I’m quite ready to kick back and do next to nothing for the next 24 hours or so.
Happy Friday, y’all!
Floating into the weekend
It’s Oratorio time!
I’ve got to keep this short in order to get ready for our first Oratorio rehearsal in the Temple of Light since March of 2020!
Yep, we got the go-ahead to have an actual choir. True, it has to be a very small one of less than twenty singers, but we’re still thrilled. It’s been way too long since we did the Oratorio.
The Secret of Laughter
We had an all community meeting at Ananda Village last night. As usual we started with a couple of songs, one of which was The Secret of Laughter.
I’ve sung this song hundreds of times over the years, but last night I experienced — yet again — how much depth there is in these apparently lighthearted and fun lyrics!
In fact, I discovered how The Secret of Laughter pretty much covers everything I’m learning as I move through treatments for cancer: mainly the importance of laughing, giving, and especially singing.
I found so much meaning in the final verse last night:
Sing when the sun shines, sing when the rain falls,
Sing when your road seems strange.
In a tempest, seize the lightning flash,
And ride the winds of change!
We’ve certainly been traveling a pretty strange road lately, with lots of changes still ahead. But we’re managing to keep singing and laughing, and we’re finding joy everywhere.
LYRICS: The Secret of Laughter
The secret of laughter lies in the laughing,
Not in the search for joy:
It’s a swallow winging on the wind!
It’s innocence in a boy.
CHORUS
Luru luru lero,
Luru luru lye!
Joy will come to anyone
Whose heart has learned to fly!
Joy in the singing, not in the song sung,
Welcome, but never crave:
If you think that laughter lies in things,
To things you’ll be but a slave!
CHORUS
Joy in the giving, not in the gaining:
Grasp, and you’ll never sing—
You could win the world and still be poor;
Win peace, and live like a king!
CHORUS
Sing when the sun shines, sing when the rain falls,
Sing when your road seems strange.
In a tempest, seize the lightning flash,
And ride the winds of change!
CHORUS
Today’s hospital adventure
I had just arrived at the Infusion Center to receive my weekly Velcade injection and was waiting for my nurse to come and get me.
While still in the waiting area, I heard over the intercom: “Attention. Code blue in the Infusion Center, Room 210.” The announcement was repeated three times, which allowed me to slowly process that this was happening just steps away from where I was seated.
I’ve heard the term “code blue” on TV shows and in movies, but realized I didn’t know exactly what it meant. So I looked it up: “Cardiac or respiratory arrest or medical emergency that cannot be moved.”
Over the next little while I gained a whole new appreciation for just how “professional” the medical professionals were in responding to the emergency. If I hadn’t heard the announcement, I wouldn’t have immediately been able to tell by the noise or activity level; it was more a matter of feeling the intensity ratchet up to very high levels.
That intensity level definitely affected me. I closed my eyes to meditate and focus on my breath so that I could stay calm enough to pray and send love and healing energy to the situation. But it wasn’t easy to stay centered.
Gradually I could tell there was more coming and going. At one point, a hospital employee escorted a young man into the room and I realized that Ramesha and I had seen him, together with a young pregnant woman and an elderly man, in the oncology waiting room just the day before.
We noticed them in particular because the young people (married couple? brother and sister? friends? We have no way of knowing) seemed really kind and considerate of the elderly man (father? grandfather? Again, no way of knowing); while he, in turn, was a very refined, articulate, good-humored gentleman with a lovely voice.
This made it feel personal enough that I found myself sinking into a more emotional space and had to work to raise my consciousness again.
They helicoptered the gentleman to another hospital and of course, I don’t know if he made it. I sure hope so.
But what a beautiful opportunity it was to bring our techniques and understanding to the situation by quietly sitting off to the side and praying and meditating.
And then, once the immediate crisis had passed and the nurse came to get me, I felt blessed to be able to offer her even a little support and understanding. Also to observe the way they calmly went back to their usual tasks (after all, the Infusion Center was still full of other patients!), while checking in with one another and making sure each of them was okay.
All in all, a beautiful and deeply moving experience filled, I’m sure, with God’s grace and the presence of angels.
Gratitude for the guru’s love
Today is the 70th anniversary of when my guru made his conscious exit from the body.
All day long I’ve been thinking about the guru’s love and remembering a beautiful poem that beautifully describes that love.
I was pretty sure that I had shared the poem before, so I searched my blog for it. And guess what I found?!?
Yep, on March 7, 2021 — exactly one year ago today — I wrote about “The Guru’s Love.” Perfect timing, though surely not a surprise.
Beautiful Ukrainian folk art
For some time now, I’ve had a spot in my kitchen that needed a piece of art. I had thought perhaps something earthy and Italian, but never found what I was looking for.
But then I was inspired to check out the Ukrainian folk art on Etsy as a way to support artists during the current crisis, and — lo and behold! — this piece exactly matched my vision of the artwork I needed.
The wonderful thing is that I was able to purchase it as a digital download of the hand-drawn painting, so that the artist (Anna Slepchenko of AnnaSArtWorkshop) didn’t have to ship anything to me.
Definitely a win-win. 😊
Time to go deep
Something to reflect on in these troubled times.
Maybe we’ve been thinking that our roots are deep enough already, but if we’re feeling fear maybe it’s time to go deeper still.
Craving peace
Do you ever find yourself craving a particular song, because you need how it makes you feel? Well, that’s what I’ve been feeling today about Swami Kriyananda’s song, “Peace.”
We need it.
“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”
–Saint Francis of Assisi
Tulip sunshine thoughts
The surprise tulips that arrived yesterday have been even more beautiful today!
I’ve been doing doubletakes every time I enter the room and finally decided they were worth another photo in the blog.
Enjoy!
Family & flowers
This morning was spent driving to Sacramento for a consultation with a specialist at the UC Davis Cancer Center, followed by a lovely lunch visit with my Dad and sister.
This was especially perfect as it was Ramesha’s birthday and he hadn’t spent time with them since our Father’s Day/birthday (mine and Cathy’s) celebration back in June!
When we stopped to pick up packages in the mailroom on our way home, we found a box of flowers addressed to Fabio Nani, which we assumed were for his birthday (which would have been a first in his experience).
But we were wrong! The bouquet of tulips came with a note addressed to me, saying: “Sending you healing thoughts and a little sunshine to brighten your day.” And it was from Amy Porterfield and her team. She’s the founder of the Digital Course Academy which Ramesha has been getting so much out of this past year.
He had written to the group to explain why he’s taking a break in order to help me during this time of health challenge, and received a tsunami wave of supportive responses that culminated in this thoughtful gift.
What an amazing group of people; they don’t even know me, but they are supporting their colleague with so much love.
I’m once again humbled by the overwhelming support we’re receiving.