January 26, 2010
I had an incredible trip down memory lane a few days ago. When I was 13, my family lived in Minnesota and my grandparents lived in San Jose, CA. My sister, Joanne, age 11 and I were invited to fly to California to spend a few weeks with them. We flew into San Diego and drove to San Jose. Along the way, we toured and visited the San Diego Zoo, Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and a little town called Solvang.
The trip was a dangling carrot to do well in school and to get all A's and B's on our report cards. When the final report cards came, I had a C in one of my classes. How could my parents tell my grandparents that the trip was cancelled? We didn't see them very often and the details and airline tickets were all set. My parents went to Plan B. I was required to write a report about my California trip. It was truly a blessing in disguise.
I am pausing at the keyboard for a moment because I just realized that that was a foundational piece for what I am doing now. On that trip, I took pictures, and collected brochures, pictures, ticket stubs, placemats and even sugar packets. I learned to observe and record everything. I still have the scrapbook and report. I have read it numerous times keeping the details and memories alive.
Fast forward to the present, Hannah and I took our cats to the Santa Barbara area to meet the potential foster couple, Richard and Emrita. The closest town with a hotel that was pet friendly and affordable was in Buellton. It was an additional 30 minutes from Santa Barbara, a beautiful drive through windy roads, along the ocean and through the hills. I had reserved the hotel on-line and was following the directions. When we pulled into the town, I had a flashback memory and told Hannah that I had been here before. I didn't remember all of the details of this sleepy town, but I remembered Andersen's Restaurant. This was the same restaurant where I had saved sugar packets and a placemat for my scrapbook. This was the restaurant where I ate split pea soup with my grandparents and Joanne before entering the town of Solvang, a Danish town where we spent the night. My grandfather was born in Sweden and traveled to the United States when he was 10. This was a town where I learned more about my heritage. Many similarities between Sweden and Denmark.
Once again on this journey I have been led to a place I visited as a child. The memories of my childhood are awakening something in me. I am looking at the places I am revisiting with fresh eyes. I remind myself to look deeper. Ask more internal questions. Listen for answers. And reflect on the magnificent orchestration that is happening. The more awake I live, the more I see, the more my ideas and perspective evolve.
Hannah and I ate at Andersen's. I bought treats from the Danish bakery, took pictures, and walked through the town of Solvang, weaving new memories with the old.
The other story to tell you is the connection with the couple who is fostering my cats for awhile. They are incredible people, Emrita and Richard. They have five cats. Emrita is an angel. You can see that she has such a connection to nature and the animals. Such a calming energy. Richard has a radio show called, "Tell Me Your Story." He is passionate about life and the guests and topics. Here is the link to his radio show: http://www.richarddugan.com/tmysradioshow.htm
I heard about Richard through my friend, Katy Manna (www.livewiththelightson.com) who was a guest on his show in January 2010.
I visited with Richard and Emrita for two hours. We talked about animals, nature, our love of the ever evolving world. Questioning where we are headed. I felt at home with them immediately.
Hannah and I are going back in a month or so. Richard will interview us on his radio show and we will see the cats.
I am delighted by the synchronicity that is unfolding.
Katy Manna helping me look for a home for my cats in Baltimore.
Katy Manna and Richard Dugan connecting on his radio show.
A discussion they had about animals and sharing about fostering cats.
Katy connecting Richard and me. Richard and Emrita saying Yes to fostering.
Needing a pet friendly hotel in the Santa Barbara area
Following an instinct to select a hotel 30 minutes past Santa Barbara.
Remembering the restaurant, Andersen's and the memories of my childhood.
Awake, alive, curious, and Open to Inspiration.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Day 13: On the road: The gifts in the delay
January 24, 2010
I am a girl of action. I love to do, do, do. I love to-do lists and checklists and planners and goal setting. This leads to the true life-long learning process of my world. Patience and the Art of Being. Any other Doers out there who struggle with their ability to BE?
I remember the first time I consciously prayed for patience many, many years ago. The next week was filled with delays. I was stuck in traffic jams and long lines at the bank. I got it! Pray for patience and you actually have to practice it. It is not a gift that is given with a snap of the fingers. It is something that has to be experienced.
For my latest journey, why am I surprised about the many gifts in the weather delay of staying in Phoenix for 5 more days?
First gift was the time I had with my daughter, Liz. We set boundaries and created space in the apartment working through the initial stress by communicating more and finding ways to support each other. When Liz was gone all day, Hannah and I fed the dogs and took them for extra walks. I worked at the table and sat in the chair that is her usual workspace. On the day she was home all day working on schoolwork, I went to Border's with Hannah. I loved the Seattle's Best coffee, the great wireless connection and really comfy chairs. It was very cocoon-like. I started writing again and revising the book draft I worked on a year ago,loving the flow of ideas and words.
Liz and I had a few deep, thoughtful conversations. One day she made a delicious polenta and tempeh sandwich to share with us for breakfast. It was a mock "Egg McMuffin". A delicious dish that became the background for more discussions about food. She has made some remarkable, inspiring changes in her diet. I had questions for her which led to more connections. How do we eat consciously? How do I find healthy, ethical choices on the road? How do I nurture my body? How do I function in society when I am hungry and don't have healthier choices? We could have talked on the phone, but there is something about having the conversations while we cooked and ate a meal together.
Liz is a senior at Prescott College. Most of the classes are independent study and then a senior project. One day we went to Paradise Cafe together. She was revising and rechecking the requirements for her degree plan. I was clearing out my e-mail inbox. While I sat there, an e-mail arrived from the Omega Institute in New York. I asked if she had ever considered going to the Women's event in September. It would be a perfect fit for her degree and would tie in with her senior project. We talked about this for an hour weaving the details of a road trip she is taking with her grandmother, my mother, in the fall. The journey will be a part of her senior project. Two generations connecting and sharing on the road.
Gift #2 was the beginning of taking walks again. Every day there was an opportunity to walk and appreciate the landscape of cactus and Gambel's quail. The first time I saw a Gambel's quail, I felt like something magical had crossed my path. They are so beautiful, colorful and energetic. I breathed as I walked and let the ideas flow through me. I felt more connected to myself. There was time.
Gift #3 was the time to connect with my cats. We had time to settle in and cuddle and adjust to all of the travel and changes. I had the opportunity to watch them adjust to Liz's apt and the dogs and a new routine. I knew that they would be alright in the foster home.
Everyday something new appeared that helped me to enjoy the time and practice the art of patience.
I encourage you to look at where you are in your life right now Really take a look at the things you have wanted and by waiting or redirecting your course, you are surrounded by gifts.
I am a girl of action. I love to do, do, do. I love to-do lists and checklists and planners and goal setting. This leads to the true life-long learning process of my world. Patience and the Art of Being. Any other Doers out there who struggle with their ability to BE?
I remember the first time I consciously prayed for patience many, many years ago. The next week was filled with delays. I was stuck in traffic jams and long lines at the bank. I got it! Pray for patience and you actually have to practice it. It is not a gift that is given with a snap of the fingers. It is something that has to be experienced.
For my latest journey, why am I surprised about the many gifts in the weather delay of staying in Phoenix for 5 more days?
First gift was the time I had with my daughter, Liz. We set boundaries and created space in the apartment working through the initial stress by communicating more and finding ways to support each other. When Liz was gone all day, Hannah and I fed the dogs and took them for extra walks. I worked at the table and sat in the chair that is her usual workspace. On the day she was home all day working on schoolwork, I went to Border's with Hannah. I loved the Seattle's Best coffee, the great wireless connection and really comfy chairs. It was very cocoon-like. I started writing again and revising the book draft I worked on a year ago,loving the flow of ideas and words.
Liz and I had a few deep, thoughtful conversations. One day she made a delicious polenta and tempeh sandwich to share with us for breakfast. It was a mock "Egg McMuffin". A delicious dish that became the background for more discussions about food. She has made some remarkable, inspiring changes in her diet. I had questions for her which led to more connections. How do we eat consciously? How do I find healthy, ethical choices on the road? How do I nurture my body? How do I function in society when I am hungry and don't have healthier choices? We could have talked on the phone, but there is something about having the conversations while we cooked and ate a meal together.
Liz is a senior at Prescott College. Most of the classes are independent study and then a senior project. One day we went to Paradise Cafe together. She was revising and rechecking the requirements for her degree plan. I was clearing out my e-mail inbox. While I sat there, an e-mail arrived from the Omega Institute in New York. I asked if she had ever considered going to the Women's event in September. It would be a perfect fit for her degree and would tie in with her senior project. We talked about this for an hour weaving the details of a road trip she is taking with her grandmother, my mother, in the fall. The journey will be a part of her senior project. Two generations connecting and sharing on the road.
Gift #2 was the beginning of taking walks again. Every day there was an opportunity to walk and appreciate the landscape of cactus and Gambel's quail. The first time I saw a Gambel's quail, I felt like something magical had crossed my path. They are so beautiful, colorful and energetic. I breathed as I walked and let the ideas flow through me. I felt more connected to myself. There was time.
Gift #3 was the time to connect with my cats. We had time to settle in and cuddle and adjust to all of the travel and changes. I had the opportunity to watch them adjust to Liz's apt and the dogs and a new routine. I knew that they would be alright in the foster home.
Everyday something new appeared that helped me to enjoy the time and practice the art of patience.
I encourage you to look at where you are in your life right now Really take a look at the things you have wanted and by waiting or redirecting your course, you are surrounded by gifts.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Day 10: On the Road: The Blind Side and the Gift of Service
January 21, 2010
I saw a movie today called, "The Blindside." The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. It is about Michael's life. From foster homes to an opportunity to go to a Christian school to living with the Touhy's, a wealthy family from the school, we get an insight into the challenges he overcame. There was a point in his life when he needed a 2.5 to get a NCAA Division I Scholarship. Michael got a 2.52 grade point average with hard work and a team of people providing support including the Touhy's, teachers from his school and a private tutor.
This film was recommended by many of my friends from Baltimore as a great inspirational film. And it is a great, inspirational film. That would have been enough, but there is more for me than the connection to the Ravens, Baltimore and inspiration. It is a connection to a theme that has been bubbling inside of me for the last year. It is the theme of the giver and the receiver.
I grew up in a family that served the community and the world. Giving to neighbors, volunteering through Girl Scouts, donating money to nature preserves and UNICEF. There is a long list of organizations and activities that were a part of my childhood. As an adult and with my children that legacy of helping people, wanting to make a difference has continued. Stream clean-ups, adopting families at Christmas, delivering food to friends in need. My older daughters, Liz and Mary both have careers that involve serving communities of children, women and men and animals and the planet.
I can't imagine a life without giving and helping. But the new theme that has crossed my path in the last few months is how the person in need has served the giver.
Yesterday when I watched The Blind Side film, the mother in the family talked about how the true gift for her was the opportunity to serve Michael. It was Michael Oher who had impacted her life.
The idea that has been coming to me is that instead of feeling sorry for a person or situation, see them as a guardian angel that has been sent to you as a teacher. They are here to provide an opportunity to help you find purpose, creativity, meaning, love, happiness and compassion. They are here to help YOU!
I have been watching people and reflecting on my life this year. I have watched friends prepare food for a homeless shelter. Yes, it fed the people at the shelter and was a wonderful gift of money and time. Yes, the people at the shelter were hungry and needed help. I do not mean to minimize their pain. What I also saw was how the experience created a light in the faces of my friends. A light that wasn't there before they served the meal.
I saw a friend connect with a deeper part of herself this year by becoming the caretaker for a man she met at the shelter. I saw her confidence increase and her heart expand as she learned how to give medicine and take blood and take him to the hospital and sit in the waiting room while he had surgery. This was something she had never been able to do for family and friends. She didn't feel she was capable of it. This man provided her with an opportunity to serve him with love and compassion and it has expanded her as a person.
In my own experience, I had a son who was born with a congenital heart defect. Through his birth, 19 months of operations and physical therapy, and his death, he taught me about who I truly am. I learned to love like I had never loved before. I am still discovering new things about myself because of his service to me. He died 17 years ago and I honor him as one of my greatest teachers and guides.
I encourage you to find a place to volunteer that speaks to your soul and your heart. Appreciate the person and the situation and step into it. This is one of the reasons you are here. There are people who need help and I guarantee that helping them will make your life richer.
In the book, Conscious Choices: An Evolutionary Women's Guide to Life, Ginny Robertson wrote a story called, "Answering the Call: Making a Difference While Doing What's Right for You." She encourages people to find something that you are passionate about and to provide your uniqueness. That will serve the person and it will serve your soul.
I encourage you to find the cause that stirs your soul. When you give from a place of deep connection to the cause and follow the calling it feeds your soul, and it feeds the world.
I saw a movie today called, "The Blindside." The storyline features Michael Oher, an offensive lineman who plays for the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. It is about Michael's life. From foster homes to an opportunity to go to a Christian school to living with the Touhy's, a wealthy family from the school, we get an insight into the challenges he overcame. There was a point in his life when he needed a 2.5 to get a NCAA Division I Scholarship. Michael got a 2.52 grade point average with hard work and a team of people providing support including the Touhy's, teachers from his school and a private tutor.
This film was recommended by many of my friends from Baltimore as a great inspirational film. And it is a great, inspirational film. That would have been enough, but there is more for me than the connection to the Ravens, Baltimore and inspiration. It is a connection to a theme that has been bubbling inside of me for the last year. It is the theme of the giver and the receiver.
I grew up in a family that served the community and the world. Giving to neighbors, volunteering through Girl Scouts, donating money to nature preserves and UNICEF. There is a long list of organizations and activities that were a part of my childhood. As an adult and with my children that legacy of helping people, wanting to make a difference has continued. Stream clean-ups, adopting families at Christmas, delivering food to friends in need. My older daughters, Liz and Mary both have careers that involve serving communities of children, women and men and animals and the planet.
I can't imagine a life without giving and helping. But the new theme that has crossed my path in the last few months is how the person in need has served the giver.
Yesterday when I watched The Blind Side film, the mother in the family talked about how the true gift for her was the opportunity to serve Michael. It was Michael Oher who had impacted her life.
The idea that has been coming to me is that instead of feeling sorry for a person or situation, see them as a guardian angel that has been sent to you as a teacher. They are here to provide an opportunity to help you find purpose, creativity, meaning, love, happiness and compassion. They are here to help YOU!
I have been watching people and reflecting on my life this year. I have watched friends prepare food for a homeless shelter. Yes, it fed the people at the shelter and was a wonderful gift of money and time. Yes, the people at the shelter were hungry and needed help. I do not mean to minimize their pain. What I also saw was how the experience created a light in the faces of my friends. A light that wasn't there before they served the meal.
I saw a friend connect with a deeper part of herself this year by becoming the caretaker for a man she met at the shelter. I saw her confidence increase and her heart expand as she learned how to give medicine and take blood and take him to the hospital and sit in the waiting room while he had surgery. This was something she had never been able to do for family and friends. She didn't feel she was capable of it. This man provided her with an opportunity to serve him with love and compassion and it has expanded her as a person.
In my own experience, I had a son who was born with a congenital heart defect. Through his birth, 19 months of operations and physical therapy, and his death, he taught me about who I truly am. I learned to love like I had never loved before. I am still discovering new things about myself because of his service to me. He died 17 years ago and I honor him as one of my greatest teachers and guides.
I encourage you to find a place to volunteer that speaks to your soul and your heart. Appreciate the person and the situation and step into it. This is one of the reasons you are here. There are people who need help and I guarantee that helping them will make your life richer.
In the book, Conscious Choices: An Evolutionary Women's Guide to Life, Ginny Robertson wrote a story called, "Answering the Call: Making a Difference While Doing What's Right for You." She encourages people to find something that you are passionate about and to provide your uniqueness. That will serve the person and it will serve your soul.
I encourage you to find the cause that stirs your soul. When you give from a place of deep connection to the cause and follow the calling it feeds your soul, and it feeds the world.
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