In honour of the victims of the Boston marathon tragedy

Sadness abounds this morning after the senseless act of terrorism at the finish line of the Boston Marathon yesterday. Imagine the feelings of euphoria those who had just completed the arduous marathon must have felt when they crossed the finish line only to have that feeling ripped away from them by a coward or cowards who decided to plant bombs.

 Innocent people who had probably trained for quite some time to be fit enough to even attempt the race. Innocent people who stood on the sidelines to cheer on people who entered the race. Fathers. Mothers. Brothers. Sisters. Children. Friends. Grandparents. Husbands. Wives. Lovers. The list is endless of the competitors and spectators and stores that were destroyed by a faceless and nameless threat.

I could not watch any of it last night because I was in a state of shock. And I did not want to go to bed with the news on my mind. Fresh on my mind. I called a friend who lives in Boston to make sure he was okay because I was worried he may have run in the marathon. Thankfully for him, he had not competed. But he had seen the explosions and said it was horrible. I could only imagine the pandemonium that ensued.

I then called another friend to make sure she was okay. Thankfully, she was safe as well. She told me when the news broke a lot of people from her job left early. Just got out of the city and went home to make sure they weren't stuck in the city. Many of them in a state of shock.

Saying a silent prayer to the Universe for all those who had been injured, killed or had to witness the horrifying act. For the survivors and relatives of the killed and injured. Saying a silent prayer for mankind to know we have people that are capable of causing such mass destruction on what was meant to be a day of celebration for people.

Thinking this morning when I woke up about all those people. Thinking about the city of Boston. Thinking about us as humans. Many of us saying it’s not safe to go anywhere. Many of us starting to fear again. Panic starting to rise inside me. Breathe I told myself.

And then I closed my eyes and went to that place of silence. That place of stillness. Realising the one thing we cannot do is to stop doing what we do. To stop going places is not the answer. We cannot live in fear. We cannot stop living. That’s what the perpetrators want. They want to make us fear our right of freedom. Our freedom of choice.

To the victims and families of the Boston tragedy, I send love and light and prayers. To our Universe and to the perpetrator(s) of this tragedy I send love and light and prayers. This is a tragedy that need not have occurred but it did and now we must try to shift our consciousness away from the gory details to a period of healing and reconciliation.

And to honour all those who have been hurt, killed, both mentally and physically, we have to live our lives as fully as we can. As truthfully as we can. With grace and gratitude because we never know from one moment to the next how quickly our lives can change. And as my calendar today says, what each of us needs to say to ourselves every single day is, “I love life! I am so glad to be alive!” And really mean it. Amen.

Back to work with gratitude, love and light

Today I go back to work after being away for two weeks. Today I go back to work and it is Monday. I could feel bah humbug about it but I don’t and I won’t. Sure thoughts are going through my mind about: why I have to go back to work. Why do my children have to go back to school? Why does my husband have to be separated from us for the day? Why do we have to be separated from each other for the day when we have spent the last two weeks as a family? Bonding in ways unseen and unexpected.

I could let the negative thoughts being pushed forth by my ego spoil the magic of my vacation. I could let my new beginning start off with pessimism. But I won’t. Instead I will let those thoughts run through my head and not dismiss them. I will hear them. Listen to them. Let them run through me. Then I will bless them and let them go.

Because here’s what I know for sure.  Life goes on. There is a time for togetherness as there is a time for separation. A time for us to be individuals as there is a time for us to be joined together at the hip. But when we recognize that we are never truly apart, we cannot be sad when we are. If we were together all the time, we would not appreciate our togetherness and we would not give ourselves time to grow as individuals to be stronger when we unite again.

My family just spent the most glorious two weeks together. Just the four of us in our family bubble. Learning about each other again. Seeing how we differ. How we connect. How we are growing and changing each and every second of the day.

And now it is time for us to come out of our bubble. Out of our cocoon and stretch our wings again. Open them so we can fly after recharging in two of the most beautiful places in the world. Now it is time for us to take the experiences we have been gifted with and shine our individual love and light onto those who cross our paths as we move about our day today.

 I could be really sad that I  have to leave my family today and to be honest,  I am but I am also grateful that I feel such love for my family that I will miss them today. Miss them a lot but I know in order for us to grow, to know who we are, to be who we are, we each have to live our individual lives. Learn our individual lessons. Teach our individual lessons in order for our family unit to continue to grow, love,  and respect each other.

I am so grateful we had the opportunity to spend two glorious weeks together in places far from where we are. I am more than grateful to return full of gratitude, love, light and life and ready to take on the challenge of the now.

Today I go back to work and it is Monday. I don’t have the blues. I have joy in my heart. Gratitude in my soul. Love in my spirit for the gifts, treasures and abundance of the Universe I know I am worthy of receiving and accepting. For the gifts, treasure and abundance I have received and for the gifts, treasure and abundance I will continue to receive and accept.

Here’s to the now with gratitude, love and light. And the next stage of my growth and journey. As well as my family's. Namaste.

Our Long Journey back home

This morning we begin our long journey home. Thousands of miles to get back to our own space. Thousands of miles and lots of hours to shift our minds from vacation mode back to reality. Causing me to reflect on our journey. To feel the process of separation from the idyllic lifestyle we have experienced over the last two weeks. The longest vacation I have ever taken in my work career. And am I ever glad I took this time for myself with my family.
It's amazing how perspective changes when we are driving to a place than when we are driving away from it. On our drive up to Sedona it seemed like we were driving through desert scenery after desert scenery. Anticipation mounting as to when we were going to see the Red Rocks Sedona is so known for. Pure joy when we finally caught sight of them.
However yesterday when we were leaving Sedona, we tried really hard to hold on to the red rock scenery for as long as we could. Tried to hold on to the image of the rocks for as long as we could. Holding onto the feeling we felt in Sedona. The peace. The love. The fulfilment and nourishment.
And then when the rocks were behind us, unlike when my husband and I left them some 15 years before, the feeling of fulfilment and the sense of gratitude and abundance remained with us even when we could no longer see them. The feelings remained with us for the whole drive. This time because we savoured the feel of Sedona the whole time we were there. Not taking any moment for granted. Not being sceptical about anything that came our way. Embracing all that was meant for us to experience and fully enjoying the experience. This time we were filled to the brim. Satiating our every need and beyond.
Leaving Sedona for all of us was bittersweet. A week full of fun and discovery. A week full of family togetherness and sharing. A week of pure and undeniable energy pouring into us. Both of our children saying they will really miss Sedona. The range of activities available to them. To all of us. The feel they felt there which they can't really articulate. But I understand. The feeling is not something that can be explained or expressed because it is so unique. So individual. My husband commenting that he so enjoyed himself in Sedona that he did not feel any regret about leaving. The feeling to remain in his heart forever as is the case for all of us. Leaving me feeling very happy that my family was happy.
Worried about what was ahead of me on my return because the last two weeks had been so idyllic. Looking up as we left Sedona and seeing a lone raven flying above us as if bidding us adieu, I relaxed knowing the Universe was shining down on us. And as I got that, the raven disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Leaving me grounded in the present moment. Not worrying about what was to come but savouring the journey ahead of us.
Allowing us all to see the beauty of the scenery that we were looking beyond on our drive up because we were too busy waiting to glimpse Sedona. But now that we were full with all Sedona could give us and all that we could experience, the scenery had changed from desert scenery in our minds to a beautiful and rolling scenery. Cacti that looked like it could get up and walk along side us. Rolling hills. A sense of space. A sense of openness.
As we got closer and closer to city with the sun shifting behind us casting a radiant light as if Arizona was sending us away with love and light. Filling us with possibility, I knew this trip was given to us as a gift. A gift for us to explore what we needed as individuals to grow, to expand, to see the more, and to accept we are where we are meant to be.
Recognising sometimes we have to step outside of our comfort zones in order to embrace the new as we did on this trip as a family. Today we will travel thousands of miles back home. Far away from our escape. A good thing as it give us time to transition back to reality. To savour our family vacation. To savour us. To appreciate all that we are. All that we have been exposed to. And all that is to come.
In gratitude for our journey to our escape and for our journey back to reality.

The magical weave of the flute by Wolfs Robe

Last night my family had the privilege of attending a flute concert by Wolfs Robe, A Native American from the Shawnee tribe. Not only were we moved by his music but we were also moved by the history lesson Wolfs weaved through his music. Educating us about the importance of the flute to the Native American tribes.
A flute educator and maker himself, Wolfs explained how each flutes was made and could be traced to the person who made them based on its length which was the length of the maker's arm. And each one is specific to the individual maker based on the size of his hands and fingers. Sending us on a wonderful trip through nature and time with each flute he played. Placating us. Soothing us.
He then showed us the modern day flute which is ironically called the Native American concert flute. But he told us this flute has nothing to do with the Native Americans at all. And when he played it, the sound was not as sweet nor as soul stirring as the traditional Native American flute. Explaining to us that it is because the flute was mass produced rather than individually crafted therefore it lacked the soul of the individual flutes. Modern day flutes are produced to appeal to the masses. Whereas the traditional flute is made on an individual basis and therefore incorporates the soul of its maker. And carries his passion. Which can never be mass produced.
He also told us the modern day flute was designed based on traditional flutes that were confiscated during the European invasion. The Europeans took them because they believed the flutes were used for ceremony. So they believed there were along the lines of sorcery and because they wanted to "tame" the Native Americans, they took the one thing they thought would break their spirits.
He also explained the flute for a time lost its place within the Native American tribes because no one wanted to see the peaceful side of them. Most people when they think of Native Americans think of them in their war paint, drums and war clothing and that's what they want to see when they see them. War and violence rather than the sweet and gentle side of the flute. He says as a result the flute only made it resurgence in the 1960s during the hippy peace and love movement.
He explained during the first European invasion, thousands of flutes were confiscated but now only about 35 of them remain in the Smithsonian Institute. He says he is asked all the time whether he is angry about what happened. To which he responds, "I could look at the situation as the glass is half empty or half full and I choose to look at it as half full and to be grateful for there being 35 ancient flutes still left. I could hold that anger but did any of you in the audience steal the flutes so who would I be angry with? The people that stole from us and tried to break our spirits are all dead so why would I waste my time being angry with history when I can't change it. I am just grateful the 35 flutes are there for us to see."
I felt a chill go up and down my spine when he said this because his words of wisdom resonated with me profoundly. I was looking at a man whose ancestors used to roam the American continent as free people. People who lived off the land and respected the land. The flutes that were confiscated were designed to become one with the wildlife,  mostly birds, of the places where they lived. They were designed as instruments of nature such that when the maker closed his eyes and played his instrument it would be like he was out in nature, meandering through the woods with nothing but its sounds bringing him joy. And that connection to nature and to the soul was taken away from his ancestors first by the invasion and then by the missionaries when they came along and tried to convert the Natives  to Christianity.
But yet he has forgiveness in his heart for what had been done to his people and instead of reacting in an angry way, he has turned these sad periods in his ancestral history into an opportunity to educate people about the importance of the flute to his people and the part it has played in their history. And he does it by playing a tune from each different type of flute. Lulling his audience in unsuspectingly and then once he has them enraptured, he brings the audience back to reality by telling the history of each flute.
I believe Wolfs does well because he expresses gratitude for all he has and all that has happened. Respecting there is nothing that can be done to rewrite the pages of history but hopefully by educating people in a non threatening way, he can prevent a similar atrocity from reoccurring in the future.
Music is the universal language that soothes the soul. Drawing us in. Transporting us back to a place and time when ceremony was the way we connected. When we roamed freely before structure came and imprisoned us. Reminding us on a deep soul level about where we came from. When we were at one with nature.
Imagine an instrument that became most used by the Native American males in the 15th and 16th centuries to court the women of their dreams becoming such an instrument of scorn and hate by those who did not understand that man, love, and nature are one in the same? An instrument fashioned out of nature and its sounds to transport us back to the place of love, of beginning, of connection becoming one viewed by the non Natives as one of contempt or hate. Such a dark and destructive period in mankind's history that is now being turned into a forum for healing.
Wolf has learned to appeal to our souls and draw us in with gratitude, forgiveness, love and light allowing each person that attends his concerts to understand that if we want to be successful with anything in life we must first come from a place of forgiveness, gratitude and love. Only then will we be able to draw people in. Only then will be able to educate and promote Universal love. Only then will we have peace in this world. Because we will remember we were born of love and of light. And wherever there is music, there is joy.
I feel privileged to have been in the presence of a man who promotes such a powerful message through the Universal language of music. His website aptly states, "Our Native culture is like a delicate weaving, with each strand representing a part of our world. The flute is just one of those strands. If you cut one strand, over time you will lose the entire weaving, so I strove to keep this part of our Native culture alive, evolving and intact. I wish to share it with the world."
If you would like to learn more about Wolfs Robe and what he does, you may visit his website www.akaflutemanent.com.  

A Soul Awakening Family Vortex and Medicine Wheel Journey with Akal

Each one of us is journeying to and for the Source. Each one of us is searching to and for the Source. Each one of us has a seperate road to take. Each leading back to the whole of which we are connected.

But the journey for each of us is as distinct as our fingerprints. No two paths the same. No two journeys the same. Our paths may intersect. Criscross. But they are always unique to each one of us.

This fact was proven yesterday as my family embarked on a vortex journey with Akal from Sedona Red Rocks Tours. A man of the soil. Of the spirit. Gentle and powerful at the same time. A voice that pulls you in from the moment go. Not too overbearing but commanding at the same time. His presence all encompassing.

We all boarded the same vehicle. Set out in the same direction. But at each vortex, the message that came to each one of us was seperate and distinct according to what we needed. Even though we stood side by side, each experience, each lesson was designed for each one of us individually. Seperately but comingled with the Universal Oneness. Making our individual journeys that much stronger. Heartfelt. Shared.

The first vortex resonated the most with me. Perched high on a hill in a most unexpected form was a structure designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. So the lines were clean and linear. Tall and somewhat imposing but built on top of the rock. It was built as a cross between Christianity and Spirituality on Hopi Sacred Ground. Now called The Church of the Holy Cross.

Walking into the church with soft music playing, I was immediately drawn to one side of the church. Feeling the presence of Spirit more there than on the other side. So I sat and closed my eyes and gave thanks to the Universe. And there before me, appeared a feminine spirit with long black hair, hands outstretched. And before I could say a word, her image disappeared. But I could still feel her presence as my whole being tingled from head to toe. Knowing she was welcoming me back.

As we walked out the door, I could feel her stronger within me. Making it difficult for me to leave. But I did. Walked out to face the world again. Hearing the chanting of the Hopi who return to their sacred land.

The next vortex was Rachel's Knoll. Closed to the public some years before because the land had been sold to make a private golf course after Rachel died. But her son fought to make the Medicine Wheel area public again as that was the sitpulation of the sale. And after many years, he won the battle so the site is once again open to the public.

The site majestic. High up overlooking the Boynton Canyon and the Twin Buttes. My husband feeling the vibrations much stonger than any of us. Making me realise this journey, though iniatiated by me, was more his than mine. So I took a step back. Allowing him to fully experience his journey. To fully experience his emotions. To begin his awakening as I did mine some 15 years before.

This time the journey was his. Our children witnessing their father renewing his soul. Reconnecting with spirit. Awakening to all that he is. Our son by his dad's side for most of his journey. Though our son was not saying much. Lending his support just by being there. Without judgement. Aiding his dad with his presence. Standing at the edge of the mesas high above the ground with his father. Guarding him with his presence as ravens flew overhead in the clear blue sky. Without fear.

My daughter and I taking a back seat. Sitting back further from the edge. But closer than I would have otherwise dared because of my fear of heights and her fear of falling. Recognising together that it was our males' time so we let them be.

Without fear, our son stayed with his father silently guiding him through his rite of passage as was he experiencing, without realising, a soul awakening of his own. In his own way. I was so proud of my family. Proud of our togetherness in such sacred spaces. Proud of us knowing when to step back for one another. So the one who stood to benefit the most from the vortex could and would. And did.

And then we went to our final vortex, The Sacred Buddhist Stupas of Kunzang Palyul Choling. This site resonating with us all. Walking clockwise around the towering 36 foot Amitabha Stupa. Saying prayers silently. My husband and I stopping halfway as we faced the Buddha against the backdrop of one of the Vortex. Culminating in a medicine wheel ceremony. Where our daughter danced to the beat of the drum, the shaking of rattles and the lull of Akal's Native American style chant. Each one of us being moved in a way that allowed our spirits to soar.

I faced west taking in the strength of the third eye. Our son drummed. My husband reflecting while Akal sang chanted and drummed for us. Bringing our journeys back to the whole. Back to the centre. Strengthening us by allowing us to explore our inner most selves as individuals. Only to join at the end.

Ending this ritual as we walked back down from our Medicine Wheel ceremony on a different path that took us past the smaller Tara Stupa. Winding our way back down to civilization. Our hearts, minds and souls full of all that is, will be and was.

Powerful beyond words on a picture perfect Sedona afternoon. Clear blue skies. Scattered to no clouds. Ideal temperature. The wind only picking up as we meditated letting us hear its strength. Ravens flying overhead. The silence loud enough for us to hear. Opening us to the Universe. To its abundance, gifts and treasures as individuals joined together as a family under the guidance of Spirit through the hand of Akal. Uniting us. Liberating us.

What a wonderful way to spend a family day. Full of reverance, ritual and worship. Beginning with the Christian/Spiritual Temple ending with the Buddhist Stupa. Showing my family regardless of what our religions, creeds, races or backgrounds may be, we are all looking for the way back to the One Source. To find meaning in our lives. To live meaningful lives. To matter. To have mattered. To love. To have loved.

And being out in nature. Surrounded by Spirit. Embraced by the light and love of the Universe. Showed me just how there is a natural balance to life when we remember we are journeying always. And if we remember to give thanks for all we receive, the Source will always find us no matter where we are. Namaste.

For more information of Sedona Red Rock Tours, visit www.sedonaredrocktours.com or email them sedonaredrocktours@gmail.com. Phone (928) 282-0993.

The Enchantment enchanting us once again

Yesterday my husband and I took a trip down memory lane. We went back to the place where we came 15 years ago when we fell in love with Sedona - The Enchantment. Enchanting us once again.
This time we did not go as a couple but as a family.
Taking our two children with us so they could share in our nostalgia. Showing them the place where we decided there was more to life than the life we were living at the time. The place where we were awakened to the all. Allowing us to make major decisions in our lives setting the stage for them to come into our lives. Neither one of us could have anticipated the magnitude of the feelings we experienced going back to where we made those major decisions all those years before.
The drive to The Enchantment was very different to the drive we took 15 years ago. Landmarks had changed. The town had expanded and there were more people and cars than when we were originally here. There were certain landmarks that had remained the same - The Heartline Cafe to be specific but was now surrounded by so much more stuff.
As we turned into Boynton Canyon, the mesas coming into full view, the memories of where we had been before came flooding back to the forefront. The scenery seemingly calling our names. Welcoming us back home to our first major awakening. I knew we were close to the entrance because I felt that familiar feeling of being on sacred ground - the golf course was built on a native American burial ground and I could feel the presence as I did 15 years ago of the wise ones who had been buried there. Sending out peace and blessings to the ancestors who helped pave the way for the rest of us as we crossed the line.
We parked in the parking lot and decided to walk around the resort. Going through the romantic arch of vines and fairy lights almost as if we were walking into fairy tale. Stepping out of reality and into that make believe world of yesteryear. Crossing over into Enchanted land where dreams come true. Fairies roam. A place where possibility abounds. Enrapturing us. Enlightening us. Our children marvelling at the way their parents used to travel.
We then decided to have a look at the restaurant where we spent our first night all those years before looking romantically into each other's eyes. The restaurant's name had changed but the location was still the same. The memories still remained the same. Of where we sat. Talking about the future. Deciding to become parents. As we stood on the threshold of the restaurant, time felt like it stood still. Like we were here the day before. But as I looked at our 14 year old son, as tall as I am, voice cracking and our 9 year old,blossoming before our eyes, I saw through them just how much time had really passed by.
Blinking I could see my husband and I as that couple with stars in our eyes about where we were going and what was coming next. Only to blink again, seeing us expanded as a family. The four of us. The dynamics completely changed but better. Some 15 years later.
Seeing just how much we can't take time for granted. That even if we decide to stand still and wait for life, it will not wait for us. It just keeps moving.  Seeing through our children's growth that time waits for no one and we have to take advantage of every single second we have. Just like that 15 years gone by. There is nothing like seeing time than through the growth of children.
We felt so comfortable at the Enchantment that we decided to stay. It was like coming home. We decided on lunch at the more casual Tii Gavo Restaurant with  panoramic views of the Boynton Canyon. Birds of prey flying between the rocks. Our children finding a chess table. Settling down to a game of chess while my husband and I stood outside talking about life, looking at the Canyon. Hugging each other. Still with stars in our eyes. Still talking about our future. Against the staggeringly breathtaking Boynton Canyon.
And then we were shown to our table with views that were astounding beyond belief.  A perfect setting to watch the natural light show on the Canyon. Every second the light on the rocks changing showing us different images. Different shadows. Different meanings.
A large Native American image coming out of the rocks facing us, looking like he was seated guarding his Native home. To his extreme left, an image of a totem pole at the end of the Canyon. And in between them, faces of more ancestors looking out over the Canyon. Casting a spell over the Canyon. Mystical, mysterious and magical.
Even better than this beautiful experience was the fact that the day had been dull. The sun light seemingly obscured by the clouds. Yet the rocks were lit up constantly. Every time we looked at the rocks, they had light on them. And the light seemed to dance from one mesa to the next. Giving each section the spotlight for a time. Allowing each one it's time to shine. Giving each one the glow it needed to stand out in its time.
The whole experience so mesmerising, we didn't even attempt to photograph it. We knew there is  nothing that could recreate the images we were seeing. Each image personal to each one of us. Revealing  only what we were capable of seeing and believing. Only what resonated with our souls.
Making me realise, we are shown whatever we are capable of seeing. What we are meant to see. The light is constantly there even on our darkest days. Sometimes it's just not for us to see. It's for those that need it most. Those whose turn it is to shine as the light shone on different parts of the rocks. Lighting each one at a time as it does for each one of us. When the time is right. Only when the time is right.
And then to top of our magical day, last night my husband and I toasted each other for all that we have been through. My husband telling me he thoroughly enjoyed our vow renewal in Kauai because it was actually pleasurable to do. Both of us marvelling at the water that has travelled under the bridge for us since we were last here 15 years before. Marvelling at the love we share, the family we have created, the journey we are sharing. Embraced by the light always as long as we believe as the lights in Boynton Canyon at The Enchantment showed us in a very big way.
In gratitude to the Universe for us, for our abundance, for the choices we make every day. For the Enchantment in Sedona enchanting us once again some 15 years later, a couple now a family of four. Growing. Journeying. And ever grateful. Namaste.

Hope is the only thing greater than fear

A cold and windy day in Sedona yesterday. Completely different from the day before when we were basking in the sun but that's desert life for you - unpredictable and no two days the same. Teaching those that live in the desert to always be prepared for the unexpected. To just go with the flow.
My son and husband went out first thing in the morning for a mountain bike ride through the vortex. Father and son out in the elements. Testing each other against the elements. Riding together amidst the energy. Bonding in a manly way as our son is beginning to test the waters of manhood. A great way to get our fourteen year old out in nature with his dad.
My daughter and I relaxing together. Her resting. Me doing all the stuff I needed to do. Each of us doing what we needed.
As time wore on, the weather deteriorated slowly but surely. Wind picking up quickly. Strong. Gales. Sun hidden behind heavy and dark clouds. Cold bitter winds. Temperatures plummeting to the 40s from the high 70s the day before. A day to stay indoors and relax.
By the time my husband and son returned flushed with the outdoors and a feeling of euphoria from making it through the challenge of the elements, we were all famished and ready to eat. So we decided to go into the town of Sedona to explore. Not realising just how much the drop in temperature would chill us to the bone.
The town very different from the one my husband and I remembered when we were here 15 years before. More built up. More sanitised. More trendy than we remembered it. But we both liked the feel. The energy different in the town than it was out on the vortex but inviting just the same despite the cold.
We found the Taos restaurant. A Mexican restaurant our son had read about and wanted to try so we did. Great food. Great service. Great family conversation. After eating, we dared to brave the cold and rain to explore some of the town. The rocks providing a dramatic backdrop to the town. The light somehow still finding its way to the tops of the rocks.Lighting them that little bit to add a glow.
When the rain came down harder and the wind howled that much more, we took shelter in a little museum that told us about how the town Sedona got its name. Confirming the story the school teachers told us nights before. We then decided the weather was telling us it was a good day to vegetate. To do nothing but snuggle indoors and watch movies we had rented.
When we drove back to our complex, we were staggered to realise we are actually staying in the condo directly across the street from the original stone hotel where the original Sedona and her husband lived many years before. As if beckoning our Sedona to take up where the original Sedona left off. Our daughter proud but somewhat unnerved by it all.
We came into the condo digesting all the signs of the Universe. All the evidence that our lives are in major transition. Each of us being touched in different ways by this special trip. We came in to relax. To just be. Our son choosing The Hunger Games for us to watch. A book series I had resisted getting for him years before because I thought it sounded too violent. Too exploitive of children. But he eventually asked us for it. After having read just about every age appropriate books. And not wanting to discourage him from reading, I relented and got the series for him. So when he chose the movie I was less than enthusiastic about watching it because I did not like the premise. But decided to watch it as our family was looking to do something together.
Cynically I sat down to watch the movie, not expecting to like it at all. But was enraptured from almost the beginning when President Snow said, "The only thing greater than fear is hope." And then I knew why I was compelled to watch this movie. A direct message from the Universe.
Taking me back to the words famously spoken by Churchill, "the only thing to fear is fear itself." When we have hope, fear becomes secondary. Fear takes a back seat to hope because hope allows us to see beyond our fears. It gives us that glimmer of what lies ahead for us. It takes us out of our present circumstances for that split second and allows us to understand whatever we are facing, it too shall pass.
When we have something worth living for, fighting for, believing in, and worth reaching for, we allow hope in. Making way for us to move beyond our fears and on to what we must do to get to the next stage of our lives. The Hunger Games may have been about the exploitation of children but it is more about hope. The main character in the film had made a promise to her little sister that she would come back to her and that was what kept her going. What allowed her to rise above her fears and limitations, what gave her the strength to beat the odds.
A lesson for us all, in order to move beyond our fears, we must hold on to hope because it is the bridge to faith allowing us to know all will be well. Remembering always the only thing greater than fear is hope. One of the most powerful tools we can ever have in this world built upon fear which ultimately is designed to keep us away from our dreams.
In gratitude to a rainy cold day in Sedona for allowing me to hear the message, never to give up hope.