows creativity to circulate.

That voice of comfort is always there for all of us, especially when we are least aware of it.  We  realize it in the quiet.  We hear it in ourselves.