No matter how much planning I try to do in the weeks and months beforehand, I can never seem to escape the feeling of overwhelm that hits in the last week before a trip to Europe.
And going at Christmas time makes things even more intense.
So, the only thing to do is to practice — with great intensity! — remembering that God Is the Doer. Not me.
The Heavenly Father knows exactly what’s needed. Divine Mother is lovingly supporting me every step of the way.
My work is to get still, ask for help, listen, and take action according to whatever guidance I receive. Over and over and over again.
When we drove up to the Village from Palo Alto on Wednesday, I was actually congratulating myself on how well I felt. Neither of us were feeling super tired, so I figured a couple nights with melatonin to establish the sleep schedule and I’d be home free.
Instead, my chest started feeling tight on Wednesday night. By Thursday I was dealing with a serious cough and Friday saw the addition of congestion.
I had to sleep sitting up because the wheezing and coughing got worse when I laid down in bed. I did steam treatments, essential oils, tea with honey, and sun baths. If I sat still I would fall asleep.
But bit by bit I’m turning the corner. I even left the house today for the first time since we got back from Europe.
But between being sick and events being cancelled due to COVID, I haven’t connected with a single friend since getting home.
It’s very, very strange.
So, what occurred to me during my time in the sun this afternoon is that Divine Mother has put me into a forced time out. I mean, we were constantly on the go in Lugano — fun, but also exhausting. And we were constantly on the go before we flew to Lugano — also fun and productive, but exhausting.
But now? Three days (tomorrow will be the fourth) of no events, no meetings, no nothin’.
And what’s the lesson? I guess it has to do with not going, going, going until the only way you’ll get a break is by getting sick.
Or an alternate title for today’s blog post could have been: “Really, Divine Mother?!?”
As in, “Did I really need to break a tooth while taking my third bite of dinner tonight?”
And not just any tooth; a molar on the bottom right side of my mouth, when I’ve been avoiding chewing on the left side because of being halfway through the process of getting an implant.
Yep, thanks to another recently broken tooth, there’s no chewing surface on that side. 🤦♀️
Ah well, instead of another couple of days just staying in, seems I’ll (hopefully) be heading into town to get this dealt with.
Gosh, I love dealing with the material plane. (NOT!)
A number of beautiful flower offerings greeted us when we arrived home today.
Most were bouquets from friends, but Divine Mother welcomed us with flowers as well — we had never seen such an abundance of roses on the somewhat neglected bushes next to our yard!
The photo below doesn’t come close to doing them justice!
This small but powerful card is one of my favorite Christmas gifts this year.
It was tucked inside a Christmas greeting card. When it fell out into my hands I did a double-take and then tears filled my eyes.
It’s a phrase that is particularly meaningful for those who follow my particular spiritual path. And the reason I found it to be so moving is that I’ve been rebuilding my meditation practice this winter after a frustratingly long dry spell.
It’s almost as if Divine Mother sent me this beautiful little card as her way of reassuring me and encouraging my efforts.
From GoFundMe account: “Photo of Gardenia pre-accident and shining bright. Hold this image of her vibrant and healed.”
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.
