Knocking!

Have you ever continually knocked on a  door and received no response? You could hear some rumbling or activity going on, but there was no answer. After the third knock, perhaps that was an indication that you may be at the wrong door.

It is closed for a reason. Maybe it was open at one time, but it isn’t anymore.  With that in mind, take heed and get a clue. Go further and do better. Search for a new door and when you have reached the right one, knock again. The right one will open speedily and there will be no hesitations. It will swing wide open and all types of new opportunities will pour out! There will be abundance, prosperity, health, wealth, love, peace and much joy!

You will see the red carpet roll out and  hear the cheering voices of those lining the sidelines.  They will say, “We have been wondering when you would find us. We have been waiting for you!”

But if this wonderful reception has been delayed until all of the positive forces fall into alignment, here is a sure antidote. Post this precious poem called Waiting by John Burroughs somewhere closeby so that it can console you while you wait.

Serene, I fold my hands and wait,
Nor care for wind, nor tide, nor sea;

I rave no more ‘gainst time or fate,
For lo! my own shall come to me.

I stay my haste, I make delays,
For what avails this eager pace?

I stand amid the eternal ways,
And what is mine shall know my face.

Asleep, awake, by night or day,
The friends I seek are seeking me;

No wind can drive my bark astray,
Nor change the tide of destiny.

What matter if I stand alone?
I wait with joy the coming years;

My heart shall reap where it hath sown,
And garner up its fruit of tears.

The waters know their own and draw
The brook that springs in yonder height;

So flows the good with equal law
Unto the soul of pure delight.

The stars come nightly to the sky;
The tidal wave unto the sea;

Nor time, nor space, nor deep, nor high,
Can keep my own away from me.

Lynn M.                                                                                          June 25, 2016

Getting Unblocked!

Have you ever wondered what is blocking your blessings?  Have you sighed and asked what is going on as you wait for the good, the new or the fresh? Well, you might need to do some cleaning and get unblocked.

I recently read Simple Matters:  Living with Less and Ending Up with More by Erin Boyle.  She made her readers take a candid look at the whole notion of accumulation.  In this consumer-based society, we bring something inside of our dwellings every time we enter the door.  It could be something as simple as the junk mail that we vow to go through at a later time. Hence, we have stuff.  Stuff is everywhere.

Boyle shows us how to declutter.   She makes us look at the many things sitting around our homes.  I went on a clearing and decluttering frenzy after I completed her book.  I was able to scale 12 boxes down to seven, thus far.

I let go of old textbooks, college papers, old pictures and lots of things that are no longer a part of my existence after I listened to her careful instruction.  I released old manuals to appliances and devices that I no longer own.  I donated books that I have already read to the local library.

I let go of stuff from former jobs, events and celebrations.  And if I stand back from what I now deem valuable, I could possibly let go of some more things.  My summer has gotten off to a meaningful start.

In some instances, I could not believe what I was still hauling around with me.  Some items even got an “Ugh,” response when I picked them up for evaluation.

I am already beginning to feel lighter. When we throw caution to the wind and clear out that cumbersome stuff or junk, we will become unblocked and more free!

Lynn M.                                                                                                             June 18, 2016

 

To Ali: From a Chicago Girl

Remembered his Chi-Town days,
79th Street? A maze.

The Tiger Lounge- his hangout,
People packed tight, all about.

Convertible, double-parked.
No matter, if others barked.

Saw him once in ’98,
In a limo, north of State.

Came for a pic with MJ,
We all cried, “Ali,” that day!

Window down and a big smile,
Hearts pumping on the Mag Mile.

Leaned out a long slender hand,
Memorable size and span.

We all hollered, “We love you!”
He waved as he went on through!

Lynn M.                                                                                                              June 12, 2016

Silence!

At the end of the school year, we studied a short story called The Sound of Annie’s Silence. It was written by a UK author named Phyllis Fair Cowell and it revealed the unlikely bond between two high school girls.  Annie was mute and the narrator became her babysitter.  She thought the job would be easy until she was disturbed by the silence while in Annie’s presence.

This caused a variety of lively discussions about silence itself.  We brought out the fact that in this high-tech age filled with sounds and beeps, few are really comfortable with silence.  Each moment must be filled with some type of noise or chatter.

We are usually talking, texting, emailing, listening to YouTube or television or having some external engagement with our devices.  In contrast, total silence it simply too stark and surreal for most people and like the narrator, we immediately find something to fill the void and rush to hear some sounds.  When the young girl telling the story could not deal with Annie’s silence, she grabbed their coats and headed outdoors for a walk to the park.

Yet, silence can be beautiful for those of us who are older and more seasoned.  When I demanded a totally quiet classroom, one student later remarked, “Wow!  I got so much done.”  I laughed to myself and thought, “Well, yeah.”

At one point, I felt like making a recording saying, “Stop talking!.” or “Voices are off!   or ”Silencio!”  [for the bilingual classes]  I believe that several students learned that silence can be a wondrous event.  Thinking is allowed.  Energy is preserved. Work is completed.

More should simply hush and listen.  Perhaps, the answer to a long-standing question is sitting right there, waiting for us to become silent enough to hear it.

“Silence is true wisdom’s best reply.”  Euripides

Lynn M.                                                                                  June 8, 2016

Restoration

Sometimes, we have to go back to old familiar territory to breathe and restore our Spirits. After all, every past year of our lives still belong to us and we have the right to borrow from already charted waters.

I recently taught a story called Eleven by Sandra Cisneros and she graciously reminded us that we are a composite of all of the ages that we have ever been. She says that we keep aging, but we never forget the experiences of each year that we have lived.

I wrote:

Every year, every tear,
Of the past.
Brought us to where
We are now.
Every lift, every fall,
Every stumble, every bumble.
Led us to this very day.

When there is a need for a feeling of wholeness, we can always revisit our former places to retrieve a sense of balance. We need to feel good so that we can calmly walk through the open doors awaiting us.

We may need to take a step back before we can move forward. Going to spaces and places that offered us recompense in the past strengthen and steady us as we evolve into whoever we are becoming.

Then, we can lean back and do an Ali shuffle and rope-a-dope our fears as we welcome the new and sure!

Lynn M.                                                                 June 5, 2016