Be Here Now

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” -Martin Luther  

As we shelter in place, I am inspired to commit to a daily reflection.  It is quiet here on Sunday morning, Joe tucked in bed and me up and reflecting while sipping coffee with cream. This past week has unfolded with questioning if this is real, to feeling more frightened, to learning to use zoom to teach my three yoga classes to recognizing this is the moment to be here now.  Be here now began as my 2020 mantra for the year, to be present, to practice presence and to not worry.  I did not realize on January 1, 2020 that being here now would be such an important reminder for all of us. The universe speaks to each of us, during this time of sheltering in place with no where to go, it is time to be here now. #beherenow

3200 Bottles of Wine

“3200 bottles of wine in the cellar,” a statement made by a friend referring to another friend’s wine cellar and as a magic number for the right amount of wine to have. It was statement made as an indication of success.  Success measured in so many ways and this was first for me to hear that by having 3200 bottle of wine one has achieved some status of success.  To each their own. I might not have ever looked at this way before. Previously I might have suspected greed or arrogance or something in a context perceived more negative around this sort of statement. However, as I begin to really understand myself, while that “3200 bottles wine of wine in the cellar” does not reflect my success, it does to the person who has them and perhaps to others who enjoy wine or filling their wine cellar.  Success for me is the ability to be non judgmental about what success is to another.  In the process of reflecting on this insight, I feel successful and now I let go of that feeling and breathe in this moment where my success is no longer a measurement for me except to just be.  Hmmmm.

Balancing My Checkbook

Balancing My Checkbook…..

What you say has this to do with resolutions, everything. As I contemplate my day, it came to me that many of us set financial goals as resolutions for the new:  save more money, reduce spend, and so on. I know for myself, every year, I set financial, spiritual, physical and professional goals. The one I always seem to achieve is my financial goal. In reflecting on why this could be I realized that I maintain my financial goals using my check book to track of my expenses and my calendar to track my savings goals. I balance to the penny and I assess investments for growth plans.  In speaking with many of my siblings well all 8, only one of my many siblings balances their checkbook. While this seems inconsequential, I think that there is a very important pattern that by tracking goals such as my expenses, credits, debits, savings and literally pennies, I am achieving my financial goals. I do not track my physical goals and have had less success in achieving those stated goals. Now, my siblings that have pedometers and watches that track steps and exercise and report that they are achieving their physical goals of walking a certain number of steps each day.  My sister that is a Maryknoll sister, has a daily book for morning prayers/reflections that she follows. She keeps to her daily prayers.   In the end because we track certain activities or goals our propensity to achieve or follow through with resolutions seems to goes up. My only evidence is conversations with my siblings on resolutions and results.  So for today, I shall not only balance my check book I will track my steps.  What do you need to track today, tomorrow and this year?

Noelle "La iglesia"

One word and we found connection.  Our 2019 Christmas season is filled with joy in our service to those most in need.  Yesterday, a new Vincentian*,  named Noelle,  and I went to visit a family in need of food and diapers.  They were Spanish speaking and so our ability to communicate was primary through smiles. However, a little boy named Daniel, curious to see who is mother and aunt were speaking to,  came to the front door. Up to that point we were trying to determine if mother and auntie would like to pray together using such words as Jesus, prayer, God.  We asked Daniel if he spoke english which he did.   We used the name of Jesus and they said we have no Jesus, thinking we were asking for the name of one of the family members. However, Daniel was wearing a cross so we thought, hmm, they must be Christians. We  asked Daniel if they believed in Jesus and his mother said "no Jesus,"  and Daniel looked at his mother trying to explain that we wanted to pray. After much confusion, Noelle said her one Spanish word la iglesia, ahh, YES, Si, we had connection. Daniel led us all in Spanish, "Padre nuestro que estas en los cielos...."  Noelle and I returned to our car with great joy that in her two words La iglesia we had connected, prayed and received the JOY of a family who welcomed us.

*Vincentian is a title we use for a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.  We are a global organization that serves the poor in our local neighborhoods, offering food, clothing and rental assistance. I have been a member since 1989. Noelle and her husband have just joined our mission here at St. Catherine's church in Burlingame, CA and we are fast friends and quite possibly I have met angels in disguise.

Curating Cozy

It is not hard for me to curate cozy as I add cinnamon to my coffee this morning and taste autumn’s main spice. While not yet here, the mornings are cooler and it invites me to close my shades and feel the warm cup of coffee, wrap myself in my fluffy robe and experience cozy.  Our little cottage invokes intimacy, simplicity and ultimately creativity. Out comes my fabrics and sewing machine for creating quilts. What will inspire curating your cozy?

Allison, the good shepherd

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Reflecting today on my time away from work I fondly recall a story my niece Allison shared.  Allison is planning to become a veterinarian and worked last summer and this summer with Dr. Mike, a big animal vet. Each day when she returns from her internship under Dr. Mike,  she shares tales of her days' care of the animals. All of her stories fascinate and delight all of us.   One such story invoked a beautiful scene to me of the Good Shepherd. Allison told us she had worked with a little lamb. The small lamb had broken its leg and Allison and Dr. Mike had to care for it.  They were able to sedate and put a splint on the little lamb. Allison, is a strong young woman with a huge heart, I saw her and this story as a  metaphor in many ways for the strength of our Good Shepherd. In her sharing, I sensed her gentleness, her care, her affection for this small injured lamb.

   As she finish her story, and as  Holy validation, it occurred to me she was wearing her college shirt ​.....Shepherd. That is one lucky lamb and we are lucky to know our Shepherd so well. 

Peace through Music