Wondrous Sunset Reflects Family Visit

Sunset September 25, 2011, Marlowe, OK

My son, grandson, and I drove home to Oklahoma from the World Championship Horse Show in Ft. Worth to their  home in OK. My son helped me set up living quarters in the camper outside their house. This visit was a rare occasion, one I have been wanting to do. I miss connecting with family, even envy friends who get to spend time with their children and grandchildren often.

 After my grandson was in bed, I made my way out to the camper, excited to be sleeping outside under the stars - another thing I enjoy and haven't done for years . The luxurious pop out camper has a metal roof and zipper flaps to open to a screened in view of the vast night sky.

I had left an overhead light on and when I opened the camper door and stepped inside, I inhaled a swarm of "noseeums", a southern colloquialism for tiny fruit fly like bugs named so because they are not necessarily visible to the average eye. I went back to the house to get a wet towel to swish them away, did so, then found my way in the dark but bugless air, to bed, a bit leery now of this venture.

Exhausted from a pricelessly precious weekend with family, I fell right to sleep.

The next day, accustomed to living in Florida where bugs are a way of life, I cleaned out all the nooks and crannies of the camper - anywhere a bug might hide. I was determined to enjoy this chance to breathe the fresh air and feel it on my skin.
.
The rest of the day was a whirlwind day with the rest of the family returning, unpacking, and grandson's soccer game. Delightfully exhausted again, at the end of the day, yet really unable to sleep from the miracle of spending time with family, I sat in the bed  watching the sun set and listening to the coyote's howl and cows moo in the near distance - and the practice bombs exploding on the Army base.

All day, hot and sunny as it was, the skies held a shapely array of cumulus clouds.  As I watched the sun set, I realized that I was watching an extraordinary sight. The combination of the atmosphere and the now distant clouds in the west were painting a marvelous art form in the sky.

I grabbed my camera and shot until the sky was totally dark and the stars appeared at the top of the sky through the screened in camper.

I rested on my back and stared at the stars, reflecting on the visit so far, eagerly anticipating an upcoming tomorrow.

Will it be wonderful?  The sunset said it all.

When is a time you felt the beauty of the dance of nature painting a reflection of your Soul?

It's All About Pearls

Moi through a prism

In St. Augustine, down one of the alleys off St. George Street, there is a little pearl shop.
The owners are from Poland and Michigan.

They have a beautiful story about how they happened to come to own the shop.

For years, they came to St. Augustine for vacation and would visit the shop - and buy a pearl necklace or other hand made creation. For fifteen years they did this.  The woman had a fine collection of jewelery
 which she loved.

They talked about how they'd like to own the shop and discussed it casually with the then owner whenever they were in the shop.
.
When the owner actually did decide to sell, he made them an offer - one which they did not refuse.
They sold their home in Michigan, found one near St. Augustine, and opened the shop.

All the jewelry is made there on site by the owners.

Randy through a prism

This story is important, not because someone successfully had a business dream come true.

this couple loved the pearls and they loved the creations of pearls. They were happy enough with their life in Michigan and their vacations to Florida. When their casual desire to live what they loved fully appeared, they grabbed the brass ring on the merry ground to live what they love.

We all have our passing desires which we have passed off because what we are doing is okay enough.

Some of us have known exactly wherein is our bliss and have followed it to its fruition.

Some of us have been fortunate enough to have always lived what we love.

Yes, it is about taking a "Yes" relationship to what we have. But, there is more. It's about opening the doors to beauty in a life's time.

Chris through a prism

What's your story about living the life you love?

Kenya: Life Lessons from Risk

New tracks in process. Taken near Concord, MA

An African-born colleague and I finished teaching a Village Leaders Institute in Western Kenya.  We returned to Nairobi, via a night bus.  I, being the only white face on the bus, was very grateful for having a team mate with me, in the middle of the night when some military looking men with guns stopped the bus, entered, and began searching bags.

Of course, these men were going to search my bag, which was a light blue suitcase, obviously not local. The men shouted some orders at me, which my colleague translated as orders to open my bag.  I was new to Kenya, and new to military intervention, (except for being punched in the gut by a billy club and hosed during a demonstration in the 60's - pointed guns not included.)

I was very naive, I admit, and with little common sense, to say the least.  But, my politely direct  response to this "bully" with the gun was, "I will be happy to open my bag at the American Embassy if you would like to view the contents."  My colleague, almost unable to breathe, whispered, "Give him the key!! Let him have your bag!!"

However, while he was saying this and I was searching for the key, the man with the gun pointed at me, changed his mind about having to see the contents of my bag - or anyone else's - and left the bus ordering the rest of the  men to do the same.

Within the next few seconds, I realized I could be shot, or at least beaten. As they left the bus, I caught my own breath, wondering if they were going to shoot the whole bus. Sheer terror held us all prisoners in those few moments before the men drove away.

The bus started to move again and we continued our journey to Nairobi and then onto another bus to our training center in Kamweleni, Machakos District.

While we were riding through the dark, somewhat reflecting on the experience, my colleague let me have it with his perspective on how I reacted.

Later, I learned  he was in Kenya without a passport because he was in political exile and I had really put his future among us at great risk. When I learned this,  I was even more mortified.

This information about my colleague may or may not have been true. I haven't been able to confirm it today as fact or legend. The possibility of its being true is the reason I have not mentioned his name. I also want to add that he was an exceptional young man, admired by all.


Dang that pride of mine. It wasn't an attachment to my belongings, but the injustice of it all - leftover passion from the 60's revolution days.  It could have  meant real problems for my colleague , should they notice we were connected. It could have been serious for everyone on the bus.

At the same time, maybe my intuitions and reactions were on target in that moment. One never knows.
But, some forty years ago, some women were still considered dumb broads in general. (No self-depreciation to be inferred here - merely a forgiven recollection of modus operandi at the time.)

I can only say now, that something strange and powerful was in charge that night.

When we arrived in Kamweleni, I was still shaking inside.  Relieved that we were safe, we wanted to share the success of the Village Leaders Institute and our terror filled encounter.

Living and working in  Kenya held diverse experiences. Watching people enlivened with new hope and possibility  brought balance to the affect of the less desirable experiences.

Those less desirable times each held a blessed life lesson which is much more valuable than rewards and recognition.

As I reflect on my journey through this life's time, I recall many moments before and after Kenya that I would rather not have lived. The decisions needed were more than I would prefer, given the opportunity.  Never was it a matter of right or wrong.  An occasional decision between right and right is  relatively easy for the most part. It is these decisions between wrong and wrong that tend to be put in a box to be forgotten.

They do come back eventually, expecting resolution and opening a door to self-forgiveness.
There will be impossible decisions still to make and  lessons still to learn as the journey continues.

What do you recall as a moment you made a decision, which held you in life or death suspense ?

9/11

Libeskind's original master plan for the World Trade Center site

I was ready to publish another blog, when I remembered it is the 9//11 remembrance time of year. Everyone will be sharing their stories, especially this year, about their experience of the day.

I was a guidance counselor at the time. The preschool teacher came into the office and announced with a definite aura of frenzy, that a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center. Of course, the TV in the office went on just in time to see the second crash.

Stunned, I watched  blankly with everyone else.  Within a minute or two, I gathered my wits and attended to the preschool teacher, returning with her to her room full of toddlers who, even though they didn't have a clue, were nevertheless paralyzed with fear by the shocked responses of the teachers and assistants.

We sat in a circle, on the alphabet rug. I listened while each told of their reaction to the TV scenes.  All were scared. I worked with them until they relaxed a bit and recovered a sense of trust in being where they were.

I was, of course, especially concerned that the teachers and assistants regained their balance in order to continue the day.

During that time, the Principal made an announcement, knowing that parents would have already called their children's cell phones, in panic, and there would be a teacher or two with the TV on, too.  They were invited to ask for help if they needed it while processing with the students. Then, the day proceeded, TV on full time.

My own personal response was wondering how my son, his wife, and my grandson had fared, as well as friends who work in that neighborhood. Rob was working on a set right there in the plaza.  No cell phone at the time, I had to wait to get home that day to make the calls.

During the next few weeks, I spent a considerable lot of time counseling children and speaking with parents.  Several children had been watching it at home, had family in NYC, and were experiencing 9/11 as if they were actually there.

I attempted to sort out, with each, the difference between actually being there, and actually experiencing its impact while watching TV.  Children are naturally empathic, I believe.

In truth, I believe that it is as natural as breathing. It hides itself as we are wounded by even normal life experiences, but definitely with traumatic life experiences. 


Not one person, was not affected by 9/11. It was a global tragedy - a traumatic event that has influenced major decisions since that day.

In 2008, I visited the gaping hole that remains. The intensity of the energy of emptiness there was overwhelming.  I asked myself, "What will it take to fill this hole that has been left in the hearts of everyone."

Recovering and teaching empathic connection might just be what the world needs at this time.

What was your 9/11 experience?  How has it affected your ability to empathize?

Shadow is cast by Sun

As a youngster, there was a tropical storm in upstate NY. Dad took my brothers and I to the top of Paris Hill. His car, mostly because of the wind velocity,  didn't have enough horse power to make it up the hill. After several tries, each one head starting further away from the hill, the car was finally able to get up the hill. 

When we arrived, we piled out, full of anticipation catalyzed by Dad's enthusiasm.  We all raised our arms out like angels and experienced the strength of the wind and our own strength in resisting it.

Dad, who was not one to talk to us much at all, surprised me when he announced, "Feel that power?  That is God!"
 
I must have been impressed enough  to have remembered that experience for more than half a century.

Since we three children, who I remember as being very young,  were not blown away or struck by flying debris, I checked the archives for storms in that area around that time.

Tropical storm winds at the end of August 1949 were recorded, reporting no known damage. (And Wow!, I learned there were a few hurricanes in the '50s which hit NYC.)

This year, at the end of August,  the hurricane named  Irene, a thousand miles wide,  headed right up the Atlantic coast. Driving winds and rain created havoc all along the way. In its wake, I am reminded of that storm in 1949 and remember my father's words. 

Hurricanes! Tornadoes! Flooding,! Drought! Earthquakes!  Tsunamis! Wildfires!

We all appear to be standing present to the shadow of God these days with increasing intensity. I have learned from experience, that they all come with the blessing of change in some form or another, although it may not be obvious at the time.

There is a sunshine presence of God that cast these shadows. How will you name the face of the Sun ?