Twirling the yarn strings to her snow hat, as we stood in the elevator, I asked this little adorable pixie: "How old are you?" Grinning ear to ear, she held out four pink fingers and said: "Four and three-fourths!" It was clear that she was proud of her station in life, and happily anticipating her new liberated status when spring arrives.
When do we stop celebrating the "fraction" when asked our age? I can assure you that, as 66 approaches Jan. 28, I am no longer adding more details! The question is, whatever our chronological years, do we share the same sense of delight, as little Pink Cap?
Age is relative, after all. Thirty years ago, today, I asked my mother, on her death bed: "What's it like to be at this place in your life?" She paused, and quietly mused: "It is a shock, actually. Age is not what you think. Most of the time, I look at this 74-year-old husk of a body and tell myself, 'This cannot be mine!' Inside, sometimes I feel like 21, or 43, or 37. I suppose we are many ages wrapped up in one, depending on how you are counting. The important thing is gather the moments today. These are the pearls on your necklace, the moments that become memories. I hope your necklace is long." Elsa was not long on words, but these I have never forgotten. I wish you, as well, a long necklace of pearl moments.
How do we proceed? Ernest Holmes gives us a clue: "Every day is a fresh beginning, every day is the world made new... That moment in the eternal present when we are no longer conditioned by the past and when anticipation of the future does not condition the present -- we shall be free."
What conditioning gets in our way? It is so easy to slip into stale stories that keep us imprisoned. We allow ourselves to get hooked by dramas, traumas, bad news and tales of victimization to which many are life-long subscribers. Frankly, that metaphorical newspaper, I can do without. How about you?
A case in point. The fact is that it is much easier to explain why we cannot move on, be free, than it is to take a risk. Several weeks ago, a man told me that we all are lucky he did not take his own life. I asked him what would improve his situation? His retort: "There's nothing I can do. I am alone all day. I might die at any moment. I am stuck." Twenty years younger than I am, I assured him that any of us could die at any moment, regardless whether we are home or not. You know me. I couldn't resist. So I asked: "What if you dared to take a risk, step out, get out, and find some life in it? What if you dared to live?" He shook his head, proclaiming "It's too late for me."
It is if we say so. We write our narrative. Either we write new chapters, or we stay stuck in the old, cardboard, dry, lifeless dusty pages as if they belonged to today. I am not saying that it doesn't take some sweat equity to find a new storyline. I am only saying that life gets a heck of a lot more interesting if we do! It's not enough to argue for what we don't want. Sooner or later, if we want Lady Liberty in our life, we've got to hold the torch ourselves, illuminate where we have lost ourselves, our verve, our joy, our humor, our passion in the darkness, and reclaim the life that is ours to live.
Some might call this a small thing. I think not. I'm with Wallace Wattles, a pioneer in the field of what creates abundance and prosperity, who discovered long ago: "You can render to God and humanity no greater service than to make the most of yourself."
This time, last year, our brothers and sisters in Japan had no idea that by Pink Cap's fourth birthday, many of their lives would change dramatically. Since March 2011, many celebrated their final birthdays, others ushered in their first. The love and courage that shines through the lives lost and found is a glowing testimonial to what is possible. Each time one person is willing to open their eyes and ears, clear their minds from the clamor of the world, and unbind their heart, something truly beautiful emerges. Whenever we are willing to remember that we are all one family, the good comes alive through our service to what lives beyond our self-created stories of victimization and self-imposed litany of "can't."
Turn away from the clock, and restore your spirit via this video. Watch the whole story. Trust me. You will be glad you did. Someone very special has a message for you even if it is not your birthday yet.
What I know for certain from a 66-year trek is that it is not what happens to us that is the key to a well-lived and liberated life. Rather, it is our willingness to stand in the fire, trust that we are not alone, and shed our fear, release our anger, and become an empty vessel for grace to come again through baby steps and patience, as we go out into the world, hold hands, and find the miracle in the remains of what has been.
A special note to long-time readers: This past week, my own feet have been very much in the fire. I want to personally thank you for your compassion, caring and courage you show one another week after week. I am told there is nothing like this community at our café on the web. I believe it. Serving life and one another as you do brings me deep gratitude for the gift of life. My gratitude your way.
Love letter for the man who fears going out into the world:
I have thought a great deal about you. It must be a terrible thing to believe that you are trapped, that nothing you do will help. I cannot imagine. What I do know is that you came into this world with purpose. What I do know is that just as a diamond needs all its facets shining for the gem to have greatest value, our world needs your participation in it, putting your best self forward, if we are all to advance in the direction of our dream to create a better place for our children and our children's children. Your birth was not an accident. Your life need not be a disaster if you decide to make it better. Why settle for playing small? Decide. A master teacher once said: "Let the dead bury the dead." Release the thinking that haunts you as ghosts in the night. Embrace what is fresh. Go outside. Smell the air. Notice winter: that while you cannot see it, new growth is incubating beneath the surface. Hang in there. This is so with you, right here, and right now.
Your turn: What would it take for you to be liberated by your next birthday? What was the most liberating moment/experience you've had since your last birthday, and what made it so? I'm listening!
New: For those who have asked, the first copies of The Love Project: Coming Home will be available in several weeks, according to the university press.
Meanwhile, I'd love to find the agent who is a "fit" for this newborn. Hints? Contacts????
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Just got the computer back up and running, so I am finding you at long last. May I wish you a belated birthday wish for so much unbridled joy this year and every year. You are loved, Shirley, moment after moment, no end in sight. This I know for certain. Sometimes love shows up in the most unexpected forms and places, but you are in surround sound.
You put things in perspective, Shirley, in a way that is invaluable. I am grateful.
It truly is all in the 'paying it forward.' In this, and other ways, you are a champion.
Love,
Cara
http://youtu.be/MjF1bG5LUcs
Hey...that Newt would drive anyone off the wall...shish...xo
So much love and care your way,
Cara
Us and the computers,too funny !
This one, the space bar does not work well ,so if I am not careful,the words come off disjointed...xo
little brother
Hope you catch it back your way!
Cara
Now pretend I am a REALLY good singer. Pretend REALLY hard.
Love & Hugs
Brother Billy
I just returned from dinner with friends as a birthday launch on birthday eve, and here you are. Ah, that you had joined us. But then, you were there in Spirit, and I could see you were having a splendid time, with all that fine singing. There was no trying really hard, just sheer delight.
Love and hugs right back to you, my friend,
Cara
Anyway, James' email address is on it's way to you.
Thanks again for the great video. I found it sobering.
For your birthday, I wish for you all that you wish for yourself and more.
love you........
And set the sun,
And workmen finished, one by one,
Their seam the day upon.
The low grass loaded with the dew,
The twilight stood as strangers do
With hat in hand, polite and new,
To stay as if, or go.
A vastness, as a neighbor, came,--
A wisdom without face or name,
A peace, as hemispheres at home,--
And so the night became.
Emily Dickinson
You are loved by all...do stop by more and stay.....warm hugs ...Gypsy
I shared what you sent, gypsy, to my husband, your words and those of Emily, and his eyes filled with tears. "How is it, that in a world so crowded with indifference, a light can come in the Darkness through women such as these? A miracle. A reminder that what matters lives on." How true his words.
From the bottom of my heart, for this entry of yours, for every kindness you extend to so, so many others, I am inspired, moved, and deeply grateful.
Love to you and yours,
Cara
For your wish, for your gift, for your love, I thank you.
Peace your way, and a rainbow of all good things,
Cara
I've found, as a result of my experience with a very unethical agent, that some agents do better with NF while others do better with fiction.
All this or some of this was in my previous remark which is lost in ethernet space I'm surmising. I'm getting a little tired of this happening on my posts to you. What HP has against them I don't know.
ps: check your email.
Have a wonderful birthday my dear friend.
i work in animal rescue, this also shows how people can all come together to help. this has brought about much needed attention and help to animal activists everywhere. but in the end its about helping this sweet soul, as i often say about this work, i thought i was saving him but in the end he saved me. heres to people following the inner light. it doesnt get much freer than that.
thanks for allowing me a place to share this amazing story. (he is called patrick because he was brought in on st patricks day) ps the vet with the silver hair is fighting to legally adopt him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M79ZTUFv-ww
Reclining beside me as I watched your video and now write this, is Baby, a cat my son found foraging about a dumpster when it was about 6 weeks old. Concerned, but thinking it might have a home nearby, he left it. When he saw it again, it was crying a bit and looking less well. His heart responded…
He called before arriving home, warning that we had a new kitten; at the time we had four adult rescued cats and he knew I was not warm to the idea of increasing the total, however, like me, he has his mind and uses it.
I thought Dumpster a fine name, but he named it Baby. And Baby is now a large, 18 lb, cat that has the run of the house, sits in the sun or frolics with his friends; we have eight now (so much for my restrictions) and I cannot imagine not having them.
Other things I cannot imagine are the horror I saw in your video or even worse, the view of puppy mills I saw in another. What I cannot understand is the low level of human compassion exhibited by the thousands of adults subjecting animals to conditions any civilized, and I suspect many uncivilized, people would judge offensive, un-Godly, and an affront to simply decency.
Abandoning those dependent on humanity is to abandon humanity itself!
Lawson
"Abandoning those dependent on humanity is to abandon humanity itself!"
May we awaken to our inhumanity, and find our hearts, our compassion, our connection, our way back home to caring for one another, with or without fur and feathers
wonderful to hear about your son. yes the puppy mills. its been a way for people to make money, thousands of puppy mills in the us. i am constantly amazed at how many ways people can find to abuse animals.
I watched your video. My heart sinks. My Spirit is put on alert with a certain Call to my Self.Oh, there is so much more within our heart that longs to be free, that longs to be voiced. What you have added here is a poignant reminder that we each have the capacity for more in the service to what is greater than self-aggrandizement.
Bless you.
Cara
thank you so much for the video (loved it)
oh yes the f word...freedom, i know tibetan lamas are in thumb cuffs to keep them from doing hand postions for meditations and tho in chinese prisons, they are free. no one can command your mind, only we can...i dont know if we know what the issue really is until we are on the other side of it. so i trust the process, my freedom is in that. i know i will be exactly where i am supposed to be,i dont get mad at myself for not being what others think i should be, or not measuring up to some false expectation of myself. i tend to think being free is much more like when we were a small child. the wisdom of children right? so i think we are already free, buddha nature, christ light, clear inner voice...whatever we call it, we all sense it to be true. it's the thing we fight for. for it to be out, not to be hidden or shoved down. it is that small inner voice that says you are more than this tired, confused, slugging thru your daily life experience, i am the seed of hope, wisdom, love and prosperity for happiness...i am here underneath it all, fight for me, for i am the real you.
I am so happy to see you here. Just returned from a splendid birthday dinner with friends, and finding you here for a visit is such a reminder of just how much I have for which to be grateful. Dear friend, I am so glad you enjoined the video as did I. Really touches the heart, doesn't it?
Trusting the process: a lesson to which I am drawn every single day in every single way.
I agree with your comments about freedom through children. Just being with my grand baby, now 2, reminds me of the truth of your words: she is free as the breeze, exploring every nook and crannie with full delight. No wonder Masters have enjoined us to 'become as little children.' I do not think they are speaking about growing naive, but more a matter of being fully present, fully alive.
Just absolutely love your Wisdom: "...it is that small inner voice that says you are more than this tired, confused, slugging thru your daily life experienceÂ, i am the seed of hope, wisdom, love and prosperity for happiness.Â..i am here underneath it all, fight for me, for i am the real you...."
Brilliant, bold, beautiful you.
so many thanks,
Cara
May this evening bless you as amply as the stars,
May the coming sunrise bring forth the light you wish to illuminate the places of confusion and wonder,
Cara
The video was very moving. Namste
Here is a gift for you and your friends. Great Compassion Mantra [Free Download] http://bit.ly/zqm8eA via a great site http://bit.ly/zWjo5d I found via Twitter. @viasammilaw
At the expense of projecting a bit of apparent cynicism, I have often considered my birth the day freedom was suspended. I’ve come to accept that patiently waiting for school to end beats the alternatives. There’s so much homework, isn’t there? All that confusion about who’s teaching, who’s the student … and the term papers. Oh well! I hear if one applies themselves to the lessons the final exam is a snap, but sometimes those pop quizzes can be a killer. Yeh! I used to grade with the alphabet; then I used percentages for a while. Finally, I’ve settled into a pass or fail routine.
I will soon be completing my sixty second circumnavigation of our sun. That’s a fair amount of spinning and spiraling. Why am I less dizzy than when I was younger?
PS: Your expressed thoughts challenged me to quest for a succinct response. That was a bit like being in the principals office and not outside during recess.
The sun is shining this morning in Seattle, the sky is blue, my winter pansies are swaying in the breeze, and to top it off, I find you here. What a marvelous way to begin the day.
Your reframe of 'Birthday Happy' is provocative in a good way, don't you think?
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. It touches me to the core. Frankly, I do believe this is why we are here on the planet: to learn to quietly respond from the heart regardless what comes, or what joys to celebrate.
Oh dear, the principal's office? I am so sorry! Of course, I have long held that every child should be called to the principal's office whenever they are caught in the act of shining.
Peace and love out your way,k
Cara
An interesting question this: not quite sure how to answer it, for what comes up for me is that freedom lives for me (or anyone) only NOW, but I must claim it. So will I claim it right here and right now? In that my birthday too, is approaching, (amusing to note the glut of synchronicity in our processes) I do declare, with absolutely no evidence that it is so, that I AM free NOW. The only evidence is my word, so declared right here amongst the cafe society that is assembled.
But I also notice that this "inside job" is one that requires practice and repetition. At least it's that way for me. I must continuously remind myself that my freedom already is, and keep reclaiming it.
I do so wish you a birthday filled with love and joy and the abundant goodness you so deserve. You have earned a blizzard of blessings my dear one. And so it is!
With great love,
Judith
"I must continuousÂly remind myself that my freedom already is, and keep reclaiming it." That's exactly how I feel though at sometimes a tiny part of me wonders why I bother and I answer who will if I don't do it for myself.
Cheers
a great Friday your way!
The answer to your question is 'Yes.' In fact, a day before my natal day, it is a yes, as well.
I love your 'take' on freedom. Whenever I am in the past, freedom flies out the door, just as it does by futuring, or dwelling in fear. No, sir. That is not the place for us. We are the Freedom Girls, and proud of it. Of course, on 'bad hair days,' it might take a nudge here and there to remember.
As for the 'blizzard of blessings, I'm in and so grateful.
Love and peace,
Cara
My freedom will come once I've liberated my mind from unwarranted fear. I'm still apprehensive about looking foolish or of being thought of negatively. I can always tell when I'm too intimidated to speak my mind and I don't like it. The problem is never the person or group that triggers my more timid behavior. It is always me setting off the triggers. I've got to give a shout out to Ed and Deb. Through HuffPo, they've taught me to meditate and sometimes using that tool helps me abandon some minor fears. Still, deep down, I know that fear is my jailer and only by conquering irrational fear will I have a chance to realize my potential.
Thank you for bringing light. Your illuminations throughout the last few years have helped me grow and develop spiritually.
All my love,
little brother
I love your greeting. Magnificent? Aren't we all? The trick is to not judge ourselves for our nerdiness when we fall into it, and return to a state of kindness toward self and others when we feel not so magnificent.
A gentle nudge to you, my friend: rather than wait for freedom out there "...once I've liberated my mind from unwarranted fear..." Let's seize the moment with gentle hands, and give ourselves the gift of letting whatever is here simply pass through, wash through our being, even fear. Hence, the meditation practice we do again and again: breathe in, breathe out. Every breath, another opportunity to rechoose and let go.
You have much to say. All I'm am saying is let that timidity and the triggers go. You do not need them anymore. We need you more than 'they' do!
So much love,
Cara
I don't think I've ever heard anyone advise to let fear wash through our beings. How? Maybe sometime soon when I feel fear just accept it? Or should I analyze the feeling or the cause? I'm cool with rational fear. I understand the purpose it serves. I should feel fear when my continuance is in real jeopardy. But the little fears, stage freight, fear of ridicule, I don't have a good grasp on a healthful way to deal with those. But I'll try.
Lotsa love,
little brother,
mike
I live in the moment by realizing each step of my past has led me to this moment and this moment is a stepping stone into the next. To live such requires one to have a vision of all things past and future, since life on earth proceeds like a day with exact predictability and why it can be foretold in various religious texts, Science Fiction and children's fables, yet, one is not be enslaved to the past nor controlled by expectation of the future.
http://www.change.org/petitions/eliminate-capitalistic-military-regime is the means of getting me back into bondage. As soon as it get 600 signatures to force the present government into governing constitutionally, as outlined there, I will be able to move on into my next phase of freedom, but that bondage must come first.
I have missed you. You are so true to the Way, my friend. It is one thing to seek our own freedom, and walk away, but then, in that we are One with All, freedom falls short. When I fail in my connection to life passing through all other creatures, then I break connection with complete liberation. How wonderful it is to have the choice to reconsider 'am I simply here for me,' or am I here to serve the greater Purpose of a Greater Design? We each must choose, as you well know.
While we know there is no time, on a quantum level, it is an illusion that too often we attempt to hold as real. For me, the key is to know that now is THE moment, the choice, the breath, the gift, should i choose to accept it.
For your contribution and courage, your compassion and connection, I am grateful, Elijah,
Cara
I missed a few weeks because "Big Brother" did something which prevented me from posting, getting the replies from those I follow and even shut down my computer from time to time. This year started ruff for me so it should end easy.
No one is free until all who desire freedom is and since I've discovered freedom I desire it for all willing to pay the price for it. The truth is, we are all here for ourselves but to be ourselves we have to consider the Greater Design.
Understanding the "Greater Design" we discover there maybe one choice, the first incarnation on earth, after that, everything of every being is predestined. The first may not be our choice, everything follows what I call a timeline, the sequence from the first incarnation until becoming the incarnation over all existence, so when we leave off being the lifeforce of existence we go to the end of the line of lifeforces for beginning the reincarnating process again. That may be destined because no one lifeforce can incarnate existence until every lifeforce has done it since it last did.
Know that now "is what it is" and is destined to change but in what's termed "end of it all" we will be satisfied with everything done.
I missed you last week when I was at the Motherhouse. Yes, my dear,you are right: every moment is a birthing moment. (I use the adjective because I see it as a dynamic.)
Choosing that new life waiting is so enriched by contemplating a compelling birthing, or, some might say 'future.' Knowing that what is compelling is already here, within, gives the liberation.
Here's to the ageless, the timeless, the cosmic chuckle of the dance,
Cara
Oh, and I don't add fractions but I do always look ahead with birthdays - not "I'm 48" but "I'll be 49 this year." It's like counting railway stations on the way home ...
Anyway I'm officially middle-aged now, I wear orthotic soles and multi-focal glasses! :P
Oh, great 'connect' of the dots. Yes, yes: freedom/Home. Hence, the rest of the title of my hew book coming out: The Love Project: Coming Home. Shameless, aren't I???? But, seriously, to be 'home' with who we are most authentically, for me, is to be liberated, no matter what.
My dear, may I say you are 'ageless' in the best possible sense of that statement!
By the way, how's the cable knit guy???
Love,
Cara
Cable knit guy is GOOD! He's taken to 'borrowing' a tee shirt I bought in Venice Beach a couple of years back. Terribly unfair when your bloke borrows a tee that isn't his colour, isn't his size, and looks better than you do in it!
Love,
Louise