Independence Day

Independent:

"freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others."

Being independent

"means being able to take care of your own needs and to make and assume responsibility for your decisions while considering both the people around you and your environment.”

I felt stuck when I attempted to write of late. The words “me” or “we” were bouncing around in my head but I kept hitting a wall. I began thinking about the upcoming holiday, Independence Day, and the characteristic Americans are especially proud of—our right to live as we choose. As I looked up the definition of independent I discovered that I could not relate to it as a interpretation of how we live in the 21st century. Being independent seemed a much better fit. I sat with the words, “assume responsibility for your decisions while considering both the people around you and your environment.”

In this unique time in our history we are called to think, not only of ourselves, but of our place in and our impact on community. Selfish actions are not only thoughtless, they are life threatening. In this escalation of the philosophical idea of “independence” we have forgotten that in truth we are all interdependent.

A community and the people who inhabit it thrive when the population works together for common goals. It is destroyed when people forget that we are linked together by all that we do and how we live in our villages, towns and cities.

Have you ever played this game? Look around your environment and take note of how many invisible and nameless people have provided goods and services to furnish your world. From the person who dyed the wool in your carpet, the carpenter who cut the boards for your floor, the farmer and laborer who harvested your food, and the trucker who delivered it, there is nothing in your world that you can claim sole credit for. You may move independently through your day but each move has been supported by millions of others working and living on this planet.

As we celebrate Independence Day my hope is that we also celebrate our fundamental connection with each other. And that we all focus on bringing more love, more healing and more light into our individual and common world. Let’s celebrate our interdependence with renewed respect and love for one another.

The Homeless Healer

While on our Sunday bicycle ride Rick and I stopped at a public beach pavilion. Picnic tables sat in rows waiting for the weekend onslaught of beach goers.  As we headed toward our favorite spot we noticed a woman at a table with a dingy bed roll, a bag of clothing and a cup of coffee. It was 8 am and she was barely awake. Giving her some privacy, we seated ourselves to rest, refuel and regroup.

We were having a conversation about some discomfort I was experiencing during the ride when I heard a voice coming from her direction. 

“Sleep with a pillow between your legs.”  she said.

“Oh, right,” I replied, “I had forgotten about that! Thanks!”

With little encouragement she began to suggest several exercises to alleviate the pain. She had information to share that would help me heal. She wanted to contribute. As we mounted our bicycles to continue our ride I thanked her profusely for pointing me in a proactive direction of healing.

She advised me to sleep with a pillow between my legs. But she had no pillow and she had no bed. Her kindness touched me and I realized that on the surface she could be judged as lazy, mentally ill or an addict. For all I knew she might be all of those things. But she was something else as well. She was a healer, a fallen angel gone off track for whatever reason, but her knowledge was just as helpful as any doctor could offer.

This generous healer reminded me that I should not judge a person by her or his appearance. We are all more than we appear to be.

Holding you in love and light,

Nora

Lesson From the Olympics

"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy." 

Rumi

 

The montage of Olympic images still plays in my mind: a pile of snowy bodies in a heap of hugs on the frigid ground, the sound of whoops and hollers, the gleam of mouth-guarded grins of pure delight, the shouts of encouragement. I gripped the edge of my seat as I watched the Olympic snowboarding finalists.  

 

Each athlete took her turn sliding over the rail and soaring through the course to the finish line. Some had crashed and completed their run on their bottoms, some on their bellies. But unfailingly, each stood shouting with delight, fist pumping and smiling from ear to ear. Their jubilation was contagious. 

 

My own heart was pounding as I commented to my husband on their celebratory joy. We talked about how impressive it was to watch each woman rejoice as she completed her attempt to garner a medal in Sochi. They were not judging themselves or letting expectations of perfection rule their behavior. It appeared to me they were accepting that they had done their best and circumstances, sometimes beyond their control, had altered their desired outcome. The winning medalist was exuberantly embraced as the athletes celebrated each others' success as though it had been their own.

 

How do you manage with unexpected outcomes? How do you deal with surprises that alter your plans? Learning how to gracefully accept the ups and downs of life is a true accomplishment. What if an avenue to "flow and grace" was to put your heart and soul into everything you do while accepting that the desired results are never guaranteed? What if you allowed yourself to simply be proud that you have put forth your best effort? What if living in the present means rejoicing in others successes as well as your own? 

 

The Olympic snowboarders gave it their all and they celebrated. They were living in the the moment and they were doing it from their soul.  

 

Appreciate the effort you make each day to do and be your best. If you hit a patch of ice dust yourself off and start over. Think about finding the courage to celebrate with those who have already achieved your perceived goal. They are not beating you, they are just leading the way.