Happy Thanksgiving!

Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously.  And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

May we each have a child's heart today, filled with innocence, playfulness, forgiveness, and adventure.  Let our day be filled by honoring those we love and by sharing laughter with those surrounding us.  Let our hearts over flow with kindness towards our selves and others.

We can be thankful for our family's ancestors, our personal history, accomplishments and challenges, and good health.  There may be so much more to be desired, but just for this day, let us feel saturated with goodness and hold all distractions at bay.

I am thankful for many people and things which include those who read my words and for the opportunity to write.  Many blessings to all peoples near and far.

The House All Humans Live In

A friend

may well be reckoned

the masterpiece of Nature.

Ralph Waldo Emerson



Thinking of our world as the house all humans live in, we are called to extend our kindness, respect, and honor into a larger arena.  As we broaden our definition of friend, we begin to treat all people in a friendlier manner.   As strangers become friendly, our concept of the world shifts from a largely foreign place to a community of friends.  When we begin to experience our life as being in a friendly environment, our environment begins to change.  Perception once changed can color our surroundings from black and white to vibrant colors with complimentary hues.

When we enhance the  attitude we offer  to our world, we begin to receive an improved response.  The improved response lifts our spirits and encourages to pass forward more happiness and joy.  We are more apt to extend a hand of kindness to neighbors, old friends, and to appreciate the beauty in nature more and more.  We will have a stronger sense of being connected rather than experiencing loneliness in an isolated world.

***This post was inspired by a writing in TRANSITIONS.  Julia Cameron is a well known writer and author of numerous best selling books.  She has written poetry and essays; has credits in television, films, and theater; and is an award winning journalist.  In her book entitled, TRANSITIONS, Prayers and Declarations for a Changing Life, Julia Cameron offers ways to face challenges while developing creativity.

Invitation

God enters by a private door into every individual.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I throw open the door inviting spirit in, hoping to make sense of  the turmoil within.  I gaze outside and breathe the calm in,
slowing the undercurrent causing this spin. 

The churning recedes as spirit gently enters in, opening my heart for love to come in.  Too easily I forget all that I know, losing my way and forgetting to grow.

I coax my glow back into a flame and I can feel my inner fires burning strongly again.  I have so much farther to go, to plant little seeds which will sprout long after I am gone, now realizing this is the way wisdom is often passed down.

We send our prayers and ask for blessings, but too frequently forget to leave open the door for Divine Spirit to enter in.  If we extend an invitation for spirit to come and be our invited guest, our lives will be happier and filled with bliss. 

A Sister of My Heart

It is not length of life,

but depth of life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I was a senior in high school, I traveled to a college that I hoped to attend.  While there, I met another perspective student by the name of Joyce Marie.  Instantly, we became interested in each other.  We promised we would get in touch if accepted.

Joyce Marie and I became not only very good friends, but eventually roommates as well.  I could write a volume about our experiences, our similarities, and our differences, but I will save that for another time.  What is important to know is that even though I am just a few months older, she is my oldest friend.  Although our lives took us in very different directions, and there were some years without contact, the two of us remained important to each other.

I cannot speak for this dear sister of my heart, but for me, no matter what life dealt out, I knew that she would always help me.  Unfortunately, she was put to the test many times throughout my life, and never once did she judge or turn me away.  In fact, I am one of many that has been helped by this dear friend.  She has never known a stranger and there is never a limit to how hard she tries to make a person's life better. 

Today I fly out to be with Joyce Marie for a week.  The length of her life has come into question and so I must focus on the depth of her life and what all it has meant to me.  I want to be present with her even if it is in silence.  I want to memorize her radiant smile and fall into her sparkling wise eyes.  I need to hug her and cover her with comforting love, energy, and light.

It is my belief that we are all spiritual beings having a physical experience.  It is my sense that we have all lived prior to this existence and that we will live after it as well.  So if I am squished by a bus tomorrow, there will only be an interlude before we all come together again.  So let us hold joyful celebrations honoring our loved ones who are simply called ahead.