Thursday, March 31, 2011

Cats, Dogs and Soul Music

There are days, too many of them lately, when I avoid the tv news and newspaper because I see enough of what's going on in the headlines of on-line news sites and the petitions that cross my in-box. Most things environment, arts and health-related seem to be under attack in the name of decreasing the deficit unless its pharmaceuticals in the health category or oil, coal, gas and nuclear in the "environment" category. These do come from the environment, right? Forgive my sarcasm.

Today was one of those days I didn't avoid the paper or at least parts of it. Two stories, one of cats and one of dogs, caught my eye.

"Cats" now in its 27th year and the first Broadway play I saw in Nashville has returned. This weekend more than thirty high school students from a rural West TN town will get an opportunity to see "Cats" thanks to a grant from TPAC's education component and their teacher who twenty-three years ago had an opportunity to see "Cats" on Broadway, the real Broadway, thanks to a gift of money and encouragement. This teacher, Dewayne Ervin was encouraged, supported and inspired. His life was changed by theater and now he's instigating life changing opportunities for his students.

The story related to dogs is more painful on the surface but just as inspiring, so bear with me. The morning paper also reported 122 dogs were rescued from a puppy mill in rural Tennessee this week by the Animal Rescue Corp. I read the story, sent out a prayer to the people involved in the rescue as well as to the animals and felt a mix of sorrow, wonder and love...which brings me to tonight.

I was out past my curfew having been to hear Spectrum with the symphony. Spectrum was new to me, but not their music. Having grown up in a small town outside Nashville, WLS radio in Chicago and "Soul Train" Saturday mornings on tv were my lifeline. Spectrum covered the songs of Motown and Philadelphia, backed by Nashville's Grammy-winning symphony. I sat listening in a nearly packed performance hall reminded of how music heals hearts, bridges divides and inspires.

Afterward as we entered a local restaurant I noticed a group of men and women nearby with jackets on reading "Animal Rescue Corps." I may be from the South where folks are friendly but I didn't immediately speak to the group. I waited. I sat at my table determining what to order as my tension built. I had to find out who these people were. Were they the ones from the news story?

I walked over and encountered beautiful souls from California, Canada and yes, Nashville, all who give of their time to go to rescue sites especially in rural areas with economic need. Tears rolling down my cheeks, I thanked and thanked these people for their work then got invited to volunteer tomorrow which I suspect I will do.

So what's the point of my story? I could not come home and go directly to bed. I needed to come on-line and tell someone as well as have a written record myself of the beautiful interactions between people - teachers and students and people and animals regardless of legislative budget cuts and bills. I needed in my friend Merle's words 'to testify' to Love, to the beauty of the human heart, to the joy of music, theater and loving "Cats" and dogs!

So for tonight I 'send' this with a cat curled in my lap, a cat left on the doorstep of a shelter, a cat that now provides my heart shelter. Tonight I 'send' this for I've heard soul music, I read of and witnessed soul music and the Soul of the World is blessed.
-Dawn! The Good News Muse, 31 March 2011
dawn@imaginetheshift.com

Monday, March 28, 2011

What Do You Have To Show for Your Life?

During the quiet this morning, I heard, "What do I have to show for my nearly 52 years?"

I didn't think of stuff although I do appreciate our art. Money in the bank didn't cross my mind. Maybe that's because I don't have that much. I don't have photos of children or grandchildren to pull up on a device or from a purse.

Momentarily this freaked me out. Had I forgotten to live my life?

Then I realized, if someone asked, "Dawn, what do you have to show for your life?" I would offer my camera and say, "I have recognized and honored beauty." For in this small box of metal technology I've a memory card holding birds, lizards, rocks, flowers, trees, faces and places that speak to me.

All of these images remind me of who I really am. I am a memory card holding love.

What have you to show for your life? What does it represent to you?
-Dawn! The Good News Muse, 27 March 2011
dawn@imaginetheshift.com

Sunday, March 27, 2011

When Shrubs Shimmy - Stories on Holiness and Home Inspired by Birds

"Holiness"
This week I noticed the evergreen just outside the window shaking . This particular shrub hasn't thrived like its sibling in the front of the house that gets more sun and has room for its roots to take in nourishment.

I love this little evergreen. I didn't intend it as a screen, but it's become that, a shield in a sense where I feel a bit of privacy when in the back room.

For several winters now I've strung clear lights on the evergreen, lights that shine from Winter Solstice through much of winter. Just this week I was thinking it's time to remove them since Spring's light is here. I was thinking of removing the lights when the top of this skinny, already shaky little shrub shook. It shimmied as a cardinal appeared from the top.

Across our small deck and driveway another cardinal, a bright red male, did his cardinal call as if to say, "Are you okay in there?"

She peered out and called back, "I'm busy."

This little evergreen may not have received the nourishment it needs to grow tall and wide, yet it and the birds nourish me.

All week I witnessed the building of a home, a cradle in the top of the shrub. I've witnessed something holy as the cardinal couple goes about building their manger in the simple evergreen a stable for their child.

It is through the simple that the sacred, the holy is revealed.

"At Home"

'If I had a house outside, I would build it in wisteria,' I heard myself thinking this week.

There I stood in a neighbor's yard, drawn by a grand waterfall of lavender. I had not been the only one for in the midst of the blossoms sat the beginnings of a nest or the endings of one from last season. What beauty!

'If I had a home outside,' I thought.

If
I have a home outside? I do have a home outside!

All of Nature is my home. When outdoors I'm at home within, a place that is harder to reach when inside the four walls of the structure called home, except when I'm writing, trying to convey an experience or idea often related to nature or when I'm washing, chopping, cooking food provided by nature or when vacuuming or cleaning - tending my home.

Engaged with Nature and tending, I'm at home, at home within and without.

When and where are you at home?
-Dawn! The Good News Muse, 27 March 2011
www.imaginetheshift.com

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Looking Within ("The Dhamma Brothers")

Look within.

I came on-line to post the two words above and this photo, but a friend loaned me a movie that I just watched and as soon as I wrote "Look within" I knew there was more to be said.

"The Dhamma Brothers"
follows a small group of men imprisoned in one of Alabama's worst prisons as they volunteer for ten days of meditation training, ten days of silence and learning Buddhist based techniques for dealing with stress as well as their demons. The film touches on events in a few of their young lives. There is no blaming their childhoods for their actions, just a hard look at situations stirring compassion.

One man, Grady a white fifty year old, told of his mother's leaving he and his younger brother on the front steps of a house in the country with no one around while telling them she'd be back. In the photo neither he nor his brother looked to be more than six to eight at most. Their dear faces never saw her again. She didn't come back. Many years later, after Grady had been involved in a murder, he spoke with his mother. It was only then he learned the reason he and his brother had been left. His mother feared not being able to care for them. Thus she abandoned them.

This man's story along with others made me think of how We, Society, abandon people, let them down, first in their childhoods and also through the prison system. Someone, somewhere let this mother down by not reaching our to her. Or maybe she let herself down by not looking within and having the courage to reach past shame and ask for help. Would a system, a neighbor, anyone have responded to her potentially reaching out?

This is not something I necessarily want to write about or even ponder on a Saturday night as I go to bed. It is not easy to write about anytime. There are no easy answers. This idea though that came to me when I photographed the insides of the tulip tree flower, this idea of "looking within" is something that this beautiful flower and the Dhamma brothers insist I do more of.

This not looking within is the thing I rail against in so many politicians who make laws and corporations that "buy" laws deceiving the public and possibly themselves, laws impacting generations to come as well as Mother Earth.

I want to sometimes shout from the tallest building with the biggest megaphone "We can do so much better than this" because we can.

For tonight, as I turn in I will turn in. I will remember how one of the officials in the movie referred to someone who robs as being so much more than a robber and one who murders is more than a murderer. I need to apply this to the politician and CEO whose new laws seem increasingly to benefit private companies and rob the poor and middle class. I need to apply this to the sports person in Alaska who in low flying helicopters stalks wolves and calls this hunting. I need to apply this to the part of myself that robs me of wisdom when I don't listen or kills off presence when I'm on autopilot.

I want to believe it is possible like the men in "The Dhamma Brothers" did to look within and birth a world where prisons ultimately aren't fed our young men and CEO's, politicians and regular folks like me aren't imprisoned unknowingly by greed and fear.

Like the blossom, I want to believe we all hold inner beauty and that we are all so much more.
-Dawn! The Good News Muse, 26 March 2011

Friday, March 25, 2011

Vessels of Light

I am joy bubbling from the cave within.
Come to awaken woman and man.

Here, Children, the Time is now
Listen to Earth. She shows us how.

The animals, trees, the birds and bees
Our Lovers in waiting for you and for me.

All vessels of Light, Conduits of Love
Universal energy rains down from above.

Stars in the heavens feed stars in the Earth.
Now is the Time of Creations rebirth.
-Dawn! The Good News Muse at Imagine the Shift, 25 March 2011
and 2 May 2013
dawn@imagnietheshift.com

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Conductor

I saw this bud on the lilac bush and immediately called it The Conductor as all
around Spring rose from Mother Earth.


Three days later the Conductor's arms had shifted, extended. They waved mid-air urging orchestra members green and growing, to not delay, to play as bluebells and bleeding hearts, daffodils and hyacinth broke ground.

I thought of Creation and the Creator and how we argue, debate and separate from one another over who the Conductor is. Some say God while others say Goddess, Great Spirit, Higher Power, Allah and Vishnu. Others attribute Creation to the Big Bang.

Wars are fought and people killed over whose God is the God meanwhile the symphony plays on in the beauty of the flowers and all of Nature and in the beauty of human nature, the capacity of the heart to love, appreciate and forgive.

Now a week later, the Conductor's arms are open wide, welcoming all. Imagine the shift if we did the same.

-Dawn! The Good News Muse, 24 March 2011
www.imaginetheshift.com


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Green Fire - A Story in Four Photos

The Japanese Maple unfurls its little hands. Hands that help it breathe, hands that help us breathe, today remind me of healing hands in Japan, those busy in labor and clasped in prayer. The bleeding hearts return each year reminding us to keep our hearts open especially to the things that make us bleed, to keep opening to everything, every thing life brings.
Stars sprinkle the innerverse of the trillium.

As summer's day lilies evidence the Green Fire.

Hearts, hands, stars, fire
Spirit and the land conspire.
Can we stay open in our hearts
Use our hands, do our part.

Stars, fire, hearts, hands
Spirit's here. Awaken man.

May the Green Fire of Earth awaken our Green Fire within.
-Dawn! The Good News Muse 23 March 2011
dawn@imaginetheshift.com


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Flight for Trees, You and Me

This morning, a feather on the sidewalk caught my attention. At first glance at least, it looked like a feather. Upon stopping I realized it was a leaf. Quickly a thought crossed my mind, 'What if the birds of long ago created trees, trees in which the birds could live, perch and sing?' I imagined first birds saying, "Let's put leaves on the trees so Tree can experience a sense of flight."

Thus each Fall and occasionally in other seasons, Tree in all its grounded glory experiences the beautiful grace of flight through Leaf.

Like the tree we too may be grounded yet with inspiration and imagination, we fly.

Imagine the shift as you increasingly notice Nature around you. See, hear, touch and remember when we eat, we are eating Nature.

May our Noticings inspire us to flight.
-Dawn! The Good News Muse 16 March 2011

* For further inspiration check out Biomimicry, an amazingly, beautiful science and art emulating Nature's best biological ideas to solve human problems.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Can Science Help Us With This One?

My dear friend Denise in Chicago wrote this poem yesterday in response to another poem we had shared during our daily meditation call. In light of Japan, Libya, the Ivory Coast and the multitude of legislative tugs of war, it brought me to tears, tears of joy and hope as I imagined peace in the many ways Denise shares.

Can Science Help Us With This One?

Can we insert Peace into the DNA of the cold virus
and create a world wide peace epidemic?
Convince McDonald's to inject Peace into a Big Mac,
Put Peace on the test that every third grader takes,
Require each state and federal government to have a
balanced Peace budget,
Drop a Peace bomb on all the major cities of the world,
And what about a captive breeding program for Peace -
Then fling open all the cages,
Can Science help us with this one?
---Denise Dignan

Thank you, Denise. May we all BE PEACE.
-Dawn, The Good News Muse at Imagine the Shift.com 15 March 2011
by: Denise Dignan

Saturday, March 12, 2011

In Honor of Japan - The Crescent Moon Smiles On

West Coast friend Jeffrey Baker wrote this beautiful poem , a tribute to those who lost their lives in the tsunami. She shared it with me Saturday morning after I had taken a photo of the same moon the prior night cross country here in my Tennessee home.

The crescent moon smiled at me last night
It smiled as thousands of souls
old ones, young ones
shocked ones, grieving ones,
dancing ones streamed by
on their way home to
the eternal now

And my heart aches for those of us
left behind
missing those who have gone on
missing already the safe life
we thought we had

And as we turn, heavy hearted,
those of us left behind,
to the work to be done
the life to be lived

The crescent moon smiles on.
(Thank you, Jeffery.)
-Dawn! The Good News Muse 14 March 2011

Friday, March 11, 2011

Engaged


The Mason bees buzzing about the lenten roses last weekend may now be gone, a result of the earlier cold March morning. I don't know if they die or hibernate when suddenly winter reminds us it's not yet truly spring. I do know the fear of the coming cold did not keep them from engaging only days ago.

I on the other hand guard or modulate my engagement much of the time. I don't consciously slip into autopilot. Most times I don't even realize I've done so until just beneath the radar of awareness I realize I'm not fully present or connected. Sure I'm breathing, my heart beats, I look present, but my true presence can be days away thinking of what needs to get done or years past humming a tune from a sixties tv show.

The birds, the bees, the plants, the trees, their attention is always in the now. They have no preconceived ideas or attachments, no stories about what's got to happen or fears about what may happen. They live in the present. They live engaged.

Let's engage like the bees with the moments as they arrive each day!
-Dawn, The Good News Muse - 11 March 2011

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Her Herbs

Gray skies and rain settled in all day. The temps are now in the low thirties, but last summer's herbs sit in the window, green and growing reminding me of Mother Nature and Earth.

Tonight I clipped those herbs for dinner. Actually I greeted them first, then with gratitude and the tiny scissors designated for herbs, I clipped a sprig of rosemary and thyme. Ah, the smell.

Mother Nature gives and gives especially in Spring as Earth does not hold back. Earth gives us all She's got. What do we give her?
-Dawn! The Good News Muse, 10 March 2011

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Mother Love

Spring is such a beautiful testament to Earth as the abundant, giving and comforting Mother. A week after crocus left 'home' it now returns to be held in Earth's gentle, loving arms while hyacinth rises from its bed. Spring marks the beginning of a multitude of risings and returnings reminding us of rhythm, patience, grace and love, Mother Love.

-Dawn, The Good News Muse, 10 March 2011

My Brain Made Me Do It - Vulnerability is the Key

(This is a briefer version of the March 6 Musing.)

Years ago when my eighteen year old nephew was four, he made a comment as children do that’s stayed with me over time. Having gotten into trouble for doing something to one of his older brothers he said, “It’s not my fault, Aunt Dawn. My brain made me do it.”

In retrospect I wish I had not found this so endearing but had awkwardly yet lovingly stumbled about in an attempt to help him find the best words to explain what his brain was thinking as well as help him see how his thoughts, feelings and actions were connected. That conversation might have eventually gotten us to his being mad that things weren’t fair and that he took it out on his brother because he was ultimately sad about not getting attention or scared about possibly being forgotten. Like all of us at times, I suspect his feeling vulnerable yet not knowing how to put this into words prompted him to attack and lash out. For a time or at least until he was caught, he temporarily felt better or in control while not having to experience uncomfortable feelings.

In turn I allowed my fear of saying the wrong thing (personally feeling vulnerable and not wanting to sound stupid even to a four year old) to keep me from engaging my brain and talking with him or just simply asking him to tell me more.

I’ve thought of his comment a lot recently. There’s something so valuable and rare in his honesty. Even though he was assigning blame for what he did, at least he was blaming a part of himself rather than another person or group of people as is common today.

We live in what’s called an ownership society yet we do not for the most part own the uncomfortable stuff of our insides. In fact we often do just the opposite. We project our fears onto others, disown our actions and suggest another is at fault.

How is it that we’ve gotten to a place where “It’s not my fault” has become the mantra of so many? How is it that so many can’t even find it within themselves to say like my nephew, “My brain/my desire for power/ my fear of losing power/my fear of losing money/my fear of dying/my fear of strangers, Socialists, Muslims (fill in your bad guy or fear here) made me do it”?

Months ago during a flight, I heard a young woman say she didn’t have any obligations. She was referring to her present job allowing her time and flexibility to travel to determine where she ultimately wanted to live. This prompted me to consider what are my obligations really are. I’ve bills to pay and a handful of people in my life to whom I'm to show up, but the more I thought of it the more I realized my greatest obligation is to myself, to not ignore my insides and to show up with integrity in relation to my own thoughts, feelings and actions first and foremost.

I'm reminded of the phrase from last year's elections, the phrase, man-up. Maybe these times of blame and lacking accountability hold the seeds of birthing a new sense of integrity. Maybe it's time to man-up and woman-up in order to wake up, to step up to the plate, home base within and own the stuff of our insides. Imagine a world in which we began to "own" our insides.

That said, it's time for me to “Aunt-Up” to my nephew.

Christian, I asked for your permission Thanksgiving, yes, over three months ago, if I could use a story from your childhood in one of my writings. You easily agreed and said you'd read it when it was complete. This is that story. I did not forget it. I procrastinated. One could say “my brain made me do it." I became uncomfortable. I got scared that someone would judge me thus I allowed my fear and discomfort to stop me. I’ve known I was not keeping my word to you but more importantly I wasn’t keeping my word with myself, my word being my commitment to write what I want to express regardless of how it’s received. My heart is unafraid, but similar to what you said at four- my brain made me do it or in my case my brain got scared and went about subtly creating different uncomfortable scenarios rather than listening to my wiser self.

In the earlier example from years ago, I referenced wishing I had engaged my brain. The greater truth is I wish I had engaged my heart even if that meant I fumbled for words or my eyes filled with tears. My brain forgets what my heart always knows.

Vulnerability is a gift, it is powerful to stand in what we feel and know at a heart level not knowing how we will be received. Actually this may be the forgotten key. Showing up in one's Truth, at our most vulnerable with another, and saying "I did it......" whatever it is allows another to have grace with us, to listen and offer forgiveness or whatever ingredient in the moment that's not shaming, but wise and loving.

I now send this out to you and anyone who happens to read it hoping that it contributes to a greater awareness of how we are connected within and between and more importantly reminding myself of the importance of hearing and speaking whatever Truth is for me.

Imagine the Shift if we claimed the power of vulnerability!

-Dawn aka Aunt Dawn, The Good News Muse, 9 March 2011

Sunday, March 6, 2011

"My Brain Made Me Do It"

Years ago when my eighteen year old nephew was four, he made a comment as children do that’s stayed with me over time. Having gotten into trouble for doing something to one of his older brothers he said, “It’s not my fault, Aunt Dawn. My brain made me do it.”

In retrospect I wish I had not found this so endearing but had awkwardly yet lovingly stumbled about in an attempt to help him find the best words to explain what his brain was thinking as well as help him see how his thoughts, feelings and actions were connected. That conversation might have eventually gotten us to his being mad that things weren’t fair and that he took it out on his brother because he was ultimately sad about not getting attention or scared about possibly being forgotten. Like all of us at times, I suspect his feeling vulnerable yet not knowing how to put this into words prompted him to attack and lash out. For a time or at least until he was caught, he temporarily felt better or in control while not having to feel uncomfortable feelings.

In turn I allowed my fear of saying the wrong thing (personally feeling vulnerable and not wanting to sound stupid even to a four year old) to keep me from engaging my brain and talking with him or just simply asking him to tell me more.

I’ve thought of his comment a lot recently. There’s something so valuable in his honesty. Even though he was assigning blame for what he did, at least he was blaming a part of himself rather than another person or group of people as is common today.

It's ironic that we live in what’s called an ownership society yet we do not for the most part own the uncomfortable stuff of our insides. We do just the opposite. We disown our fears and anxieties by projecting them onto others. As a result there are people like the man who made the news months ago for his hate-filled facebook rant about gay people. How many homophobic men bully and taunt because they themselves quietly disown their own fear of being gay or the fear their child is which would break their hearts and challenge their belief systems?

We not only disown our feelings but we disown our actions and say someone else is at fault as happened a year ago and continues still with the BP oil spill in the Gulf or last Fall when KY Senator Rand Paul‘s campaign worker stepped on the head of a woman who had been shoved to the ground. He not only blamed his behavior on the absence of police but added in an on air interview that he felt he needed an apology from the woman.

January’s Tucson shooting is a more recent example of our being challenged as a society and individuals to take even the slightest degree of ownership for the words we choose, the intent behind them and their potential contribution to cumulative violence in the greater collective. None of the people who had previously used gun-related terminology in political references to their opponents stepped forward to even slightly suggest that maybe they could have chosen phrases and images other than gun-related ones. Even more disturbing were those using gun-related rhetoric were women, the gender that’s supposed to be more relational and internally connected. (Please correct me if I missed anyone who came forward and said they regret having used this type of rhetoric.)

How is it that we’ve become so disconnected from our insides? Corporate America has made billions trying to keep us focused on the outside, how we look, what we own, what we live in and drive. They’ve made billions more trying to keep us disconnected from our insides, our fears, our sorrow, the sources of tension or distress. Through billboards and ads we’re encouraged to overeat, drink, drug, shop and partake in a myriad of compulsive behaviors keeping us from our within. We venture into our hearts during the holidays and even that benefits corporate America if we shop as they advertise.

How is it that we’ve gotten to a place where “It’s not my fault” has become the mantra of so many? What’s happened to accountability? How is it that we as adults can’t even find it within ourselves to say like my nephew, “My brain/my desire for power/ my fear of losing power/my fear of losing money/my fear of dying/my fear of strangers, Socialists, Muslims (fill in your bad guy or fear here) made me do it”?

Until we’re willing to look inside at the connection between our hearts and minds, our vulnerability and our actions and develop the capacity to ‘hold’ the tension of opposites created by conflicting thoughts and feelings, we’ll continue to cycle through the latest version of “It’s not my fault.”

Months ago during a flight, I heard a young woman say she didn’t have any obligations. She was referring to her present job allowing her flexibility so she could travel to different cities to determine where she ultimately wanted to live. I began to consider what my obligations really are. I’ve bills to pay and a handful of people in my life to whom I owe showing up, but the more I thought of it the more I realized my greatest obligation is to myself, to not ignore my insides and to show up with integrity in relation to my own thoughts, feelings and actions first and foremost.

As Nevada’s Sharon Angle said last election it’s time to man-up. It’s time we man-up and woman-up in order to wake up, to step up to the plate, home base within each of ourselves and own the stuff of our insides.

That said, I close knowing it’s time to “Aunt-Up”to my nephew.

Christian, I asked for your permission Thanksgiving, yes, over three months ago, if I could use a story from your childhood in one of my writings. You eagerly and easily said, ‘Yes’ and that you'd read it when it was complete. This is that story. I did not forget it. I procrastinated. I guess you could say “my brain made me do it” because I got scared. I got scared that someone would judge me thus I allowed my fear to stop me….until now. I’ve known I was not keeping my word to you and more importantly I wasn’t keeping my word with myself, my word being my commitment to write what I want to express regardless of how it’s received. My heart is unafraid, but similar to what you said at four- my brain made me do it.

In the earlier example from years ago, I referenced wishing I had engaged my brain. The greater truth is I wish I had engaged my heart even if that meant I fumbled for words or my eyes filled with tears. My brain forgets what my heart always knows.

Vulnerability is a gift, it is powerful to stand in what we feel and know at a heart level not knowing how we will be received only knowing we must send and see. So for now I send this out to you and any who read it hoping that it contributes to a greater awareness of how we are connected within ourselves and between one another.

-Dawn aka Aunt Dawn, The Good News Muse, 6 March 2011

Friday, March 4, 2011

Hidden Language - Nature's Hand

In this nut, I saw hands, open yet cupped hands while my friend saw a spider, both weavers. As the spider weaves a web, how many hands have woven threads for blankets, quilts or words in a tapestry for warmth or souls to be fed.

A few steps over I found this petroglyph in bark shaken by winds from a nearby tree. I saw a condor and Monument Valley. My friend saw a knight on a horse etched by nature's hand.

The trees hidden language in bark and nut, skin and fruit, awaken a sense of wonder and adventure for what's considered the small in nature so we might sit at its feet and listen, learn.
-Dawn! The Good News Muse, 4 March 2011
dawn@imaginetheshift.com

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Small and Faithful

During my morning walk, a recently planted red twig dogwood in a neighboring yard caught my eye, the barren tall stems are bright red in winter.

At the mile mark, I turned and made my way home, but this time at the house with the red twig I noticed three crocus near the sidewalk at my feet, quietly, brightly doing their thing, the thing they came here to do - being themselves. I had missed them on my first pass.

How often is our attention grabbed by the big and new while missing the small and faithful right before our very eyes? May we open and listen to the lessons before us, beneath our feet and in doing so become more of who we came here to be.
-Dawn! the Good News Muse - 3 March 2011
dawn@imaginetheshift.com

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Fly, Shoot, Bee - The Winged Ones, the Green Ones

A few days ago, I saw a fly, the first fly of 2011. Calendarly speaking we're still in Winter's arms, yet this fly, a preteen in size, landed on my finger as I soaked up sun. My insides flinched with an "eeeewwweee"followed closely by a smile as I said, "Hi, Fly." For a second its multi-faceted eyes checked me out. Could it trust my welcoming its presence? Then just as quickly as it arrived it flew away and I continued to smile. Fly. What a beautifully named creature.

Last week my friend Maia wrote excitedly that a friend had loaned her a camera for "shooting" footage. I happily responded and reveled in the image of her not only filming but creatively reclaiming the word shoot in these times when so many references to shooting are increasingly associated with guns. I pressed 'Send' and thought no more of it until outside.

Just after my encounter with the fly, I looked down from the deck and noticed shoots, shoots of green, Mother Earth's offspring, rising from the soil. Shoots of green grace my lawn all year. Shoots of green fill gardens in Spring; shoots of green many bursting in color creatively reframe and reclaim shoot!

Marveling over the shoots topped with crocus, I wandered one area of the yard until I noticed one little cup held a bee. A mason bee climbed about in the purple pool. I ran inside to get my camera knowing I might loose the moment and returned to find I was right. I snapped a photo anyway then walked over to the lenten roses. The lenten rose often hangs its head so I snapped photos with my camera on the ground the lens looking skyward trying to catch the earth-gazing faces of these delicate flowers. The camera snapped and I heard buzzing. Had the bee crossed the yard ahead of me? I listened more closely and heard a little buzzing symphony. A dozen bees dipped into and out of the downward hanging rose faces.

I was a Mother! I rushed to the mason bee hive hung on the side of the house last Fall. The holes once plugged with mud were now open. The children born had left home and were buzzing all about the lenten roses as I tried to get them on camera. I felt like my mother as she tried to make my siblings and me sit still for childhood photos. We, as my bees, always had other more important things to do. And my mother, like me, only wanted to capture a memory.

I was also reminded of how she use to tell me I couldn't know a mother's love until I had been one, a Mother that is. I quietly protested until I realized much later that I truly couldn't know the depth of her love. Yet Nature repeatedly shows me the depth of my love, through the joy of honoring and burying the hawk last weekend or bearing witness to the new life testified to by the bees.

Mother Nature's children, the Winged Ones, the Green Ones have arrived revealing to us our hearts and who we are. Such sacredness we have here if only we take the time to bee, to taste the nectar in life's flowering moments. When we take time to listen and be, we find within our own shoots of green. We remember how to Fly.

Imagine with me a world in which people see depth and reclaim words as well as the beauty of things labeled like the fly with disgust.

Be on the lookout for one word, animal or concept you can reclaim today!
-Dawn, The Good News Muse - 2 March 2011
dawn@aimginetheshift.com
*Click on Mason Bee and Mason bee hive in the story above to learn more about these bees and how to purchase hives. I got mine from Gardener's Supply linked above.