Which doesn’t always arrive on schedule. That’s when I start looking for an inspiring image at least.
This beautiful rose is the one that drew my attention.
Such delicate perfection is — in and of itself — an inspiration!
Waiting for inspiration
Sending love to Gardenia
Talk about duality.
Yesterday I shared a photo of a beautiful little girl blissfully embracing Divine Mother in the form of a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Today a friend shared the GoFundMe link of a little girl who suffered serious burns after catching fire while standing too close to a propane heater.
I don’t know the little girl, Gardenia, or her family, although they live in our general area.
What I do know is how overwhelming it felt getting the cancer diagnosis and navigating all the details of treatment and finances, and becoming familiar with the realities of the medical system and its lingo.
And that was with me feeling well, Ramesha having flexibility in his schedule to accompany me to virtually every appointment, and the tremendous support of our worldwide community.
I cannot begin to imagine how this family is coping, with Gardenia undergoing constant surgeries and intense medical care, while they have two other small children to care for at home, and with all the driving back and forth they’ll have to do for months and years.
Not to mention the trauma this little girl has gone, and is going, through. It breaks my heart.
I realize there are so many people suffering in the world right now, but Gardenia has been brought to my attention and I feel compelled to do what I can to help. So, I’m sharing her story.
If you feel to donate, great. If you feel to share, perfect. If you feel to pray for Gardenia and her family, wonderful.
There’s even the option of checking out their Amazon Wishlist of various foods, medicines and other forms of nourishment and comfort.
Most important of all, let’s channel Divine Mother’s love to Gardenia.
Feeling the love of Divine Mother
Today a friend shared this photo, taken during Springtime at Ananda in Crystal Hermitage Gardens.
I found it so completely precious that I had to share it here.
But really, the picture says it all. I have nothing to add.
Happy Mother’s Day blessings
Thoughts and memories abound on Mother’s Day…
Remembering my mother, Bernice Louise Stroud.
Thinking about my sister, Catherine Buskey, as well as the many friends who have embraced the role of mother in this lifetime.
Of course, there are also those — in male as well as female bodies — who channel divine mother energy through nurturing and loving others.
And finally, there’s Liam Andrew, who made me a mother then left his body right before birth.
Much love to us all, mothers and children alike.
Oasis of peace
I’m totally stealing this photo and its description from Ramesha, who posted it on Facebook. (Thanks for providing content for my blog post, amore mio!)
What makes it perfect is that I actually spent a fair amount of time hanging out in this peaceful oasis today.
In fact, it was a very mellow Saturday.
Message for a Friday afternoon
I’m really loving these messages that have been coming my way. 😄
This one is perfect for looking ahead to a relaxing Saturday.
Wishing you all a great “grassy” weekend. Enjoy your ice cream!
Time out to relax and renew
Sometimes pertinent messages find you in the strangest places — like the lavatory when you go to visit a friend!
This message is definitely one that I need to hear repeatedly.
Taking time out each day
to relax and renew
is essential to living well.
–Judith Lasater
Full disclosure: I find it humorous that the woman in the drawing is checking her watch; I imagine she’s impatient to be up and doing — enough of this relaxing and renewing stuff! 😂
The fortunate one
Tonight I’m reflecting on the meaning of the spiritual name that Swami Kriyananda blessed me with back in 2005.
It had been an exceptionally powerful weekend. For starters we were invited to celebrate our first anniversary at a small dinner with Swamiji and a few of the leaders of the Assisi community — amazing evening!
Then we were informed that Swamiji would be blessing us as ministers and giving us our spiritual names at the same time.
Whoa! Talk about a doozy of a day.
I share this to explain how it came about that — although Swamiji shared several aspects of what the name meant — I was so blissed out that the only part of his explanation that stuck in my mind was “the fortunate one”.
But after close to twenty years of being Bhagavati I’m beginning to think that it was no accident that I couldn’t retain the other information, because “the fortunate one” so perfectly describes my life and I’m very grateful to be reminded of it all the time.
The picture gets bigger
As my cancer journey continues, with its added detours and diversions, the “picture” (aka my understanding of what it is actually going on) keeps getting bigger.
So, today I’m unexpectedly aware that there are phases to this process. Duh! 😄
Phase 1 was about –
- Leading from strength (for me, that means positivity, optimism, raising energy, healing through singing, doing my dharma, focusing on serving the music ministry)
- A tremendous outpouring of loving prayer support
- Some “ignorance is bliss” (it was impossible to comprehend everything all at once, definitely leaving gaps in my understanding that kept me from appreciating the full seriousness of the diagnosis, which was probably a good thing!)
- Going gangbusters for two full months (no problem with chemo, sailing through radiation, way exceeding my personal goals for the Oratorio) — then HELLO Phase 2…
Phase 2 (where I’m at now) is about –
- Acknowledging and embracing weaknesses
- Accepting and embracing the lessons cancer is encouraging me to learn (for me, that means slowing down, making time to do the inner work, seeking guidance, feeling the feelings, resolving old griefs and pain, being vulnerable, asking for help)
- Being practical in my idealism (working with what is, not what I wish it could be)
- Making big decisions
- Always hanging on to my strengths of positivity and optimism, etc. throughout the process, even during these ickier parts
Looking for the shift
A good thought to ponder as I sit in our hotel room in Sacramento, preparing for tomorrow morning’s meeting with the bone marrow transplant doctor.
So many opportunities to shift my thinking and (hopefully) also shift my consciousness.