Open Your Eyes

 A memory surfaced this morning that brought the lyrics from a Moody Blues song to mind: "we decide which is right and which is an illusion..." The memory was from a time, five years ago, when my life changed dramatically and my perception of reality was never the same again. It was a single moment in time that made me look at the world differently, with new eyes; when I began to feel into myself at the core and become more authentic in my day-to-day life.

It was a late September afternoon, one of those still warm, glorious, early fall days, a little more than a month after my father had died. I had driven from my very demanding job as an HR director at a private school, picked up my husband and dropped him off at the golf club. As I was driving along a beautiful country road. my mind filled with busy thoughts, I had the strong impression that my father was sitting in the passenger seat of my car. I "heard" him say: "Patti, you're always so busy, rushing here and there...you don't even notice how beautiful everything is.  Open your eyes!"

 In that moment, I looked at the scenery around me and it was as if everything was lit up and so incredibly lovely that it brought tears to my eyes. I felt my dad's presence so strongly and it was as if he was trying to give me a final gift- a way of looking at the world with new eyes and seeing beyond the illusion of materialism to the spiritual essence of everything.

Shortly after this experience, my busy job ended. A new Head of School had come in and decided to automate HR, so I left and suddenly had time to meditate, take yoga classes and go on long hikes, all of which felt authentic to that person at my core. I also began to write this blog, a project that my daughter had encouraged me in and helped me set up the previous year, but I had been too busy to even think about.

Since that time, I've written hundreds of blogs, found a job teaching young children that feels more "me" and never lost that new "vision" that was my father's final gift to me.

I'm sharing this story today simply because it came to mind and it seemed like the right time to present itself. I hope that we can all move into our day and this new week with new eyes, bringing out what is authentic to each one of us and sharing it with the world.

The Worry Bubble

 

There is so much in this world to worry about; perhaps you've had an experience similar to what I'm going to describe. 

I woke up too early this morning, a hundred worried thoughts tumbling through my head. I practiced my usual remedies: yoga, deep slow breathing, focusing my mind on a mantra: "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10) is my favorite.    

As I started to calm down, I imagined packing all my anxieties into a "worry bubble", which I held like a balloon over my head, then just let go. As I did, the familiar and comforting words of Philippians $;6-7 floated into my awareness:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

These words are so comforting, though they do not promise to solve our problems. They do tell us that we will be given supernatural peace in the midst of our difficulties and challenges. I find it interesting and significant, also, that we are to bring our requests to God with thanksgiving. We are to have gratitude for everything, the good and the bad. I'm not sure, but it sounds as if we should also give thanks in advance for a resolution of our problems, to see things in a positive light and to envision the hopeful possibilities.

So, to sum up, when plagued by worry:

• Breathe
• Calm the mind: "Be Still"
• Pack anxieties into a "worry bubble" and let them go
• Pray, with thanksgiving
• Receive the gift of perfect peace
• Be hopeful

                                     

Ripples

 This morning, as I walked my little dog friend Daisy, breathing in the late summer chill while sunshine fell on my face, a memory surfaced, of watching ripples on a still body of water. Small insects, I imagine, had created a beautiful ripple wave of energy, flowing outward from the center. As I recalled this, I imagined my heart as the center of a ripple of love, opening and flowing outward. I felt a warm rush of something golden extending outward to my family, my friends and the hurting world. This world, which, in spite of all its troubles, is still beautiful in so many ways.

This was on my mind, I suppose, because yesterday, at the church picnic, Tom sang the song "Ripple", by the Grateful Dead, with a group of other musicians. I missed it, due to grandparent duties, but the song still runs through my head:

"Ripple in still water, where there is no pebble tossed, nor wind to blow...reach out your hand, if your cup be empty; if your cup is full, may it be again...Let it be known, there is a fountain that was not made by the hands of men..."

We fill up our cups from the fountain of our Source, then send it out as waves of love, light, gratitude and joy. We are called to move beyond our own small pain and lift up a hurting world.

If this is all I accomplish in life, then I am grateful.