Thank you, Mind

tree-in-red-sunset

…develop an ongoing relationship with our minds, an awareness and respect that incorporates ‘Shhhhhhhhhhhh, I love you, mind, but I’m busy being here right now, please be still …..thank you.’ into our daily lives.

Garbage Rummaging

distressed-homeless-woman-covers-face

we discovered the courage that it took to ask this question, the humility experienced to appear less than, the ego lessons around not being able to defend our apparent helplessness, the kindness and willingness of strangers to help

Delight

palm-trees-in-pink-sunset

we could and can remember, every moment, while not turning away from our soul knowing of the agonies, that joy is our home. Joy is where we all came from. Joy is our center.

My Tortoise, Myself

knowing-tortoise

now my soul’s attention turns towards the thousands who are being uprooted and discarded in the name of progress. Be brave all of you! Find your loves and create new homes! The world is topsy turvy right now and we all need to stay focused on what is important! Stay alive! And Love!

Margaret’s Whales

whale-tail

Margaret’s two year crusade to banish the cancer cells in her brain, had depleted her physical and emotional bodies. She was reaching the end of her time on earth and my father had provided this expedition for her, as her dream had been to go to Alaska and see whales.

Mario

central-park-bridge

The simplicity of his love and understanding of all things growing in the park, and his old fashioned work ethic in, rain, snow, freezing and boiling are old world refreshing and new world encouraging.

Darkness and Light

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Our human walk asks for miracles, instant pop throughs into a new place of relief and new direction. Our spiritual walk recognizes that there is a choice in every second, with every breath, to experience either darkness or light.

Fairy Dust

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Every night, as the twinkling light on stage, that was Tinker Bell, flickered while she flitted and flopped, dying, the entire theater full of children and adults, rose to their feet clapping to bring her back to life because they believed in magic.

Obie’s Meandering

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Nothing, nothing at all, ever ever ever belongs to us, except love. Things and loved ones come and go, but the love in our hearts is there forever. Gratitude for whatever it is that is the object of one’s love is the lesson, and the willingness to let it go if it must. Attachment is not love.

Cold Nights

foggy-dashboard-window

The cold, at night, has been bone chilling and sleep inhibiting…wells of relief spill over into tears. The ‘tricks’ to living in the car on such nights? Neighborhoods do not welcome parked cars with fogged windows. …one must crack the windows just enough to de-fog, but not freeze to death.

The Bird Girl/Woman

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There is one young woman who lives on the beach and does not participate in gazing at the sun as it slips into the sea, but who lies on her stomach in the grass and speaks to the birds. They gather around her softly and coo to her.

Materialism vs Spirituality

santa-monica-beach

As one’s money diminishes in quantity down to nickels and dimes, one is faced with the reality of positioning. Do we allow the mind to be consumed with worry and doubt? Do we turn inwards and find the God that lives inside of us and choose to water this garden?

The Morning News

park-bench

When you see a homeless woman, any homeless woman, do you see her? Do you look at her face? Her eyes? Her posture? Her cleanliness? Her burden? Her vulnerability?
Her vulnerability. Thank you for looking next time.

Connecting

christmas-card

And there’s a ‘but’ in my heart for the human condition. We do not seem to be able to look someone else’s discomfort in the eye and hold that gaze. We either look quickly and run. Or we look and decide to hang out but pretend that all is well, so let’s talk about fun things. Fun is lovely, fun is perfect, but not at the expense of truth and caring. Truth and caring. Genuine conversation. “How are you?”.

Apres le Storm

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He is lean and quiet, with a long beard and kind eyes. If one offers him money or food, he refuses, but he collects pennies in the hopes of finding a rare one, and so if one happens to offer this, then yes. Non homeless people tend to lump all homeless together. It’s very simple that way, but if you look closely, you will see, each one has big and little dreams, just like you.