Listen With Your Heart!

 Isn't it interesting how the moments of our lives fit together to make a unique tapestry that can either

tell the story of all the glorious and beautiful moments of a life

or

It can illustrate pain and delusion and loss

depending on where we focus our heart?

It has taken me years and years and hundreds of hours of introspection and 

therapy to loosen that hold on my mind

and I still catch myself defining myself by my pain at times.

Our society does that.

We aren't taught to come together in joy, health, and balance

by our mentors for the most part.

Many of us have been taught by family that has been molded by their

own tragedy's to be there for each other when something goes awry.

What about the rest of the time, 

even our schools teach about atrocity, suffering, genocide...

I understand the need to educate about these things,,

yet many of us were never even given a glimpse of an antenna to feel,

notice, or seek joy.

 This picture is one of my favorites, my sweetheart doesn't really understand why.

I think she looks introspective, a bit serious, as her

wonderful doggy looks on from the corner.

She's surrounded by her favorite place and

I love the way she seeks happiness in her life, even as the sun rises to meet her.

She truly is one of the most powerful people I have ever met.

I've had many people in my life, people that have inspired me, 

people I have learned from and learned because of...

and the woman in this picture may just

be my biggest hero.

Not because she is someone who studies sacred texts,

eats organic and sustainable, meditates 10 hours a day, or can turn

herself into a tasty pretzel doing yoga...

nope she doesn't do any of that (right now).

She may be my biggest hero because she looks for

the good, joy, and fun in each day.  Because she absolutely recognizes

her own limitations and is honest about them, and

because she chooses not to let them define her.

Because no matter what she has been through she has an ineffable

understanding of herself that says 

"I can do anything and everything I want to do and no one can stop me!"

She is my hero because she saves little tiny fluffball doggies

from the mean streets of Orlando, because

she brings home organic eggs for me,

because she is so certain of her love for me she is a formidable force

of steadfastness that I can anchor to.

Because she loves God and believes in Karma 

and makes no apologies for herself unless really necessary and

ALWAYS 

takes responsibility for her actions good and not so good.

 

Because she laughs at my serious side,

because she laughs at my worries,

because she sees who I am when I don't.

Mostly though She may be my hero

because I have become so much better at listening with my own heart.

So much better at forgiving myself and others,

so much more able to choose love over fear.

She is fearless is so much of who she is and how she meets the world,

I can only hope to learn some of that from her.

So to me no Guru, lama, spiritual teacher, or reverend has

a higher place in my mind or heart.

No spiritual teaching, no new process,

nothing to me is more Spiritual than watching my sweetheart

meet life and it's challenges raw and real everyday.

There is such beauty in someone

like her that sometimes 

I feel like my heart is growing bigger and bigger and

it may not be contained within me

any longer.

Below is how  I see her everyday.

It's how she meets the world and I am so incredibly

thankful to be a part of that.

Joy is a daily part of my life and I love that I can share that

with her and that she is so great at 

teaching me more!!