Soul Lights

Have you ever looked out of a window and seen, 

instead of the view outside,

the reflections of the lights in the room behind you,

sparkling off of the glass, shining in the dark?

When we look out into the world, 

we see the light of our soul reflected back to us.

It appears, not as our one light, but as many lights, multiplied.

When we share our soul light it grows and spreads,

touching off light in other souls.

When we look out and see our soul lights multiplied, 

reflected back at us,

we are seeing each other’s’ soul lights.

We feed each other, even when we don’t realize it.

If we could be aware of how we feed others when we share,

we could start a great bonfire of soul lights.

We could illuminate all of the darkness, so that all can see.

It all starts with one small spark.

Won’t you share your light?

Hope

I have come to feel very sorry for a lot of folks in the world; not out of a sense of pity, though. I feel sorry out of a sense of compassion and empathy. There are so many people from so many walks of life, many nations, many creeds, who are feeling so very afraid. The world as they know it has ended. The understandings and practices that they have grown up with, that they are comfortable with, are gone. And perhaps gone is too harsh a term, but they are certainly out of fashion and are not welcome in practice. Imagine growing and learning and living under a set standard of beliefs, one that was passed down to you and was upheld by every establishment you were aware of, and suddenly being told it was wrong, invalid, outdated. How would you feel?

Having found myself in that position more than once in my lifetime, I can tell you it makes one feel afraid, insecure, distrustful, even paranoid and suspicious. I struggled to understand this new world I found myself in, and it was hard, especially when many of my friends and family didn’t understand or couldn’t even see my dilemma. How could they appreciate my struggle if they had never experienced it? Fortunately for me, I was blessed. I was given new friends who joined with some of my family in supporting my growth and encouraging my learning. They have been some of the angels on my journey, bright souls sent to light up my darkness so that I could see the path. It has not always been an easy path to follow. I have been challenged repeatedly, to grow more, to open up more, to learn more. In reward for that effort, I was given the greatest blessing of all.

To be loved, wholly, unconditionally, completely, just as I am. From that point of blessing, I have been able to see all the ways in which my life has been blessed; how the world has been blessed. And with that in mind, I offer Hope to all of those that are fearful of the future and the world they’ve known and understood changes daily under their feet. That Hope comes in the form of the children. I have been blessed with many children. Some I have carried and nurtured in my womb. Others I have carried and nurtured in my heart. All of them have taught me many lessons of love and acceptance. Theirs is a world of equality and solidarity like none we have witnessed outside of stories and books. Theirs is the world I believe Christ could see and encouraged everyone to work towards.

Our problem is that too many of us are closed off, unable to see this world as it is. We have grown old trying to keep up the rules and laws that serve a few while oppressing too many. Those rules are a heavy burden to bear and haven’t born the fruit they were promised to. We have grown tired, deep in our souls, struggling to maintain an old way of thinking that separates us from the greater humanity, tired of working to try to maintain a living that seems empty and devoid of reward. When we are separate, we are alone. When we are alone, we are prone to fear the Other. They are different and strange. We don’t understand their ways. We are afraid they will take something from us. We fail to see that the more we give, the more we receive.

The blessing of the many children I have been given, however, is to witness and learn from their openness. Those lessons I taught that I understood intellectually, they have absorbed deep into their souls and reflect them out into the world in such a beautiful rainbow. Where we see difference, they see oneness. They look out and see beauty in the Other, in their difference. They find the strange exciting and challenging. They embrace the difference and do not fear the upset of change, for they can appreciate the zest it brings to life to have things shaken up a bit. And in the most important ways, they fail to see any difference at all.

When my children look at their fellow human beings, they see people just like themselves. People who want to work at something they love. People that want to play with people who appreciate their gifts and talents. They see people who want to love and be loved, wholly, completely, unconditionally. Beyond those traits, the rest is just details to be learned, understood, and accepted. Those details are what make life interesting. They are the zest of life, the tang and excitement that brings excitement to our world. If the entire world was full of folks exactly like us, down to the last little idiosyncrasy…well, the world would be an awfully boring place. And hating the differences out of each other hasn’t worked no matter how many thousands of years the human race has fought. Perhaps we can take a page from my children’s’ book. Perhaps we could try to love one another. Sounds rather simple, doesn’t it? Although it was the greatest lesson anyone has ever tried to teach the world, it has proven to be the most difficult for the world to learn.

Let us begin as we mean to go on. Let there be Peace on Earth, let us Love One Another, and let it begin with you and me. Let us embrace in solidarity, for we all have the same hopes and dreams no matter the form they take. To Love, and to Be Loved….that’s all that matters. If we can keep that in our hearts, then it’s all good.

Solidarity Cups

#SolidarityCups

A well rounded belly, to remind us that at the moment we emerged from our mother’s womb, we did so equal to every other human being.

A cup with no handle, to allow a universal grip from all directions, by all hands.

A black band, reminiscent of an armband, to remind us to mourn those lost to the fight for freedom and equality.

Lined in yellow, the color of soft sunlight, to remind us that we all carry a light within us, the Divine Light, and it is our duty and privilege to spill that light out and share it with others.

The black band is not glazed, so that we can stay in touch with our inner clay and be mindful of our inner darkness.

The body of the cup comes in many colors, just like our fellow human beings.

View on Facebook to order yours today.

Balance

            It is important to maintain one’s balance in order to stay centered on the path. Moving quickly can be good for a short time. But if moving too quickly or suddenly causes lost balance, especially when changing direction, you could step off the path. Losing balance, losing the way, the path, can cause ripples that may not be good.

            Being centered and balanced produces positive energy. This energy goes out in circles that spread peace and joy. When off balance, the energy is not positive, but it spreads out in circles just the same. Good or bad, centered or not, balanced or not, we spread energy by causing rippling circles.

            Sometimes it is good to slow down, to pause, and to take tiny steps that may seem to move us nowhere. But if the tiny steps change our direction along the path, it is good. To change direction in a steady, balanced, controlled way is better than a sudden turn that throws us off kilter and causes us to stagger off the path.

            When we feel ourselves careening out of control, staggering off kilter, we must give ourselves the gift of time and patience. We must allow ourselves the leisure of slowing the pace and taking those baby steps that enable us to recenter and find balance in order to change direction smoothly.

            We must strive to be mindful of the energy we are sharing when we act. The circles will grow; the ripples will spread, no matter what. It is up to us, through mindful practice and consideration, to ensure that we create positive ripples. We must choose to share our positive energy and choose to pause and carefully shift our negative energy to prevent its spread until we are balanced and centered once again. In this way, it is all good.

The Power of Love

The Power of Love

“Non-violence is a power which can be wielded equally by all---children, young men and women, the elders, provided they have a living faith in the Source of Love and have therefore equal love for all humankind. When non-violence is accepted as the law of life it must pervade the whole being and not be simply applied to isolated acts.”  

~~Mohandas Gandhi

I have been struggling to find peace ever since January 21^st. Since the inauguration, it has been a whirl wind of headlines, sensational and not always factual news, and a struggle to find balance. I found a creative outlet in my pottery that has served as a distraction and given me purpose. I have found a likeminded group of individuals with which to join energies and find ways to Expose the Love. And I have found myself challenged on almost a daily basis on whether or not to remain silent.

A good man once said that the only evil a good person can do is to remain silent in the face of evil, or something to that effect. I have witnessed the powerful truth of that statement on more than one occasion, and our collective history is full of examples. Hitler and his rise to power is the leading example these days. And with that in mind, I have chosen to speak out on occasion, and felt compelled to speak out on others when I would rather choose to hide. As a mother I am very aware of my living example to my children. I cannot possibly expect them to live by a certain code of ethics if I do not. Knowing that, I have made an effort to choose carefully what news articles I share on social media. I check my sources. I make sure I have the facts straight and have a strong understanding of the problem at hand. I am human, and have occasionally shared something a little too quickly. But I have also taken the time to go back and correct mistakes, delete falsehoods, share links to the truth, and most importantly of all, to own my actions and their consequences.

I expect our president and his staff to do no less. As the highest ranking public servants in the nation with more than 3 million employers asking them to do a good job, they should be working as hard as I am to check their sources, be sure of the facts, delete falsehoods and correct mistakes. Unfortunately, the almighty dollar and all of the power they believe they have been given has corrupted them into thinking they have absolute power. And they are trying to wield it mercilessly. Not being blinded by the hazy promises of some greatness only they can see, being grounded in reality and aware that the whole world shouldn’t look like or think like me and me alone, I take issue with the passionate dishonesty being peddled in Washington these days. And as a mother, I have always believed my job as my children’s first teachers was not only important by never ending. As I said, I am a living example of what I want them to know. I can preach it or teach it if I don’t live it.

Therefore, I have been compelled to share news articles that are pertinent, important, and fact based, in order to help provide them with some real information from which they can make well educated choices in their lives. And lately, a lot of those articles are politically based, with good reason. As I see it, the White House is rushing madly down the sewer pipes and headed for the cesspool. So much for draining the swamp; these days, it seems to be overflowing.

But what bothers me even more are the people I know who take exception to my sharings. Friends and relatives who are good people deep down, but who have been taken in by these conmen and believe the promises of greatness. These good people are chastising me and telling me that I am tearing apart this country (like I’m some kind of Goddess with Great Powers) and that instead of tearing it down I should be trying to build it up, to make it great again. Yes, they have actually quoted that God-forsaken excuse for a campaign slogan at me in their comments. And I have to ask, when did we stop being great? What exactly do you mean by great? This line of commentary is entirely too generalized for intelligent people to consider. Therefore, I feel compelled to go on record and state my opinions, for my own sanity and sense of well-being.

America is only as great as the people who live within its borders. To be a people of open inclusiveness and loving kindness is to be great. To be a nation that welcomes the down trodden and offers them an opportunity to learn, work hard, and build a good life is to be great. To help other nations around the world work towards that same greatness would also make us great. To defend the weak, support the young, care for the old, and show respect to all people equally would make us great. To encourage truth, justice, hard work, and loving kindness in all peoples, towards all of humankind, would make us great. And I do believe that many of us have been walking that path for a very long time.

What disturbs me is the possibility that others may think that having lots of money, or oil, or guns, or other forms of wealth is what would make us great. I am bothered by the seeming hunger for power over other people that drives some to argue the hate filled rhetoric that they share. I don’t understand how denying basic dignity, or basic health care, or food, or clothing or shelter for that matter, could ever make us great. How can bullying the weak and greedily hoarding wealth possibly make us great? Striking fear into the hearts of the people of the world is not the way to greatness. And bringing religion into the argument serves no good purpose. Those Christians who argue for such power and control do not follow the teachings of Jesus and need to go back and read their Bibles. They have become like Cesar and the Pharisees and have forgotten the lessons Christ taught on the Mount. And one of those lessons was respect for other people’s beliefs. Christ did not condemn the Samaritan, but lifted him up as a lesson to all not to limit their compassion for the select few that share your beliefs.

So I ask you, the next time you see or hear something that demands your attention and your action, pause first and ask yourself why it moves you so? Is it an affront to your long held beliefs? Are your beliefs grounded in love, or simply in comfort? Do you feel uncomfortable? Perhaps you are being challenged to grow, to open your mind and consider another way. We should all be willing to hear others out before we decide what we feel to be true. Hiding from the truth never helped anybody. And quickly condemning others as false without doing any research or considering others sources does more harm than good.

We cannot begin to practice greatness as long as our hearts are sealed to shut to others. Greatness begins at home, by respecting others feelings and opinions, and accepting their rights to those feelings and opinions. We do not have to be carbon copies of each other to live in peace and love. We simply need to be open to the possibility that we are human, and therefore we can and will be wrong from time to time. If we can own that responsibility completely in our personal lives, then we can begin building a world that is as great as some imagine it can be. In order to begin we must first agree on what makes a people great. I for one believe greatness lies in our ability to love extravagantly, completely, with unflinching wholeness. That it is the greatness I will work towards.

The Wind

The Wind

The wind whispers softly

Of peace and contentment

The wind roars

And we are made aware

It rages against our apathy

With thrashing of limbs and gnashing of teeth

Its cold force bites through us

Lonely souls walking under the trees

Where is love, joy, kindness?

Who shares these willingly, often?

There is too much anger and grief in the world

The wind cries

Wailing under the eaves

Moaning of the lost

We gather inside to share our warmth

Slowly peace comes

Mother

Mother

There is a tree I know, a weeping beech tree. She is mature, tall and gnarled. Her trunk has a spot in which I can climb up and rest myself, cradled in her arms. One day while communing with her I realized that I am very much like her.

I am rooted deeply in the Earth. I gain my strength from digging deep into the Earth with my roots, deep into the Unconscious. I soar to great heights. Reaching high into the sky, into the world, growing taller every year. I have many branches, stretching out in all directions, reaching out to embrace the Light. My branches are also grounded, rooted into the Earth, keeping me grounded and secure.

I provide shelter and shade to those seeking comfort. I am bumpy and knobby, twisted and misshapen, scarred from years of surviving storms. I am beautiful in all of my perfect imperfections. And no matter how tall I grow, how far I reach, even my top most branch looks down to secure itself a Connection. The peak does not disappear into the sky. It bends down, and grows back over and into itself, like a mother bending down to cradle a child. My trunk is full of nooks and pockets where rain can collect to provide nourishment and treasure can be hidden.

I am full of secrets waiting to be discovered. I am full bodied, tall and strong, soft and curvy, hard and weathered. I am gloriously Real and I revel in the knowledge of my own Being.