I do not know when Mother's Day first became an annual holiday, nor do I know if our country is the only one that celebrates this occasion.  What I do know is how nice it is to notice people taking the time to remember their Mother.  Whether your Mother was kind and compassionate, or strict and stern, the job of being a Mother is not an easy one.  Stop for a moment and consider what courage and strength it takes to be a Mother.  From the time you conceive the child until you die, you are on call 24-7.  Of course, once your child leaves home, there is less responsibility; however, if they need something, it is generally the Mother they call.  Perhaps it is because a child lies at his/her Mother's belly for nine months that creates that bond, or maybe it is simply because she's the one most available the first few years of a child's life.  What is most obvious is the love a child has for his/her Mother is generally hard to break, regardless what they relationship has been.  When push comes to shove and life gets really difficult, it is Mom most of us want.  And Mom comes in many shapes and forms: biological, adopted, grandmother, Aunt, are among the most common.  However, what a child is really yearning for is the heart-felt love that most generally comes from the one we first encountered.  It is that love we all seek that keeps us forever willing to open our hearts to another.  Whether our hearts get broken, or filled with hope, rarely do humans stop searching for that unconditional love.  As Mother's Day is celebrated, take a few moments to ask yourself, if you have the love in your heart to open it to someone else?  Are you willing to ask for what you want and give from your own heart?  Every human being wants to be seen and loved, and whether your Mother gave that to you or not, there is always an opportunity to give and receive heart-felt love to another person.  With so many people searching for love, surely you can take the time to give someone a hug, speak a kind word, or simply give them a smile.  It just may be precisely what their heart and yours needs.

It is 3:00 a.m. and sleep alludes me; thoughts of current situations in my family are playing in my head.  So, I did my usual "routine" for clearing my mind and attempted to return to bed.  No luck; my thoughts kept ruminating over recent news flashes a family member told me.  I continue to pray for my loved ones knowing Creator has a grander scale of healing tools by which to assist humans then my brain can even begin to imagine.  I am grateful for Sleepytime Tea and the ability to know if I take an action I move toward what I want to create and therefore, away from trying to figure out how to "fix" someone else's situation.  My children have taught me how to stay out of their business and respect them enough they have the tools to confront whatever situation they bring into their life.  My job when they were young was to teach them how to find solutions and know within themselves they have the answers they need.  Now, it is my job to be there to listen and remind them of those truths.  It is much more empowering to help someone find their own wisdom within then to be the "saviour" who has all the answers. 
So here I am making my way through the chaos of life's situations by writing down my thoughts and feelings.  It is a different generation than I grew up in when there were not so many choices, so much exposure to what everyone else is doing in their life.  Indeed, there is constant chaos brought about by the actions of others most of us really have no dealings with, except through the media.  Still, we can be pulled into their life's dramas simply by turning on the TV or Internet.  It boggles my mind how people can choose to watch these "reality" shows; like life does not bring us enough in our own families.  It has been said, "misery loves company" and that most certainly fits today's society.  I suppose there is comfort in knowing others have the same difficulties as we do.  Through the chaos of life's situations we do find strength; just seems to me that strength can come through looking over our shoulder at how we have made choices, listening to our elders talk about how they adjusted to changes in life, and gleaning the wisdom of discernment through their insights rather than actually experiencing it ourselves.  I am grateful to have been taught to think before doing something.  Even though doing this was a way to make certain we didn't embarrass our parents, or offend God in some way, it still gave me the opportunity to stop and think about possible consequences.  By doing this it was easier to take responsibility for my actions, rather then blame someone else.  A rather novel idea in today's world; however, certainly one that would lead to less chaos in life. 
It all comes down to what each person chooses for his/her life.  If you are reading this, you now have no excuse for not taking responsibility for your choices--you have been told how to stop and think first. What I know is chaos can bring positive changes to one's life, IF we learn from the experiences.  However, if we are continually confronting chaos, there is something we are missing in the experience or we would not keep repeating it. 
So, for this moment, I will complete this entry, finish my tea, turn off the computer and return to a very good sleep.  I am grateful there is a Creator in charge of helping those who ask for assistance...it makes my life so much simpler!

Native teachings refer to the sun as "Grandfather" and the moon as "Grandmother."  What I know living in the mid-west is we are most grateful for his recent "appearance."  We know the universe knows precise what is needed to keep our Earth Mother in balance, and heaven knows it has had to work overtime to meet those needs; especially considering most humans pay little attention to her!  We have been blessed with much rain, and the vivid greens bare witness to the lushness brought forth from the abundance.  While most of us truly enjoy the beauty, we also need to see our Grandfather's face!  The warmth he brings stirs our bodies and souls as we eagerly wait for the warmth of summer.  I am grateful Creator knows precisely what Earth Mother needs, and I trust when enough water has been stored, we will once again feel the warmth brought from the presence our Grandfather. 

Am currently sitting in the beautiful mountains just outside Murphy, NC.  It was a very cold morning as nearly 400 eager bikers gathered to begin a "vision quest" of sorts.  There were riders very young to more mature, ranging in various sizes and shapes.  It was interesting to observe their various modes of riding apparel.  No one expected it to be so darn cold this morning, so many were huddled in groups with blankets waiting for the start of the race.  The first set of riders left the starting point about 6:50 a.m. for a hundred mile mountain excursion, followed at 7:05 by those aiming for sixty-five miles.  This was my first mountain bike race experience, so it was most exciting to observe the expressions in words and actions of these excited riders.  There were probably only a dozen or so supporters gathered to watch our friends or relatives begin their journey.  I am here because of a vision a young friend of mine had.  This is her first sixty-five mile race and it was most exciting to watch her actions in preparation for this big event.  I have watched this young lady become a very powerful woman--actually, it would be more accurate to say, I have witnessed her claiming her authentic self.  She has always shown tremendous commitment to whatever she chose to do, I have watched her show me what it looks like to really "see" someone be impeccable.  Her word is her bond and her actions follow what she says.  It is a rare and precious commodity!  So, we both bundled up about 5:00 a.m. and began the ritual of preparing for her day's journey.  This young woman and I have worked many vision quest together as we supported those walking the mountain to pray for clear vision.  Both of us have made that walk and know the importance community supporters are for those making the journey. There are no words to describe how very important "supporters" are in our life.  They help us learn how to show up in our lives, receive love then return it to those that come behind us on their quest.  My heart is full of gratitude for the magnificent way in which Creator's face is made visible through the eyes of those supporting us in our earth walk.    It is a blessing to be the supporter and the one supported....there really is no difference!

We are in the season that replenishes the Earth; such a marvelous time to notice the benefits of moisture.  Nearly every moment of the day reveals richer greens, vivid colors and a lush fullness brought forth by the moisture of spring. All of one's senses can witness this unfolding. Sit outside and listen to the sounds of the birds as they gather clippings from newly mowed lawns, last winter's weather and the amazing winds of all seasons. If you listen close enough, you can almost hear the plants pushing through the Earth as the rains awaken the slumbering plants within our Mother. If you are fortunate enough to have an old fashioned lilac tree in your yard, just sniff the air a bit and you will take in the sweetness of memories of life at it's fullest. While the weather still carries the coolness of early spring, you can feel the warmth beginning to fill the air; it is a promise of what is soon to caress our bodies; the heat of summer.

All of our senses are awakened if we slow down long enough to allow these gifts to stir our hearts; the place where our soul resides. Spring is, indeed, a grand time to allow our soul to emerge, to awaken from the slumbering state in which we often spend much time attempting to protect ourselves from the moisture brought from disappointments life can present. IF one is brave enough to truly desire all this Earth experience offers one will sit in the peaceful place of nature and allow the moisture to feed one's soul. For just as the moisture brings beauty to the world, so it offers to enrich our inner life; and when this happens, everyone can smell, hear and feel the fullness of love at it's fullest. Just as moisture feeds what is within the Earth and supports it's emergence, so it feeds the fertile soil of our hearts and allows our gifts to add beauty to the world. Consider if you will, what beauty lies in wait within your heart to assist this planet with shifting into the next level of consciousness where love "reigns" to feed the community. 

With spring in full bloom, thoughts move toward planting gardens.  Some of the sweetest times for those of us in the North is when the Earth shows what was "resting" within her womb.  It is a wonderful reminder that growth and change are still "brewing", even if we do not see it!  It is good to be assured that much is done in the "invisible" realm.  Often in life, it feels as though we are "stuck", not making progress, not achieving what we want and it can become discouraging to the point of us wanting to give up.  However, it is precisely at that time we need to watch some of our greatest teachers--those in nature to be reminded everything is in a divine order.  As human beings we are conditioned to believe if we do enough, act a certain way, say the magic words, things will manifest.  In essence, they do; however, the key to keeping our balance is in remembering we are in a partnership on this journey.  We are never without precisely what we need, and absolutely never alone.  In the re-membering of that, we can find the faith to know all we must do is plant the seed, tend to it's needs, then get out of the way for all that is divine to do the rest.  As you step outside into the beauty of the spring, notice what is appearing beneath the earth, growing almost in front of your eyes, and without your physical assistance!  Perhaps noticing this will help you spend more time discerning what you want to see more of in your life, then planting those dreams into the fertile soil of our consciousness, and allowing the divine to take care of the rest!  Our job is merely to pay attention to the basic needs of what we have planted with proper care, then removing weeds as needed.  (As for the weeds, you will know what those by the way in which they smother your hopes and place doubt in what you are creating.) 

We would love to hear what sort of things you do to tend those dreams you have planted!  It helps all of us with our own planting!

To keep my commitment to update my blog on a regular basis, I am sitting in front of the computer. It has been a journey to be willing to write things that are visible to "the world." Being a rather private person, I have resisted being part of the "network world." Truth is, I prefer hearing someone's voice, seeing their expressions, observing their gestures, and just plain seeing their face. I love human contact, one-on-one, face-to-face communications. Whether it is crying, giggling, or sharing views, it feels more satisfying "sit" with someone. If they are long distance, and it is not possible to have their physical presence, then a phone call is nice. Hearing their voice, noticing their intonations, giggles, varying volume associated with the topic of discussion all helps me really "know" the feelings of the person better. I can tell from all these communication factors whether what I am saying is being received in the way in which it was intended. Communication is clear when each person can pay attention to all of these very important "contributors." Some have said I need to "get with the program" and join a social network; I have considered their words and carefully looked at whether it is my "resistance" to the technology I have problems with, or simply something else. I have decided, it is "something else." I love my family and friends, and to ensure they feel my heart and that communications are clear I prefer human contact in the form of physical modes (i.e. face-to-face, or phone calls). To show I am not an "old fart" about technology, I do like Skype!