Today... I pay tribute to Buddy. Buddy is a "country dog" who lives out here with us. Well, he belongs to Eric's parents, but freely roams the 40 or so acres on which we reside. He is a rescue dog who landed in Paradise. And he knows it. :-) (I guess I can sort of relate... lol). I've grown to love this quirky, big-hearted pup... and I've come to know his ways. He has unwittingly taught me some stuff, actually. That whole "DOG is GOD spelled backwards" thing? I'm pretty sure that isn't a coincidence. To me, a dog is one of the purest forms of unconditional love... a playful reflection of our own DOG-GOD nature. I love dogs. And I love Buddy.

So yeah, there are a lot of "what I have learned from my dog" lists out there, but every dog has his own unique personality... his own "thing". So here is my list. Ten things I have learned from this lovable Border Collie named Buddy:

1.  Stop and smell the journey.

We have recently started taking Buddy for walks. On a leash. Out on the paved road. This is relatively new for this free-roaming dog... and he is really starting to get into it. "OH... this is what dogs are supposed to do! Cool!" ;-) He caught on quickly. So this has added a new dimension to our human and dog relationship. The "companion on the path" kind of thing. And we learn from each other in this. Buddy, like all dogs, needs to stop and sniff. We can be clipping along, when suddenly his schnoz grinds us to a halt. My inclination is to tug at his leash and urge him to keep trotting, but as Eric reminds me, dogs need to stop and sniff. It's part of their enjoyment in being "out there". So, yeah... it's OK to want to get to where you are going, but don't miss out on all the juicy little things along the way. And don't just notice them, but get your nose right in there and breathe them in fully! Let the little things fill you completely! Thanks, Buddy. :-)

2.  Stay in synch with your walking companion.
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As I mentioned in #1, Buddy is really getting the hang of this dog walking thing (or human walking thing... as it sometimes seems). Eric and I take turns holding the leash, and when I'm trailing behind them, I enjoy watching the dynamic that happens. There is a mindfulness of where each is at in regards to pacing and direction. There is a give and take. Buddy may try to speed up or veer off in a slightly different direction, but does so with an awareness of what's going on with Eric and adjusts accordingly. And vice versa. It's almost like each is a personal trainer, looking out for the other's best interest. And isn't that what healthy, loving partnership is all about? Finding the "higher road" together for the greater good?   

3.  Drink from the pond.

Buddy doesn't have a water dish outside. Instead, he drinks from a beautiful pond with fish and frogs and plants and algae. All co-existing together. Buddy somehow knows the value of taking nourishment from this perfect, self-sustaining ecosystem. Imagine living in a world like this pond... with healthy, nourishing interdependence. Thank you for the perspective, Buddy.

4. Love and protect fiercely.

Border Collies in particular have an innate instinct to serve and protect. Buddy is no exception. And here, with so much wildlife and open space, he has his work cut out for him. He is tireless in his attempts to stave off coyotes and other possible threats. I often hear him outside our trailer... barking and dashing about. He is a fierce protector. He also greets us when we come home... and herds us safely inside. There is an honorable sense of duty that feels like love, reminding me to cherish who and what I hold dear. And to be clear about how best I can do that.

5.  Don't chase cars in the road!

Probably with good intentions (he is a herding dog after all), Buddy has had this thing about wandering off to the road on his own to chase cars. I'm hoping the regular walks on a leash will curb the desire (so far so good), but nonetheless, this is part of Buddy's troubled past... lol. Chasing cars can be self-defeating (not to mention dangerous)! The lesson? Don't chase! Allow the "cars" that are meant to find you to come down your driveway. Otherwise, just let them pass. :-)

6.  Know when to go through an open door.
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Buddy is primarily an outdoor dog. And there's a lot of dirt and mud outside. So there are places inside that he is not allowed to venture. And he has pretty much had to learn (sometimes the hard way) that just because a door is open, he shouldn't necessarily go through it. He needs to be invited. Lesson: Not all open doors are meant for us. It's best to get clear about which ones are ours to go through. To know when we have an authentic invitation from on high. 

7.  Don't be afraid to lay right down in the dirt.

Buddy has no qualms about laying right down wherever he is... to rest or to simply enjoy the moment. Often this will be right down on the dirt... or mud even. He's not afraid to get his paws (or the rest of him) dirty. Perhaps he knows this is where much of real life occurs. In the messy places. The raw, unrefined, unkempt parts of ourselves and our world. Enjoying freedom from perfection and appearances. I'll probably be learning this one for a while. ;-)

8.  Expose your underbelly every once in a while!

Whenever I greet Buddy, the first thing he does is drop down and roll onto his back. Just like that. So trusting... so open and ready to receive. Completely vulnerable. My energy tells him it's OK. He absolutely knows the reward that awaits. A loving pat on the head and a gentle belly rub. Showing our underbellies now and again can be so healing. We just need to have a good sense of who we can be vulnerable with... to be aware of the energy between each other. 

9.  Fly!

Buddy gets pretty worked up over birds and insects... and airplanes. I kid you not... he barks at airplanes! So I've deduced that he gets excited about anything that flies. He knows that flying is where it's at! Living free and soaring above it all... spreading our wings. Thanks for the reminder, Buddy. To live with our paws in the earth while our spirits soar. Yes!

10.  Kiss often... love unconditionally.
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Last but not least. It is completely natural for Buddy to love unconditionally. To lavish with face licks and an ever loving gaze. It's not even something he does... it's just what he is. Without the ego that we humans have that can get in the way. A dog has no ego. Just as Spirit has no ego. Again, the DOG-GOD thing. Having Buddy around helps ground me in unconditional love. I will never be as good at giving and receiving it as he is, but what a gift it is to have him around. And I know I'm not alone there. We humans love our canines! It really is a dog's life... we're just lucky to get to share it with them. :-)

I sent a newsletter to my email list this morning and just wanted to share here. If you're not yet on my email list and would like to be, you can sign up on my home page.

Meanwhile, you can CLICK HERE to read my latest update. Enjoy! :-)

There's this book I really love... a book I got years ago that I still check in with from time to time. It's called "Journey to the Heart" by Melody Beattie. It's a collection of musings and meditations with an entry for every day of the year. I've owned lots of self-help and spiritual books over the years, but this is one that has stuck with me and always seems to resonate. Looking for some blogging inspiration, I flipped to the entry for May 4th, entitled "Cherish Each Moment". It couldn't have been more in alignment with where I was. In it, she writes: "Most of us relish the magnificent spiritual experiences, those tremendous discoveries, those important times of change. But those moments don't happen that often. The truth is, each moment in time is a spiritual experience, an important time of change. Cherish ALL your moments. Let each moment have value. The life you desire is happening right now. Your destiny is here."

See, I thought I needed some inspiration. I haven't blogged in a few weeks because I wasn't sure I had anything of real value to blog about. Life is peaceful. Simple and peaceful. No angst... no deep soul searching... no major "a-ha" revelations. Oh, it's not that I don't have those human (or hormonal, lol) "moments" or upsets or irritations... it's just that life overall feels GOOD. And I almost feel guilty about that. ;-) Almost. Until I remember all the angst-ridden, raw nerved times of unrest before this. Working a stressful job, lamenting life choices, searching for peace, happiness, and love. Thinking too much and trying too hard.  It's not that I ever intend to stop growing or evolving... it's just that these days it feels like my heart has arrived, if you will. Or maybe it's more like I have finally arrived at my heart. I feel a sense of wholeness I don't think I ever have before. Like everything that matters is right here, right now... inside and out.  And I know to cherish it. And I am grateful... so grateful. Part of it is having seasoned perspective and awareness... and part of it is about spiritual alignment and what has manifested as a result. A healthy, loving, satisfying relationship. Work that doesn't feel like work  and pays my bills. Work that uses my gifts and talents, feels purposeful, and that I enjoy. Living simply and beautifully amongst the trees, birds, and frogs. :-) 

Simplicity has become huge for me. I used to think simple was boring. But I think I was mistaking it for superficiality. Superficiality is definitely boring to me. :-) But simplicity... simplicity is not boring as it might imply nor is it necessarily easy. Simplicity is a choice. An intention. And for some of us, it's hard-earned.  I personally had to retrain my brain. I had to recognize and undo detrimental thought patterns and create new ones. Which is exactly what "New Thought" is.  It's reprogramming the mind, basically, to align with our true nature... our core. And I'm here to say, it works. And the reason I know it works is that as I've shifted my thoughts over the course of a decade or so, my surroundings and my experience of life have shifted.

So here I sit in this beautiful little trailer out in the country and I experience the "simple sacred"... the warmth, the energy, the colors and decor. Through the windows I see lush green. I hear birds chirping. I feel peace. I spend most days writing, making music... making and sharing meals... drinking wine... walking in nature... loving and being loved. I mean, what else is there, really? :-) Well, ok... there are also chores and tasks and other such responsibilities to tend to, but my "heart essentials" are all graciously in place.

And in creating this simpler life with less space, I've really had to downsize. That means getting rid of "stuff". Can I tell you how freeing that is? Just yesterday I put two bags worth of paperwork and memorabilia into the recycling bin. Another bag I am going to burn or shred. As I sifted and sorted, my song "What Falls Away" came into my head:  "...with a kiss goodbye, I let go of all the tattered pieces... what falls away reveals the essence... the essence of me".  Simplicity is all about stripping down to the essence, inside and out. To that which is essential. To what matters.

There was a time I think I was hooked on drama and complication... that somehow it made me feel alive. These days it's quite the opposite and I've never felt more alive. And SO relieved. I know now that simple is not boring and is indeed valuable.  It's something I'm learning to celebrate... every day.

"Try not to try too hard... it's just a lovely ride". These are the simple and wise words of James Taylor from his song "Secret o' Life". It's a line that always gets me. You see, there's kind of a danger in living a conscious life. There's often this tendency to  overanalyze and try too hard to "get it right". I know this has been my experience, anyway. That line of the song instantly calms me... reassures me... and even gets me to sort of laugh at myself. Levity. Ease. Grace. The Big Exhale.

To allow the "ride" part of the journey, we have to see life as such. When we "take a ride", we have to allow ourselves to be carried... to flow with all the twists and turns and bumps in the road. This doesn't mean we just go whichever way the wind blows... it means we lay down a road of intention and allow the wheels to align with it.

Remembering that life is indeed a ride keeps things in perspective. It helps us to not take things too seriously...  get too lost in our "story"... or drown in the deep end of the pool. It's about trust. Trusting ourselves and life enough to flow with it. Yes, we do our valuable work digging through the rubble of our conditioning and false beliefs... but it's important not to lose sight that love is all there is underneath all that rubble, even when we can't really see it. We just need to trust it is there. Always. Love is the rock solid road beneath our wheels. Holding fast to that... to love... we are free to enjoy the ride. To enjoy the living!

Whatever specific intentions we pave our road with, it really does all come down to love. Remembering that is what helps me when I get stressed about trying to "do the right things" to further my goals. We can get so caught up in trying to make things go the way we think they should that we block the natural flow. For ourselves and  for others. 

I experienced this in action last week during our spring break beach trip when the 9-year-old among us had the idea for the three of us to build a sandcastle. Fun! She began by designing the structure with her dad and then started building. Because she had her own idea about how things should be done (out of excitement and, well, just being a kid), she started "instructing" us. I immediately started feeling this sense of constriction... which really shouldn't be the case when you're building a sand castle! ;-) See, instead of being on my hands and knees sculpting sand like she wanted me to do, I was more inclined to collect unique and beautiful rocks and shells to adorn the castle. That was my thing. The underlying intention was the same for all of us... to build something together out of love... but how each of us showed up to it took some allowing. Once I explained this to her, there was a freedom and flow in our creation together...and in our experience together. A very small scale reminder about how important it is on the journey to honor each other's "way"... and each other's pace. Allowing alignment is a huge part of enjoying the ride.

There's another line in "Secret o' Life" that I just love:  "Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill... but since we're on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride". Ahhh... there is something about mid-life in particular that changes the view. Having spent so much of my younger years trying so hard... working so hard to make things "right"... there is such freedom in having "been there, done that". And letting it all go. One of the biggest rewards of having done all that work is recognizing that it doesn't have to be so much work anymore. "Sliding down... gliding down..." as James Taylor puts it. Yes, I still have my bumps, twists, and turns in the road... but my vehicle these days is better equipped to roll with it all. ;-)

"The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time..." Don't forget that! It can't all be roses all the time... but it's always a good idea to have those rose-colored glasses handy. Enjoying the ride is just a perspective away. :-)

I love seasons. I need to live in a place with seasons. I'm always ready for them... for the changes both externally and internally that they bring. Spring is kind of a tough one here in the Pacific Northwest, though. We are more than ready for warmer, sunnier days by the time March rolls around... and we do get some "teasers" in there... but mostly, the grey and rainy days persist, sometimes well into June. So it always kind of comes up on me unawares... the official day of spring equinox. It was actually Facebook that alerted me with "Happy first day of spring, Lauri!" But, thinking about it now, I did feel it. Even before I realized it was spring, I felt a subtle shift... an openness to and awareness of new life. Inside and out. A sense of freshness... of breathing cleaner air, literally and metaphorically.

On the day before the official equinox, as I was traveling up to the Seattle area to perform the next morning, I was alerted that the musical director/pianist had taken ill and might not be able to play... or that we would possibly need to adjust some things from what was planned. I wasn't too worried, as Eric was making the trip with me and I knew he could jump in and accompany on most of the songs if need be. But it still threw me off a bit, this being the first time at this particular center. We would just need to sort of wait and see how things looked in the morning.

What this news did was actually give me an opportunity to trust... to go with the flow... to let go of any expectation and be open to something new. As it turned out, the pianist was able to play most of what he'd planned to, though he was pretty sick and we only had a short time that morning to rehearse. But because we allowed divine inspiration to take over (well... that in addition to our collective experience and professionalism, of course) we not only pulled it off, but there was something truly unique and beautiful that bloomed amidst the circumstance.  Just like nature in springtime. :-) There's a quote by Sandra Kring that I just love: "The tiny seed knew that in order to grow, it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light."

But OH... do I have my days. Just yesterday as I headed out for my daily walk, it started to rain. Really rain. Dark sky, cold, determined rain. UGH. Dammit! Isn't this supposed to be spring??? I allowed myself to just resolve to the gloom and grumpily trudged along. And then... just when I was least expecting it... the rain stopped and there was light! Not exactly sunny... but there was a sudden, surprising burst of light and the rain subsided. I felt my whole disposition shift, pulled off my hood, and just took it all in. Yes. This is what I'm talking about! At any moment, some large or small miracle can spring upon us (pun fully intended). But we have to be open to it... and to acknowledge and appreciate it. That's the key.

So here's another one. Earlier this week, as I started my "usual day", Eric surprised me by suggesting a spontaneous, last minute overnight getaway to soak in mineral tubs and take in new sights. Just like that, our weekly routine got a little lift... a spark of magic... a change in perspective. And just one day of that opens the pathway to see new life everywhere... every day. 

Spring is indeed about new life... coming out of the darkness.  Being open to possibilities beyond the status quo. Inspired spontaneity.  It is a time to challenge what has been. Even the stuff that has been working just fine... our "functional routines", so to speak. What about sparkle and shininess?  I am a big advocate of  embracing what is in terms of acceptance and authenticity, but not to the extreme that we close ourselves off to miracles and magic. We need to be open to seeing a flower bloom where we didn't even know a seed had been planted. To be shown something completely new and unexpected.

I do love spring, even with all the rain. ;-) New dawn... new day... new life.  It's possible in every moment. Just be open to it! And when it shows itself to you, really SEE it. And give it a big hug. OK? :-)

This past weekend I ventured into a new spiritual community to share my music... my voice... my heart. That is always the big picture intention. To share, inspire, and shine a light. In the process of doing that, there are technical and logistical things that need to happen, like rehearsing with a new band and acclimating to a new space, etc. I will admit, it can sometimes be a challenge to stay focused on the intention without getting distracted by how smoothly these things are going from my perspective. And that is the key word... my perspective. I am sometimes just too close to see what others see. I judge too harshly or somehow get fixated on details. So thank God for the people who come up after the service and engage with me! Yes! :-) I have to say, I've come to the realization that it's really not enough to just "do my thing". My thing is your thing, really... and I believe that's how it should be. It is when people come up and share what they felt or observed... or even just take an interest... that reminds me what the heck I'm doing and where I stand with my intentions... where I'm succeeding and where I might need to grow. What kind of impact, large or small, I am making. We all need that from each other, don't we? To really see each other and actually verbalize what we are seeing and experiencing in each other? Yes... I believe so!  And on that note... thank you, little Riley, for the very sweet hand-drawn customized picture (worth a thousand words, as they say).  Have I mentioned I love my job?  :-)

This week I was asked to sing the Katy Perry song "Unconditionally" for an upcoming inspirational service. It got me thinking about the first time I was asked to sing it... two years ago in honor of Valentine's Day. I had never heard the song before, and I remember thinking, "Me? Sing a Katy Perry song?" But as soon as I listened to it, I knew it was mine to sing. Thank you, Universe.

You see, I was single at the time... unattached... un-partnered... whatever you want to call it. ;-) Being on my own a good number of my adult years, I had gotten pretty good at the independent life. I figured  since I couldn't seem to find anyone I truly clicked with, I would make the very most of my life as a happily single person.  Just as I was starting to "resign" myself and accept what I thought was my destiny, I was asked to sing this song about intimate, unconditional love between two people. BAM. That's when it hit me. I had sort of been in denial. I had basically given up wanting what I truly wanted  deep down. Perhaps I believed that since I had turned away perfectly lovely people along my journey  I didn't deserve to be with anyone... or that the soul mate I desired just didn't exist.

As I listened to "Unconditionally" over and over again and began to embody the song, I could feel it slowly start to break my heart open. I began coming to terms with, and uncovering a deep longing that I had sort of hidden away. A longing to truly give my heart to someone... to share myself and my life fully... and  to love someone unconditionally... specifically, in an intimate relationship. And tears began to flow. Tears of both joy and pain. I knew it was time to finally give myself  permission to want what I wanted. To really open myself to it. To be vulnerable. And to get clear about my heart's desires in a partner. I realized that for it to exist "out there", it had to exist in my own being... in my own heart... in my own knowing. I had to believe that it existed. That he existed. I had to "get ready".

So, as much as I never thought I'd sing a Katy Perry song ;-) I have to say, it really got to me... and I sang it that Sunday with all my heart and soul. And...  guess who was sitting in the front row that morning? Yep. My soul mate, Eric. :-) Turns out he was "getting  ready", too. And little did we know that just a few weeks from that morning we would have our first official date.  As we would later discover, we were both doing the "prep work" for our relationship. Making room. Getting clear.

Eric and I "meet" each other and connect on so many levels... most importantly, we have the desire and willingness to love each other unconditionally. It's not always rosy... and certainly not perfect... but it's real, it's beautiful, and it's what my heart has always desired. The unconditional love we share is something that grows every day. And we learn from it and from each other. Constantly. Along with the attraction and chemistry (which I do believe just has to be there... one of those things I had all but given up on), it is a choice to love unconditionally. And God keeps growing us in that department. And I am so thankful for that.

February is the month of love. I celebrate love every day, but this month in particular, I have been celebrating the intimate, soulmate love that came into my life two years ago. Reminding myself to never take it for granted. I am deeply grateful for the rich rewards and the way it has grown my heart to love in all capacities.

Believe in LOVE. Always. Pure, beautiful, unconditional love... in all its forms.  Love is absolutely our greatest ally in this world. And... it does exist. <3

Shadows. Light. Dark energy. Light energy. Duality. This seems to be a theme lately...  especially in this transition from winter to spring. Feeling both darkness and light (sometimes in extremes) and living in the duality of both of these energies. Because they both exist... always. Yep... there are days I just let myself be in a funk, allowing the darkness to keep me in bed a little longer or mutter expletives under my breath a little more... lol... and that's OK, as long as I see it for what it is and don't stay "there" too long. Mostly, I see this time as an opportunity to practice remembering. Remembering the light that is always there. Acknowledging the darkness, but coming home to the light... over and over again. It's a practice... definitely.  

A few years ago, I remember a dear friend and co-worker of mine noticing a change in me. I had been taking classes and just really immersing myself in spiritual practice and spiritual community. She said, "it's like you have this little Bunsen Burner inside you... this little flame right in your center". Wow. How cool that she observed it this way (and without me even saying much about what was going on with me). Yes! I was learning how to get in touch with that "love energy buzz" (as it feels to me) within. And it was showing! I was becoming aware of that unchanging and consistent light within. Call it God... call it higher power... call it truth... call it essence... call it the "one heart". Whatever the name, it's unconditional. It is always there. Eternally present. It's just that we sometimes forget. We get distracted by the drama in the world. "Bad" things happen. Yes, darkness is always there, too... along with the light... and we can either dwell in that darkness... feed it and let it expand... or. OR.

Or... we can feed and expand the light. We can "give it to God". Easy to say... but what does that mean? It means different things to different people. To me, it means sitting still in the midst of what feels like chaos and honing in on that little "buzz" inside. The buzz of love energy. Seeing in my mind's eye a pure, white light. Feeling  the warmth. It usually starts small and then radiates out and spreads through my body... out through my fingertips and toes... out through the top of my head... and into the world and whatever situation is causing pain or disturbance.  It's what this world needs. Shadow or dark energy is always there, too, but I believe we can flood ourselves with love energy and create a shift in how we experience our world and its circumstances. We can even shift the circumstance itself with the kind of energy we are feeding it. The point isn't to ignore the darkness, but to remember the light amidst the dark. Without darkness we wouldn't really know to cherish and appreciate the light. It is there as a reminder of light.

I like thinking of dark and light in terms of energy. When it comes down to it, energy is everything... and everything is energy. As a singer, a performer, I am especially affected by energy. And my energy affects those I share my music with, for sure. It's cyclical. I have felt my whole performance shift depending on the energy present. If I feel skepticism or criticism going into it... or overly cerebral or egoic energy overshadowing the heart... it can negatively affect the flow of "love energy" if I'm not careful. I have felt this happen. On the other hand, when I am immersed in love energy... when I feel encouraged and free to shine my light... something greater emerges and there is this beautiful, cyclical flow of love energy between myself and the audience. This is what I love most... why I do what I do... and why I know I need to keep practicing  the remembering. To tune into the Bunsen Burner inside me (I just love that image) and let it spread like wildfire throughout my being and outward. Not only in singing/performing, but in all interaction.

Love energy is our essence. We just forget sometimes. It really is a continuous practice of remembering. Meditation, music, being in nature, spending time with loved ones, in community with treasured friends and family... these are all things that help me remember. That bring me back home to my heart... to that Bunsen Burner within. :-) How do you remember? <3

This week I got some exciting news from my sister, Sheryl. She told me she was invited to New York City (all expenses paid!) to attend an event by a big NYC toy company that she became affiliated with through the virtual world of blogging. You see, Sheryl is a preschool teacher, and over the past few years she has built up an impressive following on her blogsite "Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds" (http://teaching2and3yearolds.com/) simply by following her heart and using her natural gifts and talents (well... plus a whole lot of time, energy, passion, and commitment!). I couldn't be more proud of her. She is truly an example of the philosophy that "what we believe about ourselves is what we manifest". I watched her go from an attitude of "I'm just trying my hand at this" to stepping fully in and claiming her authentic power and authority.

At each new milestone as she was growing her site, I remember her asking, "Wait a minute... who am I to be doing this? Do I really have the credentials?" It's that little voice that creeps in and wants to undermine... to sabotage. Don't we all know that voice? Dang... I know I do. I think we all hear that voice when we put ourselves out there in pursuit of our dreams. It's how we react to that voice that is key. I know she'd say that in her past she did let that voice stop her. But in this leg of her journey, I have proudly watched her quiet that voice and keep on keepin' on. We would have conversations about it. She would express her doubts and fears... just get it out... and then "act anyway". She just kept showing up to her passion... steadily and consistently... at her desk in her little corner of the world, pouring out heartfelt words and images that inspire teachers, parents, and grandparents with ideas and information. And now... this virtual world is leading her "out there"... all the way to NYC. How cool is that? :-) I am so proud of her for this success... this exciting trip... but I am even more proud of her for walking her life. For learning to believe in herself. For sharing her natural gifts and talents. And I'm so proud that she's my sister.

Ah, sisters. I am so blessed to have two sisters that are life-long friends... soul-mates, really. I have also watched my younger sister, Carolyn, push through fears and "rise to the occasion"... in so many ways. Heck, she recently stepped in to coach a basketball team of 11 year olds! Ummm... yeah. That's ultimate courage in my opinion. :-) But I will write more about the special connection I have with Carolyn in another blog... if I dare put in writing some of the craziness she has seen me through... lol.

 It was just Sheryl and I for seven years before sister number three came along,  so we were pretty close... very compatible playmates and friends. From Barbies to Big Wheels to Boyfriends... oh my! ;-) Our lives were pretty parallel up until our twenties when she got married and started a family and I... well, I almost did that... but took a detour and went the route of music and adventure (not that raising a family isn't an adventure... but I think you know what I mean). Yet, even though our lives looked different on the outside, we were connected in our souls. And yes, we were mirrors for each other. I would sometimes look at her life and long for marriage and family... and I know she would say she experienced the occasional pang of jealousy at my life of freedom and adventure. I suppose our souls wanted to have the fullness of all of it.

And here we are now... what feels like a balance of two extremes. This life-long bond of sisterhood has seen us through to a more fully realized version of ourselves, with our souls leading the way. I learn from my sisters, they learn from me, and we cheer each other on as we rise to our hearts desires. We remind each other of who we are and where we came from. And no matter where we are in life, there is unconditional love and connection. Oh... and freckles. Lots of freckles. :-)

Today I celebrate "soul mirror sisterhood". Cheers to those life-long bonds, blood ties or not, that lift us up, carry us forward. and remind us of who we truly are. And a big congratulations to my sister, Sheryl... to another milestone in your journey. Go get 'em, sis! <3

 On an afternoon walk a few days ago, Eric suggested we take a detour through the beautiful cemetery close to where we are house sitting in the West Hills of Portland. It's not something I do very often... walk through cemeteries. This one is atop a hill with sweeping views and a path to walk on... just beautiful.

As we made our way to the path, we had to walk over the graves. I found myself slowing down... reading the headstones... pondering the lives that were lived and now gone from this earth. I was flooded with unexpected feelings and sensations throughout my body. A bit of eeriness, too. The phrase "we step lightly" came into my consciousness... and soon after, a melody to it. Perhaps the beginnings of a new song? :-) It just came to me. I don't think I had heard it before. Yes, I was indeed stepping lightly over the graves, out of care and respect. But what I was really feeling was how transient this physical life on earth is. Well, our  time on it anyway. The earth lives on.  And that is the point.

Our limited time here is a gift... a blessing. And we are here to honor that gift... and to honor the earth that inhabits us. As I was talking to Eric about the phrase that popped into my head, "we step lightly", and what it meant to me, he pointed out that there was a Native American philosophy around that phrase (or similar to it). So I came home and looked some stuff up on Google. Whoa. I love the way Google works as the "one mind" sometimes!

First, I found a lovely poem that completely resonated with how I was feeling and why that phrase came to me:

"Tread lightly upon this earth, seeing, understanding but never imposing. Thoughtful, independent, be gracious in victory and defeat. Free of possessiveness, so ease of mind sweetens relationships. Like the scent of a rose the untroubled spirit imparts a lasting fragrance".   - Author Unknown

I couldn't say it better myself. Walking through that cemetery, I realized that acknowledging death changes the landscape of life here on earth. The message I was getting is that we aren't to get too attached to what we can see and touch... but to become more connected to the eternal heart space within us and in each other... and to the heart of this earth. I know we're all going to physically die at some point, but I must admit, I sometimes can't even wrap my head around that reality.  What I know is that there is value in remembering that our time here in this realm is temporary. That awareness loosens our grip. It lightens our step. It deepens our breaths.  

As I did a little more searching, I found that Native American wisdom has much to teach us about that phrase that popped into my head (as Eric had pointed out to me). It is indeed about heart and spirit, but also living a life of less (physically)... leaving minimal physical impact on our earth.  Here are just a few of the beautiful proverbs I found:

"Let us walk softly on the earth with all living beings great and small, remembering as we go that one God, kind and wise, created all"

"Walk lightly in the spring; Mother Earth is pregnant"

"May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty all the days of your life"

I also love to think of stepping lightly as living with a lightness of being. Walking in truth and wisdom, but floating a little, too. :-) Ascending in mind and spirit with both feet on the ground.

I found another quote (author unknown) that resonates deeply and would like to leave you with:

"Step lightly... let your presence be larger than the space you consume"  

Wow... yes. Food for thought. And something to aspire to, for sure.

Namaste, fellow steppers. <3