When the universe speaks

Well readers, this is an interesting situation. I have been having computer/internet problems for the last day or so and I am waiting to find someone who can help me fix the problem. Strangely, the problem seems to mostly affect my use of Facebook, no matter which browser I use. I have come to the conclusion that perhaps the Universe/Source/God is trying to tell me something.

Many of my FB friends live in other parts of the country and several in other countries. I will truly miss a temporary imposed distance, caused by a piece of machinery. I did manage to post a comment as to the problem so nobody would think I am ill. When people dissapear on FB friends who care tend to wonder where they are. This happened to me in 2011 and I finally asked a local friend to post a statement on my wall that I was in the hospital. It really is nice to know that people care.

Although I am not sure exactly what is going on it would be very easy to blame it on Mercury just going into retrograde. I did also have a problem with a leaky pipe, which required the services of a plumber a couple of days ago. It would be easy to cast the blame, but I pretty much believe the universe is speaking loud and clear and it is up to me to determine what the real message is.

Inspiring another

I am very happy today to offer an update on a lady, also known as Ms. M, who I befriended a few months ago. Some of you may recall that she is a nursing home resident. Until we connected she spent her days crocheting and some people referred to her as the crocheting grandma. One step led to another and she is now a published writer. Unforeseen miracles happen when one purposely sets out to inspire another.

Our journey started when I listened to a story a lady was relating about her short stay in our local nursing home, following an accident. It seems writers never close their ears. I turned her words into a short story and she asked me to share it with the staff at Grants Good Samaritan Center. The staff was so impressed that they asked me to start a writing group at the center. It actually turned into a communication group called Sharing and Caring. It also put me in touch with Ms. M., along with several other interesting residents.

As the relationship between the two of us grew stronger we discovered many things that we had in common. I also found out that the lady had a secret talent for writing. She had been doing it all her life, with no instruction. She is a creative writer, who enjoys giving  animals a voice and cleverly waits to the very end of a story to add an unexpected punch line.

The next step in our relationship was  to invite her to join my writing group. She loved having a reason to get out of the facility and we loved having her. Ms. M certainly brought a different slant to our thinking and writing. She wrote as she talked, with a Texas twang, which was sometimes difficult to understand.

Realizing that she had some physical difficulty writing I suggested that we find her a typewriter. We managed to locate one, but it needed some work. In the meantime, someone gave her a used laptop. It was the best thing that could have happened. She wrote one story after another. I did everything I could to encourage her to improve the appearance of her writing. One day I even offered, "If you want your writing to be taken seriously you have to clean up your work." I wasn't trying to be mean I just saw that she had raw talent.

As time went on she moved her work from the laptop to a computer in the activity room. I was so proud of the steps she took to go beyond what was familiar. A staff member helped her open an email account and she recently started a blog to offer her stories to the public. By an unusual turn of events the editor of our local paper read one of her stories titled, My Motorcycle Ride, and published it. She had no idea who she was handing it too.

I'm sure Ms. M is not finished with her journey and I can't wait to see how far this now published writer will go.

From the heart

Today I am sharing one of the stories from our Writing Camp for kids. On the day it was written the participants were given a project from the editor of our local paper. They were told to select a subject that they cared about and write a story. When they finished and had read what they had written, the editor informed them he was going to write an article about the camp and publish one of their stories. As the paper only comes out twice a week, we are still waiting to read that article and discover whose work was selected.

In the meantime I am going to share the story my 11 year old grandson wrote. I think he did a great job. It is obviously written from his heart and I am very proud of him.

Soccer  by Colin Stoughtenger

I have been playing soccer since I was four. I like playing soccer 'cause it's fun and I'm really fast and sometimes I am the star player. I like playing soccer 'cause I can play with my friends and sometimes I make new friends. And if you play soccer it's not about winning it's about having fun. If you get hurt just try to get back up and keep going. If you get scared don't worry 'cause in tournaments I have been tripped, flipped and kicked and it hurts, but I got up.

Why don't we listen?

The universe seems to go out of its way to point us in the right direction, but do we listen? Pretty much no.Why? Because we think we know what's best for us. It is our life isn't it? After all we helped design it, even before we arrived on this planet called earth. Something apparently happened between the planning and the doing to cause a short circuit in our memory. Amnesia maybe?

My two past marriages are an absolute perfect example of ignoring universal wisdom and doing as I please. The first AKA: the womanizing jackass, tried to date one of my bridesmaids just before our wedding was to take place. She said no, but shared the information with me. I said yes and went ahead and married the man. Did he change after the ceremony? Only to get worse. Two children later I finally woke up. If I hadn't married the man I would not have three grandchildren and two great grandchildren so perhaps it wasn't a mistake after all.

Then came the second universal jolt, which I again ignored. I knew the man had a drinking problem which caused me to ask him not to drink before our ceremony was to take place. After the vows were exchanged and we faced each other there was no doubt in my mind that he had ignored my request. Did he change after the ceremony? I think you know the answer to that one. The union produced one child so perhaps it wasn't a mistake after all.

Our daughter heard and ignored a similar universal message that still makes me laugh. On the night of her marriage she was a block away from where the ceremony was to take place when her car broke down. The union lasted less than a year and produced the best grandson any grandparent could ask for so perhaps it wasn't a mistake after all.

There is that piece to the puzzle known as free will. It is supposed to be a gift. I am wondering if we always make the best choices when we choose to ignore the universal messages we are given. 

Time to pull the plug

For the last 18 months I have been trying to hold together my small writing group. It has become apparent that it is time to pull the plug and move on to another challenge.

Clearly seeing that the group was not only a positive step in my personal journey, I also proved that one person with passion can make a difference in the lives of others. That makes me very happy. At one time a member stated that there is no "I" in a group. Perhaps not, but someone has to act as the director or the group will be going absolutely nowhere. I did my best to try to inspire others to do their best, taking every opportunity that was offered to expand, and I am very pleased with my efforts.

Sometimes relationships go on way past the time that they should have died of a natural death. It reminds me of my last marriage. We hit 25 years and didn't even exchange cards. That should have told both of us something, but we allowed the torture to continue for another 2 years, until I pulled the plug. One of us had to take the plunge and that one was me. It was a giant risk, considering I was 61 at the time, but I have never been sorry. It opened doors to a world I didn't know existed. Although the journey hasn't been easy it's been a whole lot of fun.

Our writing group has never attracted more than a few members at any one time even though I have tried everything I could think of to change that fact. Since forming the group we have shared some wonderful stories, had monthly articles published in our local newspaper, encouraged people who didn't know they could write, created a communication group at our local nursing home and sponsored a writing contest and summer writing camps for elementary age children. Not bad for a small group of people.

Although I have pulled the plug on, Write On People, the summer Writing Camp for children will continue. Because my writing group existed I connected on a higher level with a very passionate retired elementary teacher who still has a lot to give. We have mutually decided we are going to take on offering the camp next year. We make a good team. She has the experience of relating to the kids, I have the writing experience and we both have a burning desire to inspire the creativity that in her words, "Teachers are teaching out." I told her this morning that she is the only member of Write On People that really got what I was trying to do- inspire others.

It might be time to pull the plug on the writing group, but focusing on the good we did, will form the basis of what comes next.

The floor is yours

I think Shakespeare hit the nail on the head with his monologue from As You Like It, "All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players: they have their exists and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts".

If we could all believe that the world would be a happier place.

Several years ago I read a wonderful book by Michael Newton PH. D. titled Journey of the Souls. Using hypnosis Dr. Newton took his clients back in time to recount their experience living in the spirit realm. If you want to know what happens between incarnations this is a good source of information. One of the important facts I learned from the book is that we have a part in choosing the particular souls (players) in our current life. They are members of our soul family.

Another book along this train of thought is Mitch Albom's, The Five People We Meet in Heaven. it focuses on the premise that there are people who come into our lives at pivotal points to help us change for the better. I really believe that to be true. They act as road blocks, causing us to pause for a time and reconsider our actions.

These are strong people who quite often bring experiences that are not especially pleasant. Otherwise we most likely would just walk on by and not learn a thing. The stronger the person the tougher the lesson. The point I am attempting to make is that our life is pretty much scripted and the players, as Shakespeare referred to them, are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing.

Although forgiveness is nice for the soul perhaps it would be better to offer the person gratitude and applause for a great performance.

This thought reminds me of the words from the movie, Love Story, "Love means never having to say you are sorry." At the time it came out I was Catholic and I remember the priest having a fit about them. Today I can understand what the author may have meant.

To cover both approaches I found some interesting quotes on forgiveness:

Sincere forgiveness isn't colored with expectations that the other person apologize or change. Don't worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time- just like it does for you and me.~Sara Paddison

Forgiving is the giving and also the receiving of life.~George McDonald

Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.~Paul Boese

So my friends whether you agree or not the floor/stage is now yours.

Intimidation- a two way deal

A funny thing happened to me this morning as I was walking at our family center. I was alone until another woman came into the gym walking twice as fast as I was, passing me in the process. It made me feel uncomfortable and inadequate. I stopped to talk to her and jokingly told her she was causing me to feel intimidated. She laughed and said  she always walks fast. Her father was over 6 feet tall and she and her siblings had to walk fast to keep up with him. I have on occasion walked faster than some of the regulars, passing them on their journey. It suddenly occurred to me that I may have unintentionally caused some of those people to also feel intimidated. 

Intimidation is a two way deal, almost entirely depending on confidence. If you believe in yourself 100% there is no way anyone is going to be able to intimidate you.

I have at times during my life allowed others to get away with this nasty habit, but no more. I believe it all started with my very controlling mother. I spent years of my life, even after she died, trying to prove that I mattered. She spent years trying to rip any confidence I had in my own ability to shreds. Whether she did it intentionally or not I am not sure. Perhaps it was a universal test to see how strong I was.

While thinking about her this morning a scene popped up as clear as if this was still 1987. My grandfather and I were sitting in the funeral director's office making arrangements for my mother's remains. He had two available plots, one above the other, that had not been used. Out of the blue, he asked, "Do you think your mother would mind being on the bottom?" We looked at each other and burst out laughing. The funeral director must have thought we were nuts or at the very least insensitive.

When you really get a good look at the person doing the intimidating it takes the wind out of their sails.
If you can see the humor in the situation you have it made.

Until recently I knew a person who constantly intimidated me. His arrogance caused me to think that everything I believed and especially wrote was idiotic. Having been given the opportunity to take a better look at this man I now see how ridiculous the situation was. He is a self-centered control freak who lacks the ability to complete anything he starts, even a simple friendship. No more mister.  I finally see the real me and you can't intimidate me anymore.

Intimidation is definitely a two way deal and you are in charge!