Be Vulnerable

A friend sent me a link to a Ted Talk on Vulnerability.  The presenter's name was Brene Brown.  I found myself intrigued with her comments.  I could relate to her transformation from an analytical view of the world to a 'daring' view of the world.   I love approaching my life with a brave heart.  Yet, sometimes I am afraid....but chose to "Do it brave and afraid."   I was eating in a hotel restaurant this evening watching a young couple.  They were dressed very nice texting and watching the TV.  Neither were looking at each other.   I admit to eaves dropping.  He was an attorney......she smiling at her partner with that plastic smile we alll know while he was talking business to a colleague.   I was filled with grief for them.  Then I realized how judgemental I was being.  I was putting my perception of their reality as truth.  But I couldn't help myself.   As I left the restaurant I stopped by their table.......leaned into the young woman's ear and said,  " Life is short.  This table is boring. Don't forget that silly is good."   As I now sit in my room I laugh and think....silly is good. That’s what I wish for you- for us- for the world:  Do something silly that makes you laugh so much it  shakes out all the stored tension, and reminds you/me of how silly our fears sometimes are.
Peace.

Traveling Mercies

Traveling Mercies.  What does that really mean? I suspect it means different things to different people from different traditions.  The phrase bounds into my head daily as a think of my son who has headed off for another journey. My prayer for him is that he receives traveling mercies.  At the most simple level it means have a good trip.  For Collin however, I hope for more.  Yes, I pray he has a safe journey, he doesn't get sick, lost, mugged or frightened.  These prayers are given!   But I hope for more.   I gave him a small stone with the word grace carved into it.  I believe for his highly tuned atheistic and analytical mind, grace is a word he has trouble with.   I explained to him that grace to me has many different meanings.  One meaning I am really drawn to is elegance of motion.  Another.......is more of a prayer book version.  Grace is God's favor that enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts and strengthens our wills.   My prayer for Collin is that he grasps the gift of grace while journeying so he can not only embrace it and celebrate it in himself but share it with those he meets.  Just as the three wise men represent a kind of bravery of spirit and a curiosity that leads them into far away places so does my son; this stargazer. 

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."   TS Eliot
Traveling Mercies Male Child

The Possibilities of Love

Each day I am alive on this planet I am awestruck by the possibilities gained from loving. A couple of weeks ago at my church 12 women were introduced as guests. These women reside in a facility for low risk incarcerated women. As their names were spoken; they became more than just a group of visiting women...They were named. They were gifts to our community. They were valued. This was one of those moments that I call sacramental; a conversion moment when I sensed the mystery of the Holy. A moment where I recalled Eckharts words; "Apprehend God in all things, for God is in all things. Every single creature is full of God and is a book about God. Every creature is a word of God's." Thomas Merton writes, "We discover our true selves in Love." Love never fails. It will always find a way to have its way." So, I encourage you to Love Love and Love some more......The possibilities are endless....... In Peace, Susan

As I look at the date of the last entry I realize I have been writing more in a paper journal than here. I almost forgot about this space. I recently returned from Esquipulas Nicaragua. And while there I realized I don't do well journaling while traveling. But while there I committed myself to that process. I made it a practice. My practice I hope will now include continuing my musings on this site. It will be a gift at years end for me to reflect. And I hope it is a gift to my children. On August 12th I am sitting in my room with the 4 mujeres I'm traveling with. We are sharing a small concrete space with 4 cots lovingly prepared for us. I am thinking I don’t even know where to begin writing about this day. Our morning began at 06:15 with Padre Jim on the porch. We talked about our thoughts so far. The words remain the same: Amazed, full, grateful, humbled. As Jim said, “This place makes ‘we are one body’ real. We are the sweat of the earth. Breakfast again is prepared and presented with love and care and concern for our health. Fresh fruit, yogurt, PB and crackers and a delicious fruit juice. We are dressed for church. Padre Freddy is driving. We climb into the back of his truck (skirts and all) and head to Mass at St Guillermo. We laugh as he takes the back way up rocky, bumpy roads. We joke, he wants to show us he can drive as well as Leonardo who we have watched navigate the roads of Esquipulas-always keeping us safe. Church is a beautiful reflection of the solidarity of my church in Louisville-St William and St Guillermo. We are greeted with the same hospitality we have come to know everywhere we go. When we left the church there were hugs and kisses…as if we we're old friends. We go back to our room and change before heading to visit Pablo’s mother in law in the community of El Zapotal. Pablo leads us in an activity where we form an interconnected web with yarn…then we undo the web. The message is clear; We are connected and all are needed. The women again share their stories of how the nutrition program has changed their lives and the health of their children. Alba had never eaten a carrot before the program. As we head to the orchard I am thinking about the garden of Eden. Not the Eden where all were naked and in harmony; but the Eden that consisted of people who both loved very well at their Center and who suffered very much on their surface – This is a reminder that the rest of us have to rediscover and return to the Garden by an arduous route. Richard Rohr calls this movement beyond the edges to the center - conversion, integration, or holiness. Creator God, lead us back to the radical and absolute life at the Center. Then our feast is prepared by Pablo’s wife Graciala [Grace]…..Hail Graciala, full of grace, Our God is with you…blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your labor. A young Hispanic man whose name I have lost entertains us with song. All is well within my soul as I climb into the back of the truck with my new friends and an elderly woman with her chicken. Blessed Be.

The Light

It is always a surprise to me that my heart always knows the deepest & the most ancient knowing in my soul -- The heart is what binds us into unity; it is the sacred ground we share -- it is the soul's essence, bare. It is our own Light of Lights. I believe the essence of our soul is Love. In deepest truth & fullest measure; love is a candle, lit from the Sun, the fire of the eternal, the light that guides our lives. Love is the greatest of these. And when we walk in love, the world will be transformed.

I am

God is what I call the sacred Presence that is always with me. Despite this year of sadness and transition I have been able to taste that Presence within and around me always. I changed jobs, left an 11 ½ year relationship, watched my children graduate from college and travel to foreign lands, and most recently I lost my father. But through it all, I talked with God; I chose to live inside God’s holy heart beat. I never lost the voice of Love surrounding me and for this I am eternally grateful. I will not say at times I was not afraid but I knew the Beloved was with me.
I reached out and felt the amazing love when I watched my son board the plane to SE Asia and my daughter leave for Peru. I felt an amazing love as I cared for my dying father hoping my son would get home in time to say his goodbye and that my dad would make his transition before my daughter left. I felt the arms of the spirit when I discovered the man I’d chosen to love had no understanding of love and had never been faithful to our relationship and had many others during our 11 years together. I prayed……….
Prayer is my way of coming into balance. Prayer for me comes in many forms. It can be a movement, a song, or a story. It can be tears or fear brought to the surface by heart break. It can be surrendering to the pain of heart ache. But it is always sending out a voice that signals a willingness to come into being with something more than ourselves. Even when I was so sad that I thought I could no longer feel…. the Spirit reached out and covered me.

My earth angels come in many forms. They are friends and strangers. They are young and old. They are male and female. They remind me to put my trust in the arms of the Sacred Mystery, they remind me to be who I am.

It's a Journey

I can't say that I ever made a conscious decision to take off on a spiritual journey. But I guess that is what I have been and continue to be on. It is like getting into a dinghy and launching out on the ocean not knowing where I will land. I feel somewhat like an explorer. I am drawn to discover but a bit fearful and apprehensive. I try not to have too many expectations but would like some answers to questions I have yet even realized. It is an opportunity to be more intimately connected with the holy.

I have learned that in some Buddhist traditions it is believed that the most precious opportunity presents itself when we come to the place where we think we can't handle whatever is happening. I don't know anyone who has not been at this place. For me, it was finding out someone I loved and trusted with my most vulnerable self was not the person I thought. What does one do with this information? This kind of discovery pulls the rug out from under you. Intially it becomes a time of not knowing, when stillness can become paralysis, and movement can become almost manic.

Our hearts can be broken by many things; death of a loved one, lost love, other people's suffering; and I believe that to truly know love our hearts must be broken open. But how many times? I suppose each time is a teachable moment. So, what have I learned? I have learned how longing for love is innate and how impossible it is to make human love safe. So, what am I doing with my new found knowledge? I am walking away, but refusing to stop loving. This has become my path to reconciliation. As I continue this journey I have begun to notice that every single day, I am cycling in and out of moments of love.....trying to find the balance...............trying to listen to where the spirit is leading me.

The Epistle?

Epistles were really nothing more than letters. In a way blogs serve the same purpose. But Blogs are more personal letters to ourselves. Perhaps they are letters of affirmation, or letters that provide us an opportunity to think. I just came back from an amazing weekend all by myself. This weekend was the end of a planned month long journey. And a perfect ending it was. Through out the entire weekend I found myself going back to the wise words of Pema Chodron. She says, "it takes death for there to be birth. So, don't be afraid of death." She also says (which I love) "rather than letting our situation get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look. That's the compassionate thing to do. That's the brave thing to do. We could smell that piece of shit. We could feel it.." "We are raised in a culture that fears death and hides from it. Nevertheless we experience it all the time. We experience it in the form of disappointment, in the form of things not working out. But really this provides the proper motivation for an insightful compassionate life." I have never been at such a moment of such grief and such joy in my life. Her book helped me get my arms around this emotion........"if we totally give up all hope of alternatives to the present moment, we can have a joyful relationship with our lives, an honest, direct relationship; one that no longer ignores the reality of impermanence and death. How transformative is that statement?

What is my Belief?

I believe that God can take the good, the bad and the ugly experiences in our lives and use them to make us unbelievably better at what we have been created for; whatever that might be. God can take the good things we fondly remember, the bad things we'd like to forget, and the ugly things that have shaped us into people we didn't start out to be and use them to facilitate His purpose. This is why I have hope. For me hope isn't passive. Hope isn't the absence of despair. Hope is active and my hope comes from God. Hope is the light in my journey that makes the present bearable........ that the mysterious be made clear.

And They're Off

I am always amazed at the surprises in life. Especially those that I should know are coming! I haven't decided if this is ignorance or avoidance. Both of my children left the country this past Tuesday. It was a time of excitment, tears and unbelief. As a parent I hoped I always gave my children permission to live their own lives; to look into their own hearts and live from there. So, why was I surprised at my grief as they left? Isn't this what I prepared them for? Monday evening I took Collin's face in my hands, smiled into his different green eyes and while saying "I love you" knew that my boy child was truely an amazing young man. I also realized he had grown up. Of course I've known this. But when we really pause and think and love with intention.....we own it. Collin is on an adventure of a life time. Allyson has traveled out of the country quite a bit for a 21 year old. However this time it seemed more real. I guess because she had just turned 21 four days earlier. And the realization that she was a young woman hit like a mack truck. My children have had a huge impact on making me who I am today. We are all three exactly where we need to be at this moment. I have been holding my breath since they both boarded their planes. And now I have heard they are both safe; one in Mexico and one in Bangkok, I can exhale. Like a diver coming up for air......I breath. So, Collin and Allyson to you I say, "Let your unconscious, your dreams, your hearts, the divine work on your behalf." My prayer for you- I pray that while having an adventure of a lifetime you pause to embrace the sacredness of your journeys. I pray that while your souls are fed your eyes and hearts are open to the people, places and surprises that await you. I pray you find the divine in the ordinary-not so ordinary places you visit. I pray you are intentionally present to the mystery and wonder as you walk. I pray for your safe return. Amen.

Buzzed

Yesterday I sat in a chair and let a friend of mine take a #2 guard to my hair. Am I joining a cult? Wanting to be different? Trying to convince women (including me) that we are more than our hair products? None of the above....well maybe #3. I buzzed my head to raise money for Susan G Komen. I didn't realize what an impact it would have on me. The freeing sensation that comes from being a bald woman. I never worry about my hair anymore. Because I've let it grow (knowing I was going to do this) I've saved some major bucks. I spend about $100 every two months on my weave and cut. I've skipped 2 appointments and doubt I will have a need for another one for at least 6 months. So, let's see....I'm saving about $800 - give or take! Should I be at a moral dilemma here? What could $800 give to a family in a third world country? I'll have to give this some more thought. Another interesting side of walking around buzzed is the reaction from others. People look at me with the "Oh, poor thing. She's got 'the cancer'. " Or, 'hmmm; I wonder if she's a lesbian." Or, as my dear friend (who happens to be a lesbian) says..maybe you're a lesbian with Cancer! Which brings me to another moral dilemma. How many times have I looked at someone not as a human child of God but a 'condition' or a 'label'? The labels aren't always bad. But they are labels just the same. I think that is what happens when we do not take responsibility for exploring and owning our unconscious material: I believe we live poorer lives when we choose to absent ourselves from the ministry of hospitality to and justice for the stranger. And we defy the longing of our God
when we turn away those who are different than us. The Golden Rule says we should treat others as we would have them treat us. And, so, you and I have to answer the question of how we would want to be treated if we walked as strangers, immigrants, outsiders. And, assuming we answer the question honestly, we know in our hearts what must be done.
Peace

I sit at my kitchen table waiting for the snow....waiting. Is that what we spend most of our lives doing? Waiting? Are we there yet? How much longer? We light the 3rd candle on the Advent wreath. I'm due in two weeks. When will I meet the love of my life? Are most of our lives Holy Saturdays, the time between great difficulties and great triumphs, between bad news and good news, death and resurrection. I look at my parents who are both 82 years old and quite feeble. They have buried many of their friends, some of their siblings, and I think for the most part it is safe to say that for now they are waiting. Not morbidly but 'matter of factly'. I mean, how many years do they have left? With that said though....my mom in particular still loves every day she has on this planet. Every time I'm with her she says, "I love you." I love her too and am greatful for every day she and pop remain on this earth... Back to waiting... Students wait for report cards. The poor wait in line for food, for shelter, for almost everything. Parents wait many Holy Saturday nights....waiting. Yet for most of my Christian life, Holy Saturday has barely been mentioned. We focus on Good Friday, where we can nail our troubles, and our sins with Jesus to the cross. Give us Easter's great news of resurrection. But don't leave us here on Saturday, locked in a room. Don't leave me with Mary in the depths of a mother's grief. Don't bury me with Jesus. But let's face it. There can be no Easter without Holy Saturday, Like it or not, we know the crosses are coming; we know we're going to die. It's said there's more to the story, but in the end here we are, waiting for resurrection, whether in the form of a job or a new love or an all-clear medical test. I don't know why I'm thinking this now. It's not even Lent yet........... maybe every day could be Lent, or Holy Saturday....or Easter. Peace and Love.

To love

It's very cold out. I have been reading The Invitation. It is one of those books you need to read alone; a piece at a time; out loud. It speaks to me in many ways. However one paragraph is truly what I am. So I am going to quote Oriah for this blog. "When I imagine myself as an old woman at the end of my life and ask myself how I will evaluate my time here, there is only one question that concerns me: Did I love well? There are a thousand ways to love other people and the world--with our touch, or words, our silences, our work, our presence. I want to love well. This is my hunger. I want to make love to the world by the way I live in it, by the way I am with myself and others every day......I want to stay aware of the vastness of what I do not know. This is what brings me to the journey.l I do not want to live any other way." May all who read this experience the blessings of living. May your hearts be full.
Shalom.

It is pumpkin season and everyone is getting into the spirit. It is amazing how the autumn colors gradually replace summer. As I watch flocks of geese flying south it is suddenly clear. Summer is over. I take a deep breath of crisp autumn air. It is like a tonic. This season is hallowed but brief. But it is probably my favorite. It is time to restart the fireplace, pull out the sweaters and scrape the frost off the windows in the morning. Fall to me is also a time to replenish. As the leaves fall off the trees I am reminded of how much we fill our lives with junk. What better time than now to purge........Blessed

Onward Pilgrim

Over the years, I have discovered life is indeed a journey, a pilgrimage, a sacred adventure. Within everyone there is that place where the spirit dwells waiting to be roused, waiting to offer wisdom and everything we need for our journey. In the beginning, spirituality appears slowly, opening gradually and tempting us with a glimpse of its splendor and depth.

All of us will experience crises from different events and transitions, all unpredictable moments arriving and intruding into our comfortable lives. We didn’t ask for this and we wonder why it has arrived bringing havoc and confusion. However, each crisis has a common bond…a threshold. A holy summons inviting us to go through the doorway.. involving both a leaving behind and a stepping toward.

During these times of detours, we often choose to ignore that inner calling. Transformation takes an enormous amount of trust in our spirit voice. We need to pay attention and ask ourselves what is it we are being asked to learn? Are we ready to accept and embark on this soulful journey? Until we claim and embrace these unwanted events in our lives, they will continue to resurface, making their presence known, one way or another.

Life passages can mystify and overwhelm us, causing immense pain and grief. It is frightening to veer off the well-worn path of comfort. But if we are willing to take the time to acknowledge and reflect on each passage, they can bestow wisdom and knowledge expanding our vision of our authenticity.

Celebrating, grieving or fighting with a life passage is an extraordinary act. Slow down: Be kind and loving to yourself and others. Act from your spirit and heart and don’t forget to breathe and love!

July 21, 2009
Does time really fly when you're having fun? Or does life just get in the way. I actually lost my logon information. Now, here I am 7 months later. I must make this as short and sweet as possible. Since my last post I have quit my job, started a new job, traveled to Kenya with my daughter, moved my parents into an apartment, learned the truth about lies, and turned 50. Wow, what a busy 1/2 year. The good thing....................it is still a journey. Life; no matter how you slice it or dice it you still have it. Sometimes it's fractured and sometimes it's strong. Right now mine is both. But, I will transcend and someday I will remember why I fell in love in the first place and reemerge stronger and wiser. Because of all I've experienced; even in the worst moments, I will transcend.

The Final Third

I’m all right because I have you here with me [in this final third]. The final third is what my brother-in-law (Kenny-who by the way is a lot like me) calls this stage of our lives. And I’m alright because I have people that love me, my faith, and my own damn self. I suppose since most of my siblings are in their 50’s it is the final third for us (hopefully no less).



When I think about that I have to wonder what my parents think. My parents are both 81 years old. Are they thinking the final 25th or the final day or maybe the final moment? The bottom line I guess is it could be the final moment for any of us. I am currently 35,000 feet above our planet. I am somewhere between Boston and Cincinnati. Could this be my final moment? One malfunction and oops….My life is over. Am I ready? Do I care? Will I know? Yes, Yes, I hope not.
Those are my answers...today. My reasons for caring now are different than they were yesterday. And my reasons tomorrow will probably be different than today. Yesterday I might have cared because I want to hear more about my daughter’s love story. Today I care because I’m just not finished yet. I want to experience Kenya with Allyson, my will isn’t signed, my parents don’t need to bury a child and I just have some unfinished business.

All I do know is that I am ready for this final third. I want to live it to the fullest. If I have passed anything on to my children it is to not sweat the small stuff. Our life on this planet is a blip. But in that blip we can make a difference. We can love unconditionally. We can do the unplanned and be spontaneous. We should not hurt others or think we are better than anyone. We are not. I am no better than the worst of the worst. For I do believe we are all the product of our experiences.
Some of these experiences we create and some are just things we have no control over. It is a journey.

I'm listening to awesome music on my Ipod (welcome 2009). I am in first class (the benefit of being a frequent flyer) and drinking a very cold beer. Now, can my final third be any better than this at this particular moment in time? Even though I am going to miss my connection? No, not really. It’s interesting – I think my 50’s are going to be awesome! I love life, I can still do pretty much what I want to do physically, My kids are at an age I don’t have to be too cautious with what I say, I can talk to them as friends, I really don’t care if people like me or not, kissing is still the best thing since tampons, and I have not lost hope in human kind. Walk gently, love deeply, speak softly……….And always look in the eyes of others.
Peace

OK, So I thought I would be a good blogger. This blog event actually happened a couple of months ago. I jotted it down on a note pad and until now it was buried in the back of my briefcase. Today I blog it.
I had an interesting conversation at dinner the other night. I was talking to a bi-racial couple. We talked about what it was like 25 years ago when he and his wife first met. She was a White Aussie; he an African American. He was retired military. Our conversation about the difficulties being a bi-racial couple quickly segued to the military and the acceptance of diversity in the military. I had heard before from my fiance that growing up in a military family he never heard any condescending racial remarks. "They stripped you down to your underwear, gave you a haircut and a uniform and you all were suddenly the same." Larry, the black gentleman at dinner said the same thing. Larry grew up in the projects and to him the military was an opportunity to get an education, get out of the projects and do something productive with his life. He said it was the best thing he ever did for himself and his family. So, I guess my question to myself is -- Is the military a bad thing? Is it wrong to provide someone a purpose? I think we are all looking for purpose in this life. Whether it be in our careers, vocations, as parents, pilgrims or even soldiers......who is to say which choice is better? I don't have the answer to the military question. Perhaps it helps some individuals find purpose, find family, find a rhythm to their days. Could there be a way to change the purpose of the military and accomplish the same thing? Is it possible to change the focus from war to peace; from guarding our borders to building bridges?
It is interesting that I had this conversation with Larry. Why? Well, the prior week on a flight home I sat at a bar in the Boston airport (and I think I said before I don't always sit at bars) when a soldier started talking to me. He was 25 years old and going home to see his wife who he hadn't seen in 10 months. He was going to college and then to officer's training. He said that when he graduated from high school he had no self-discipline for anything but booze and parties. He decided to join the military. He saw this as an opportunity to become someone and to stay out of trouble while trying to figure things out. "I feel good about where I'm going and I'm proud of myself."
So again I ask, "Is the military a bad thing?"

God is interesting. I think God wants me to think more. On this same journey home on my short hop from Cincinnati to Louisville I sat next to a young man. And oh how young he seemed. He was 18. I recognized the manila folder I had seen many times before. In black block letters was his last name. This is the folder the recruits heading to Fort Knox carry. He was on his way to basic training and scared to death. He had never flown, never been out of the city he grew up in and never been away from his parents for more than a week. We talked about his decision and why he enlisted. He was restless and knew he wouldn't be successful in college. He wanted some discipline to help him mature. His parents were supportive. He continued to ramble on... When we deplaned in Louisville we walked together to the baggage claim. He called his mom to let her know he was ok and another mom had adopted him in the airplane and was showing him where to get his luggage.
I left both these men...really all three of these men thanking them for their service to our country, for their commitments and sharing my hope that someday our military would not be involved in war anymore but perhaps only humanitarian efforts.
So, I ask one more time........Is the military a bad thing? I don't have the answer to this question. All I know is I believe in Peace. And I will continue to pray that people will learn to build bridges and relationships and that war will be no more....

To Everything There is A Season

My mother is one of 5 children. She lived during the depression. My grandparents (Mary [Holland] Flaherty and TA) were somewhere around 45 and 48 years old when my mother was born. Grandma lost one daughter shortly after birth. Of the four surviving children, my mother was the youngest. Her oldest Brother Tom died about 5 years ago. I just received notice that her sister (Mary Helen) has just been moved to Nazareth home because her Alzheimers is getting too bad to manage at the assisted living facility. Shortly after that email I received another that her brother Bill has been moved to Our Lady of Peace. I'm not quite sure why. He has end stage Alzheimers. Unless he is getting to violent to handle. I am realizing that my parents (both are 80) and my Aunt and Uncle are near the end of their lives. So, for my siblings (4 brothers and 2 sisters), Aunt Mary's 9 surviving children, Uncle Tom's 4 children and Uncle Bill's 2 children................We will soon receive the torch to carry onward. We will be the oldest of the Flaherty/Nash/Randol tribe. I'm not sure how I feel about that. But I sent the below message out to my siblings and my cousin Margie soon after I received the email.................It was what I really thought at that moment. I also felt a strong need to say a Hail Mary. No matter what the church's faults....I love those comfort prayers. They come in handy when you don't know what else to say: I also know my mother loved Mary. Her name was Mary Ellen, her sister Mary Helen...My middle name is Maureen (Derivative of Mary) and my other two sisters are Mary Carol and Frances Marie. My Great-Grandmother lost 3 babies before my grandmother was born. She prayed to the Blessed Mother-vowing that if this baby lived-the babe would wear blue and white for seven years. My grandma lived, she wore blue and white for seven years and on her 7th birthday bought and orange polkadot dress....Now, I'm sure in the late 1800's that was a statement.........Hmmmmmmmmmmmm the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Hail Mary,Full of Grace,The Lord is with thee.Blessed art thou among women,and blessed is the fruitof thy womb, Jesus.Holy Mary,Mother of God,pray for us sinners now,and at the hour of death.
Amen.

Dear Family,

All of this is indeed sad news. I too am out of town (in Boston). What a gift instant communication can be though! I suspect Uncle Bill, Your mom and my mom would all say [and Uncle Tom]..........."To everything There is a Season".....Take our torch as our's fade and carry it stong and proud. I wish the Oldest of our's peace and comfort as they approach the final stages of their earthly lives. It is hard to say out loud isn't it? Probably as much because we realize we have awesome shoes to fill....and it's almost time to fill them.

Ruth Bornstein’s The Dancing Man relates the story of an orphan boy, Joseph, who lives in a dreary village where life is hard and the people are laughless. Worst of all, no one dances.

One evening, an old man appears before Joseph and, stepping slowly, offers him a gift—dancing shoes. For years, the boy dances in these shoes, bringing great joy to many who live in the multitude of dreary villages throughout the region. But eventually Joseph grows old and tires. He can no longer dance, even though he knows the world will return to its dreariness without the gift he offers.
Just as he can go no further, he spots a young boy alone on the beach. Joseph dances up to the boy, sweeps off his hat, and declares, "I’m the Dancing Man, and I have a gift for you...."

Teachable Moments?

I am not sure why people enter my life when they do. I sometimes (or most of the time) believe these are God's teachable or 'shake you up' moments. Monday on the plane a man of about 32 sat next to me. The first thing he said was, "I am so glad you aren't as big as the last person I sat next to." During our conversation he shared his story. He is married to the love of his life after dating another woman for 12 years. He was in Louisville for the NRA convention and he owns a business in Washington DC. The business makes guns. Now, my dad was a hunter, my brothers were (and one still is) hunters. If we still hunted for food the way the native americans did [and didn't mass produce and mass destroy animals] I probably wouldn't have as much issue with it. But hunting for sport_that never has sat well with me and now I abhor it. And mounting the heads (the trophies) is just plain gross. GROSS... Now that is the word of a scholar wouldn't you say? Well, this man made semi-automatic weapons and machine guns. Obviously not for hunting animals, but for hunting people. Machines made for one purpose; to kill. He talked about how theirs were the only ones with minimal recoil so there is more accuracy. I just sat there. Not really saying anything that I was thinking... such as, "What are you thinking?" "I hate guns." "What happened to love thy enemies" "Thou shall not kill"? Now, I grew up with guns in the house, I told him. But I don't own one, nor do I want to own one. I have come to realize most people don't want to talk politics or religion or philosophies.....they just want to talk. So, I sat....and listened. At one point in the conversation he asked about my kids and where would they probably live. When I said my daughter will probably end up in a hut in a third world country he said, "Oh, maybe she'll outgrow that." My only comment, "I hope not."............ I was cordial....I think. At least when we deplaned he said, "I wish I had more people like you sit next to me." "I really enjoyed chatting with you." And good luck to your daughter and your son! OK, I survived. Then on my way out of the hospital [my customer site] another man (about 32) started talking to me about the election, universal health care, etc. I won't go into the detail, but when I said something to the affect of "I don't think we're ready for universal healthcare. But we need to figure out a solution. And mentioned my daughter's BF said in his country the rich still get better care (his country has universal healthcare) because they can afford to pay more (cash and gifts)....his comment was, "That's why we need to strive to be rich" and "poor people are there because they want to be!".....WHAT THE HECK GOD....am I suppose to comment to these people? Walk away? Say, "Peace, Love and Joy man?" All I said was, "I guess if I had to choose between being rich and giving to the poor or poor and taking from the rich....I wouldn't pick the later." Now, wasn't that profound......... aggggghhh.... .. Teachable (whether I learn) moments...