Happy Thanksgiving.. and thank YOU...

Hello from my heart to yours....

 

"Thanksgiving is nothing if not a glad and reverent lifting of the heart to God in honor and praise for His goodness." 

                                                            ~Robert Casper Lintner

I have missed you all.... YOU are always in my thoughts and in my heart.... I have a million blessings written in my heart, but they just haven't seemed to make their way to paper... as I reflect on that thought, I realize that it's because, at the time that I stopped writing, my life was in a transitional state and I wasn't able to express all the emotions I was experiencing.. and then suddenly, all the puzzle pieces seemed to come together easily and I was receiving all that is mine in my Divine Right ... and then, I didn't quite know how to express the abundance of love that I was feeling without it sounding like a personal "gratitude journal" of sorts and not just a simple and general blessing.... 

I do not believe in coincidences, but it is funny to me that the last blessing I wrote, on October 2nd, was on the Feast of the Guardian Angel... as I re-read it, it actually brought tears to my own eyes... my angels are with me... they are always with me... my life is good... and I am thankful everyday for all the blessings I have received and continue to receive.. God is so good..... I am at a peaceful place........

So anyway.... this blessing is one that I "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" every Thanksgiving.... I love Thanksgiving because it is probably the only day that all Americans celebrate regardless of their religion... it is the only day that everyone is thanking God or the Universe or some other higher being... all day people are giving thanks......
On this day before Thanksgiving, give thanks for the gift that YOU are and the life that you lead.  I know how hard it is to be a "spiritual being having a human experience" ... it's hard to bring love into spaces where there is very little... to share truth with hearts that are filled with fear.... and to trust in God even when you do not always have a tangible reason to do so - but these, my blessed friends, are lessons in the mastery of love. It takes fortitude to keep going in times when fear runs so freely around us.. but when you have faith... and when you practice loving kindness... and when you are truthful with yourselves and others...  you will find an abundance of love ... a love that goes way beyond the roof over your head and the food on your table... you will find the abundance of God's love within you... lift up your hearts and give thanks for the love..... 

 

and once again, I continue to give thanks for all of you this Thanksgiving.... You have inspired me for so long.. you have challenged me to search within myself.. you have made me grow and better myself... you have held me up in sad times and you laughed with me in happy times...  as brothers and sisters in this journey called life, our hearts are intertwined.... .  every single one of us experiences the same lessons in different ways, the same emotions at different times, and the same hopes and dreams for the people on earth....  You are the abundance in my life and I am blessed to be connected with you all ...   it is with a grateful and reverent heart that I thank God for all the goodness He brings to my life through all of YOU.......
May God bless you all with good things and may you have a blessed Thanksgiving Day,

With love and sincerity... thank you from my heart to yours... I love YOU... 

Elena

 

And lastly, I'd like to leave you with a prayer written by my great friend, Rod McKuen

A THANKSGIVING PRAYER FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT PRAY

To those who cannot pray. To those who cannot walk upon the ground. To those who cannot see and those who cannot hear the world around them. To those who cannot speak. To those in misery and discomfort. To those poor of means or poor of spirit to those who feel oppressed or put upon. To those who have not yet found a God or someone they can pray to or someone with whom to pray.

Oh Lord, for these our sisters and our brothers who do not pray and will not pray, we ask that you provide enough wisdom and compassion in all of us to pray for them . . . and for ourselves that we find better ways of caring for and helping one another..
- RM 11/21/98. Adapted from "A Prayer For Our Special Brothers & Sisters" from "An Outstretched Hand.", 1980

Angels

Hello from my heart to yours.....

 

"I have a dream, a song to sing .... To help me cope with anything ... If you see the wonder of a fairy tale
You can take the future even if you fail....  I believe in angels ...
Something good in everything I see ....     I believe in angels ....When I know the time is right for me ... I'll cross the stream - I have a dream.... "   

 

                                                                                    I Have a Dream by ABBA

 

I have loved that song since I was a  teenager.... .... I believe in angels... they resonate love ... and where there is love, angels reside....

 

Today is the feast day of "Guardian Angels" .... For all of my childhood, and on occasion (until it was stolen), I wore a medallion of the guardian angel with the children at her feet... It was was grandmother's, then my mother's and then, mine.. all of my boys wore the medallion on the day of their first communion... nothing is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from danger real and imagined... but the guardian angel is not just for children... their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer and to represent their souls to God at death...well, that is what Catholics believe... however, in researching about angels, almost every religion believes in them in one form or another... part of the allure of the angels, I think, is the colorful and humanly compelling notion of a representative of God who is more human-like, and therefore, more approachable in imagination... 

In January of 2010, Angels came to my home from Jerusalem... one of my "earthly" angels sent them... a type of prayer-chain whereby you are chosen to receive them and have them in your home for a few days.. during this time, you are to be in a constant state of grace through prayer and meditation, and then, you are to send them to someone else who believes... and so on..... yeah, I know it sounds nutsy, but I believe and so we did it.... I remember those days as being very peaceful... we had a "messages to heaven" box in the living room where we placed prayer petitions... and everyone that came to our house, loved the idea of placing a petition in the box...  

Anyway, I am surrounded by "earthly" angels... completely surrounded.... I see and feel them everywhere... just 2 weeks ago, I went to mass at a different church and I saw an Emmaus sister of mine there... we aren't really "friends", but whenever I need some advice about something, I will email her and receive a response almost simultaneously... when I see her, I am filled with such emotion, that tears swell in my eyes... I love her... she is angelic to me.... 

Another one of my favorite people in the world is a childhood friend who has come to take me under his angelic wing as he tries to build a successful business... and there's this other angel, whom I have never met, who sends me angelic messages through her blog about Aspergers.... and another, who embodies peace and love everyday with his website postings for the world to see on facebook... and my "sweet" angel who sends me hearts and kisses... and my "redneck" angel who is forever my pillar of spiritual strength... and a "bead-making" angel who knitted me some beautiful socks... and a "wild" angel who hand-made me an anklet... and my "Indonesian" angel who calls me "mama" and loves me dearly... and the new assistant principal angel who speaks so sweetly about my child when I'm sure she wants to strangle him...lol... 

I could go on and on referring to many of you here... YOU, my blessed angels who are with me all the time through these blessings.... Everywhere, everywhere... there are angels.... filling our hearts with messages of love from above.... Angels believe in YOU... believe in them, too... 

so, on this day of the Guardian Angels, I say this prayer......... 

Thank you God for sending Your angels.... I pledge to trust in them and use their help in all of my life affairs and transactions, knowing that You have sent them to me so that I don't have to travel this journey alone... .  I close my eyes... I calm my mind... I open my heart ....  to receive all the messages that You send me through them... Help me to speak their universal language ... to speak with love... to touch with kindness... to listen with care... to see with beauty... and above all, to love .... so that Your angels reside with me eternally.....

 

...And because you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me... I pray that angels always reside with you... 

May your day be blessed with love....

I love all of YOU, my Angels....

 

Elena

Yom Kippur.. and Divine Forgiveness for ALL

“Blessed is the Name of the glory of Your kingship forever and ever”.... second verse of the Shema...

Throughout the year, this blessing is recited in an undertone, as it was “stolen” from the angels. On Yom Kippur, however, we are likened to angels, so we too, like the angels, can recite it out loud.... so, let's begin the blessing by proclaiming......

“Blessed is the Name of the glory of Your kingship forever and ever”...

Yom Kippur, also known as "the Day of Atonement", is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people.... According to Jewish tradition, God inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into a book, the "Book of Life", on Rosh HaShanah, and waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict.... The Tefila Zaka meditation says.. "I fully and finally forgive everyone; may no one be punished because of me. And just as I forgive everyone, so may You grant me grace in the eyes of others, that they too forgive me absolutely." During Yom Kippur itself, Jews fast and pray for God's forgiveness for the transgressions they have made against God in the prior year. Sincere repentance is required, and once again, God can only forgive one for the sins one has committed against God; this is why it is necessary for Jews also to seek the forgiveness of those people who they have wronged.

Of course, I am no expert really.. this is what I read on a website... and since I am Christian, I wanted to, also, read about WWJD (What Would Jesus Do)?  We cannot exactly know, but since He was Jewish.. we can believe that He fasted and prayed, together with His community.. He took His own measure, mingling regret and resolve.... He reflected on the year just past, and looked ahead to the year forthcoming... and as so many of His parables say, "Jesus took comfort in a gracious God, Who welcomed not only the "perfect", but also, the penitent... 

Because today is about forgiveness... and what I like to do is "connect" us all... I thought that I would give you all a little background on what we ALL believe regarding forgiveness.....

The Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians teach that God's forgiveness is received through personal repentance in conjunction with the ministry of the Church, that is, the Body of Christ. They teach to make formal confession of sins individually in the presence of a priest, and to obtain absolution as a formal expression by the church of God's forgiveness. It is taught that the sacrifice of Jesus via the crucifixion is the vehicle through which God forgives the believer of his or her sins. The sacrament of communion is regarded as central to the reception of divine forgiveness.

The Buddhists believe that in contemplating the law of karma, they realize that it is not a matter of seeking revenge but of practicing metta and forgiveness, for the victimizer is, truly, the most unfortunate of all....
 
Islamic belief teaches that God (Allah) is 'the most forgiving', and is the original source of all forgiveness. Forgiveness often requires the repentance of those being forgiven. Depending on the type of wrong committed, forgiveness can come either directly from Allah, or from one's fellow man whom received the wrong. In the case of divine forgiveness, the asking for divine forgiveness via repentance is important. In the case of human forgiveness, it is important to both forgive, and to be forgiven.

Ivanla Vanzant, New Thought Spiritual Teacher, said, "Forgiveness is the most powerful tool you have to lessen your burden and heal your life.  Simply be willing.  Your willingness creates a space for miracles to occur." I think that in order for the miracle to occur... we must believe that forgiveness is the awakening to the reality that the separation never occurred in God’s "eternal" reality... the space created by our willingness to forgive, should be open an free of debris.... the inability to forgive, creates blocks that do not allow us to see the eternal goodness in... and the unity and equality with... one’s brothers and sisters.  When we forgive, we remove the fog obscuring the reflection of God within others, which leads to the same sight within ourselves.... If we forgive, we will find that there isn't anything that can be done to us that can affect the eternal oneness that God has created.... all will remain as God created... and we, as blessed people, will remain united in God’s eternal love....  after all, we all make mistakes... we all carry burdens... and so, if WE repent, WE are all offered Divine forgiveness.. 

May the gift of forgiveness open us up to receive goodness in our lives so that we can be the blessed people God intends for us to be because we are all loved beyond measure and are cherished blessings to the world... 

Today, I fast and pray, as Jesus did... I fast and pray in solidarity with all my Jewish brothers and sisters, whom I love so much.. for what we do together is more powerful than what we do individually... we receive more Divine light and grace...  "Tzom Kal"

May your day be blessed with the miracle of forgiveness,
With love,
Elena

Rosh HaShanah

Hello from my heart to yours....

..In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation. -Leviticus 16:24

 

This is a blessing that I recycle every year... naturally, I take the liberty of editing because my thought process changes every minute... but the core message remains the same...  

I re-send it, with love, for all my Jewish friends especially.... and for my Christian friends, as a reminder that we were all Jewish once... after all, Jesus Christ celebrated this Holiday for 33 years..... 

 

Rosh HaShanah began last night at sunset and lasts until nightfall tomorrow... it is the Jewish New Year 5773... There are many traditions and customs that go into celebrating Rosh HaShanah, but this is my favorite I think because everyone can relate to it...

On Rosh HaShanah religious poems are added to the regular services... these poems refer to Psalm 81:4 ...

ד  תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר;    בַּכֵּסֶה, לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ.	4 Blow the horn at the new moon, at the full moon for our feast-day.

 

The holiday is characterized by the blowing of the shofar, a trumpet made from a ram's horn and not from the horn of any other kind of animal, intended to symbolically awaken the listeners from their "slumbers" and alert them to the coming judgment.

 

So, I thought how wonderful it would be if every time we were "slumbering" ... and not listening to God's Word... and not following His commandments... someone blew the shofar to alert us... we need reminders throughout the day that we are not behaving as God's children... not behaving as the blessed people that we all are... this world would be a much better and loving place if we heard a little horn go off, wouldn't it? 

 

There are many instances in which we hear some type of shofar... sports come to mind immediately... that whistle just blows and blows...  for children, they hear the school bells.. this tells them that school is starting.. or hurry up because it was the late bell... and to change classes... many factories use whistles to let their workers know the day is over... can't you just hear Fred Flintstone right now? lol...... and Pavlov, in his conditional reflex experiment on saliva, used a variety of stimuli, including whistles, tuning forks and the ringing a bell to signal to the dog that food was on its way... 

 

In the Catholic mass, the altar servers ring sanctus/altar bells.. the primary reason for ringing the bells is to create a joyful noise to the Lord as a way to give thanks for the miracle taking place atop the Altar of Sacrifice ... however, another function of the bells is to focus the attention of those attending the Mass ..and "slumbering" ... that a supernatural event is taking place on the altar.

 

All of the world's people are guilty of "slumbering"... as adults, we shouldn't need a sound to remind us that the judgement day is coming and we should all be in God's grace when that happens... maybe we just need a little nudge from someone every once in awhile... something to keep us "awake"... maybe we can work on triggering our own minds and hearts so that when we do something wrong, we hear that shofar blowing in the distance ... blowing to awaken us from our slumber.... I don't know.. it's hard I suppose in this noisy world we live in... but we have to try because we are all loved beyond measure and are cherished blessings to the world...  

Just last week, a friend blew the shofar at me... I kind of knew I was "slumbering", but didn't quite know how to get out of the funk that I was in... on the morning that I met with him, my daily affirmation was... "Now is the appointed time.. today is the day of my amazing good fortune." ... and it surely was and is.... this holiday will forever mean so much to me... so much so, that I have been reading about the different rituals performed today... and the one that I especially liked and will do today is the Tashlich... Tashlich means "to cast" ... this custom consists of reciting select verses next to a body of water, such as a sea, river, stream or lake, preferably one that has fish... the idea is that "You shall cast into the depths of the sea all your sins." The reason for saying Tashlich next to a body of water is because Rosh HaShanah is the day when the Jewish people coronate God as King of the Universe... and even though I am Catholic, I rejoice with my Jewish friends as this is OUR, One and merciful God......  

I could go on and on, of course... (can you tell how excited I am about beginning the New Year?), but the blessing is really too long already... so, I will leave you all with this: 

 

L'Shana Tovah ...  "May your name be inscribed in the book of life and sealed for a good year."

 

May your day be blessed with all things sweet,

With Love,

Elena

9-11

Hello from my heart to yours....

"Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day?" 

 

Alan Jackson, one of my favorite country singers

I was searching for last year's blessing for this day to get some kind of inspiration on what to write....... and well, I didn't send one... I did find ones from years prior... but they didn't inspire me much... the message still remains the same... it was one of the saddest days in history... and always will be... 

It is hard to write something meaningful regarding the events of 9/11... I searched the internet to find something, but there didn't seem to be much in the way of thoughtful poetry or prose by anyone that moved me in a wow way... maybe because writers aren't much different than anyone else; all of us suffered the same raw feelings regarding the event... and who really wants to write about it? ... worse, that the devastation was brought to us live on television.. in real time... not to mention the endless replays of the tragedy... how can words be as vivid as the visuals we all experienced?  Everyone remembers where they were when the world stopped turning that September day...   and 11 years later... the memory seems as vivid as if it happened yesterday....

Of course, I did find a poem by my good and faithful friend, Rod McKuen, that I'd like to share with you today...

SOME HEROES /  9-11 SOME YEARS ON

Some Heroes do not engage, are passive in the fight. Dying unaware that any battlefield grew up around them. Some heroes are just passing through on their way to work or home, making love and lunch appointments on cell  phones, in cellblock cubicles. Some heroes whistle on their way to death caught unawares while polishing politeness eating or deleting Spam, expiring in delirium, not unwilling but not knowing, with no final will  tucked into top left-hand drawer. Some heroes learn to fly without a practice  run, a test on some low country hill. And more  than one young hero never reached a poppy  field because they turned to dust or powder while God was taking his usual time returning earth to earth, dust to natural dust.  If the battle comes to them then I insist heroes are heroes and they need not enlist. To die without a chance to choose, choice  left to chance makes heroes sure as targets practiced and then hit by marksman or marked man in battle gear. Some heroes  good & true become so just by being there. First published in Flight Plan 9/11/2006

I, also, give you a youtube link of the song.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW8puRqE4Sc

As I remember that day, I reflect on the following quote..... it reminds me to continue to have faith, hope and love in my heart... it reminds me to pray and live my life in grace and as the blessed person God intends me to be....

"....Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee..." 

Remember that you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me and the world...

May your day be filled with remembrance and prayer... for those heroes who became so by just being there... for the families they left behind ... and for the people of this wondrous country that will never forget where they were when the earth stopped turning.... 

GOD BLESS THE USA!

Elena

Ode to a People

hello from my heart to yours...

"Gracias por dejarte conocer... trajistes mucha alegria con tu visita..."  

(Thank you for letting us know you... you brought much happiness with your visit..)        Carlos aka Poco Pelo

Isn't that a beautiful sentiment? One of my mother's friends in Costambar, Dominican Republic, said that to me as I was leaving for the bus.. funny thing is that I was thinking how being with all of them brought me much happiness... but the compliment goes deeper than that really... I cried... I felt so humbled.. I felt a little sad... maybe the meaning gets lost in translation... I don't know.. but it really affected me so... "gracias por dejarte conocer" ... as if people don't let others know them? hmmm.. well... yes... do people just naturally let others know them? not really, huh? I find it hard to comprehend because I am so open .. I wear my heart on my sleeve.. but then again, I am so reserved really and only allow people to know what I want them to know... "a lot" of people know "a little" about me..... what is a constant is though, is that I do try to bring only happiness to each relationship... there's no reason to be an "oh woe is me" kind of person even if my heart is aching.... and that is what I found so fascinating about the people with whom my parents share their lives with in D.R. .. they can all be "llorando la miseria.. (crying poverty...their misery) ... and they don't.. they are the richest people in spirit... they share every little thing they have.. but most of all, they share themselves...

They wake up thankful for the day... the minute the curtains are opened, you hear salutations through the windows... there is a calm feeling in the little breeze that comes through the screen... my dad makes a full pot of coffee and invites the people of the building to come in and share a cup.. they eat some crackers with butter and wait for the electricity to go out for the morning... Carlos is the building caretaker.. a humble servant, who trades his services, to the residents of the 8 apartment building, for a place to sleep.. a 40 square foot utility shed... his only income is cooking lunch at a place behind an abandoned resort that the "owners" made into a bar/restaurant... I say "owners" because these people saw this empty space and simply set up shop... anyway, after he cooks there, he walks through the building asking if anyone needs anything.. he'll walk my cousin's dog, bring some bottled water to the guys upstairs, exchange a few words with my dad and then, he usually naps at the beach on the chairs they rent out only on the weekends... most of the money he makes, he sends to his son who lives 6 driving hours away at a school for the deaf... 

At all times of the day, there is no lack of conversation.. people walk up and down the street to the beach area and look into the apartment and wave.. if my parents want to, they wave them in.. "ven, ven" (come, come) ... if not, they just wave back... nothing is very private really... I would get up, have coffee and then, wash the clothes that we wore the day before by hand (before the electricity went out because then there is no water pressure from the cistern) ... walk up to the rooftop and hang everything on the line... there is a mattress on the rooftop under a small overhang that used to be a bar... Rossi (a guy who works at the port and lives on the 2nd floor) sleeps there a lot... he has a bed in his room, but their apartment doesn't have an inverter generator so he says it's much cooler just to sleep up there... anyway, if there were clothes on the line, I would fold them and just put them on a chair for their rightful owner... from the rooftop, you can see what all the neighbors are doing... and everyone waves happily at one another... 

and the morning continues with a "project" .... there is always a "project" and usually it is very challenging to get anything done for lack of... you don't just go to home depot and buy everything and more than you need.. my mother and I spent one morning trying to fix the freezer door... we ended up using some wire to hold it shut.. we made a little hook to connect the sides and she is the only one that knows how to open it... another day, I spent trying to connect her to the world... there is internet there, but no home phones.. thank goodness for MagicJack.. and it is magical IF you can get it to work... it did work sometimes and my dad was ecstatic... we painted the pool area and the little pump house... I fixed the bed frame... we unclogged the outdoor shower pipes... and we sat around talking about all the things that needed to be done, but probably wouldn't be... 

Close to lunchtime, I would take a walk to the little store... buy a large Bohemia beer and a strawberry drink for Giorgio... and people would ask, "tu eres la hija de Dona Maria..la de los caballos, verdad?" (you are daughter of Maria..the one with the horses, right?) ... yep, that would be me... you would think I was 17 years old or something the way they would say it... but they were happy to know that Dona Maria had family visiting... and not that it is surprising to me, but my parents are very loved by the people in their little town... one of the days I was there, my dad became dehydrated.. he is 84 yrs old and well, doesn't really follow anyone's advice... thankfully my uncle lives in Costambar, also, and took him to the clinic in the other town... I stayed behind painting, after all, they were just going for a quick "rehydration"... I was left without a phone and my only charge was to make sure Rossi called the electrician the minute the electricity came back on so that he could fix the wall A/C... well, it was as if the radio had broadcast the news of my dad going to the clinic.. everyone kept walking over to ask how Don Pablo was.. and if I needed anything... they probably thought I was the most insensitive daughter on earth as I leisurely painted the blocks saying. "I suppose he's alright.. I don't have a phone...but if it were grave, my uncle would've come back for me..thanks for asking though..." .. oh the blank looks... but regardless of what they thought of me.. their gestures of love gave me great comfort... they felt like family...

Probably the best part of being there was Willy coming to get Giorgio every day to ride horses.. Willy has grown up with my mother and her horses.. I think he was 11 years old when he became "the horse whisperer" (as Giovanni & Giancarlo would call him..) he is 21 now... but, not really.. there is no diagnosis.. he is smart.. he is sweet.. he is bratty.. he goes out and he "courts" girls in their patios.. so respectful and loving... and he handles the horses so naturally... I see the potential in him... everyone sees the potential in him... but, he doesn't.... now that my mother is there more permanently though, I think she will teach him to see it... she's good at that.... anyway, the freedom my child felt riding on the beach and then a mountain and then the beach again was spectacular... he'd say, "this must be what heaven's like" ... sure, we were on vacation.. but the people we were with daily, were not on vacation.. this is how they live... free... they work a little, nap a little, play a little, talk a little... no wait, they talk A LOT... but its nice.. really nice... and they LET you know them...

So, I say to them... "Gracias por dejarte conocer.."  now that I know these people.. these God-filled, faithful, hopeful and loving people.. I have a totally different view of what is important in life... (not that I didn't already know..) ... but they confirm it... I could go on and on about them individually, Carlos, Rossi & Willy (the ones closest to my parents) ... each one's life told to me as we sat smoking cigars with my dad on the patio.. but told to me with happiness and pride.. all that they do, they do for their families... they do for the people that they love... and they love so easily...  I will carry all that they taught me in my heart always because..  "me trajeron mucha alegria con mi visita" ...

With every encounter that you have in your life.. with every person you meet... and with every person you already know... may you always bring them happiness.. may you let people know you.. shine your heart-light... spread love... through your words and actions, let people know that they are loved beyond measure and cherished blessings to the world ... be the blessed person God intends for you to be... 

May you be blessed and may others be blessed by you... this is my heartfelt wish for you today.... 

With love,

Elena

Beginning

Hello from my heart to yours....

"The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings."  

                                                      David Weinbaum, the new voice of a conservative America 

Well... here we go again with the first days of school.... some of us comforting our children... some of us thanking God that summer is over... some of us worrying.. some of us celebrating... I think I did a little of each yesterday... having just returned from the Dominican Republic, I was definitely comforting Giorgio as he didn't even want to hear the word "school" .. he was angry that summer was over.. and as if it were my fault completely, I was called the "meanest" mama in the world at least 17 times... so I found myself  thanking God that summer is over.... I left him slouched down in the chair and I began to worry a little.. and then, as I walked back home thinking of how much work I was going to be able to do with him in school again.. well... I was celebrating.... lol... 

Our lives seem to follow a calendar of "beginning" again with every new school year (whether we have children or not) ... everything seems to take on a different motion.. a different vibration... vacations are over .. the laziness of long summer days are gone.. the traffic patterns change..  work schedules change .. etc... it seems like the perfect time to seize every opportunity as new ideas and inspirations come our way so that we can prepare to harvest all those glorious things in the Autumn... we should be gentle with ourselves though... think of how the children are starting a whole new year of their lives and remember back to when you were in school... the feelings of happiness and excitement, apprehension and fear... fortunately, everyone was having similar feelings and old friends helped us through and new friends helped us through and we survived... most of us look back at our school days with great fondness.. "beginning" again was effortless really... it was life in motion.. it should always be so effortless... .

We all know the there is an intense energy when we are beginning something new... I remember when I was a teacher, how exciting it was to prepare the classroom for the first day... how I wanted everything to be just perfect and inviting and peaceful for when the students walked in... and I remember the expressions on the little people's faces.. some would come in and hug you as if you were their only teacher ever.. and others would do as my own child did.. a half-wave of the hand and feet dragging all the way to the desk and plop down... I remember now as I am writing this that when I was teaching, every day was like a new beginning... oh those 21+ personalities a teacher has to work with daily... hmmmmm....(come back, Dory)... topic of another blessing ....let me wrap this one up.....

The energy of beginning something new.. (that's where I was)......... absorb this energy and send it forth to others.... be a joyous one...  offer love from this space of joy....  inspire those around you...  give them the deep and lasting spiritual tools to help them.. .  gifts such as these are from God and they are given to us to share....   In God's world there is enough love, enough money, enough joy for all...  God asks you to give out of the fullness of your being....  God loves you...  do not be afraid of "beginning" anything... embrace every challenge with love, hope and faith... every "beginning" gets you closer to becoming the blessed person God intends you to be.. honor the light within you and share it with others so they are not afraid of "beginning" either... 

Use the beginning of the school year as an excuse, if you will, to make it a grand and glorious time - a time of opportunity, growth, and greater ability to exist in the truth of God's love... with each "beginning", your life will become richer ...

 

and for the teachers and children... I offer this prayer today:

 

Infinite Spirit of God, open the hearts and minds of the teachers..that they may see our children as individuals .. each unique and beautiful children of God..... that they demonstrate faith, hope and love in the children's ability to learn ... give them patience and understanding... help them to always feel the excitement of these "beginning" school days throughout the whole year.... open the hearts and minds and ears of the children... so that they feel the love and openly receive all the wonderful things that their teachers will be teaching them... give them patience and understanding with one another.. help them to embrace every school day with hope and joy  ... thank You, God, for blessing this "beginning" of a new adventure in teaching and in learning... Amen.

 

May your day be blessed with all things good,

With love,

Elena

p.s. when I picked Giorgio up he said, "Mama, it was the best day ever!!!... well, except for Spanish class...lol" ... (I think he was a little happier to return this morning..)  :-)

All Kinds of Love

Hello from my heart to yours...

"There are all kinds of love in this world, but never the same love twice." 
                                                                                            F. Scott Fitzgerald

... and isn't that the most fabulous thing you've ever read? I just found it on a "post-it" note while cleaning out my car... One of my childhood friends posted that quote a while back and I simply fell in love with it so I jotted it down... he was never really my "friend" growing up.. so shy, beautiful, sweet, and too nice of a boy to hang out with..lol... but he'll text me now (35 years after we first met) and say, "just checking in on you, mon ami..hope all is well" and it sure does make my heart smile...

Anyway, at first read, the quote probably provokes feelings of romantic love for most of us... but it goes so much deeper than that... since today is my first born son's birthday, my thoughts went more to the love I have for my children.. it's been 3 years since Giovanni left to live with his father and study abroad.. I wrote a blessing for him when he left using the quote, "If you cannot be a poet, be the poem.  ~David Carradine, American Actor.. best known for "Kung Fu" ... and I can tell you that back then, I thought he was only the poem.. today, at 17.. he is a poet as well... when I wrote to tell him that I was going to send money weekly for his birthday because I can't afford to send it all at once..he replied, "whatever you can Mama.. I know you would give me the world since you gave me life.." ooooh..just about melted my heart... 

Having grown up in a large family, there were always matters of who was my mother's "favorite" ... we'd go on and on about that (and sometimes still do..lol.).. my mother would always say that we'd realize there are no favorites once we had children of our own.. and she was so right... all my boys think they are my "favorite".. I love them differently in all kinds of ways.. some people say that I love Giovanni the most because of the delicate way he came into the world at 29 weeks and weighing only 864 grams... but I just respond.. "no.. I have just loved him the longest.." ... and then, other people say I love Giancarlo the most because he is so free and spiritual and the most like me in his hippie ways... but I just say, "no.. but he might love me the most" ... and then, other people say I love Giorgio the most.. so full of life.. an old soul with such thought-provoking conversation..and so incredibly hilarious as he lives in the spectrum... but I just say, "no, I just like to travel the rainbow with him.." .... they are all soooooo different.. and because of this, each love me differently.. one thing most people agree on is that all my boys are madly in love with me...lol... and why not? I am, after all,  the first woman they have ever loved... anyway... you see? "there is never the same love twice..." 

Those of you that have been with me for the last 6 years know how in love with loving I am... how I so desire to love everyone in my life..whether family, friend, co-worker or a person I have only exchanged emails with on this blessing list... everyone has the ability to touch my heart and what I strive for is to touch theirs in some little way as well... of course, I believe that first and foremost, I have to love God.. I believe He is the ultimate source of LOVE.. He is LOVE... then, I have to love myself so that, in turn, I can love others...  Love is all there is really.. it's the foundation we build upon in order to live our lives as the blessed people God intends us to be.. with LOVE at the base of our lives, there is no other way we can go but up, up, up to the highest place of love...heaven...

Alright then... tangent, tangent, tangent... so, I leave you with this prayer affirmation:

"I am blessed. I am a blessing to others. I am love. I love all of my brothers and sisters in all kinds of ways because there is never the same love twice. I am an example of LOVE for all the world to witness. Please use ME, God, as a beacon of LOVE and LIGHT so that this prayer be my truth always. Amen"

.. LOVE and be LOVED in return... you are a blessing to the world,
I love you,
Elena

Breakdowns

Hello from my heart to yours....
 
"Sometimes a breakdown can be the beginning of a kind of breakthrough, a way of living in advance through an ordeal that prepares you for a future of radical transformation."     Cherrie Moraga, Playright
 
 
Well... that's interesting... a breakdown... a societal taboo ... so, we tend to fight it... usually it happens because we hold back our emotions for such a long period of time that when they are finally bursting at the seams.. when they are flooding our bodies and consuming us, we stop functioning.... It usually takes us by surprise.. while we're driving to or from work or watching a movie or even looking at a beautiful full moon... our feelings just release themselves and we have little control over them... it doesn't matter what the catalyst was that drove us to a much needed catharsis... it's done and we usually feel better...
 
Most of what society dictates is that we shouldn't have these breakdowns... they're a sign of weakness.. boys especially are told not to cry at a very young age because it isn't manly... and when girls grow up surrounded by brothers, they aren't allowed to cry either.. so they become tough and cry in hiding so they don't get teased... it's such a taboo sometimes, that people do not even know how to react to someone who comes to them in the middle of a breakdown... it scares them...
 
More and more, I am beginning to realize that we may actually need little breakdowns every so often... it's important that we allow it to happen, rather than fight it or try to shut down... wherever we are when it happens, we need to let our feelings out... naturally, the ideal place would be in the arms of someone who loves us, but that's not always feasible and maybe, regardless of the love, the person doesn't know how to handle it either... I have found that the shower is the best place to cry... tears get lost in the water and when I'm done (usually when the hot water runs out), I come out refreshed... cleansed in so many ways...
 
Now..I am not saying that having breakdowns is wonderful... in the perfect world, we would make plans to process our emotions regularly so that we never have a breakdown.. talking about your feelings is the best way to avoid it... perhaps you can make a date to eat lunch weekly with your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend.. or a trusted friend .. maybe all you need is to keep a daily journal of what your feeling... or you can join a club or church ministry... I don't know.. not everything works for everybody.. it's a matter of making room in your life to tend to your emotions somehow... regularly..
 
Writing the blessings daily is what usually gets me through to the next moment... but since I haven't been writing, not the good nor the bad nor the indifferent feelings and emotions I have been having this summer, it might be an indication that I am on the verge of a breakdown...  yes, I'm not always the happy-go-lucky person people think I am... thankfully, summer is almost over and I am going away for 2 weeks to do absolutely nothing...  I need to re-energize.. re-group.. and do a lot of meditating and praying... I think my soul is craving it...  and I will return for the beginning of the school year... when this part of the world begins anew ... and you all know how I love "begin anew" blessings... for now though..let this be my prayer affirmation:
 
Infinite Spirit of God, I am blessed and I am a blessing. I release all my bottled up emotions to the heavens and put them in Your hands.  I have faith in You.  I have hope in You.  I love You.  There is no emotion that can consume me if I believe in You.  Let this be my truth always. Amen.
 
May you all find a way to release your emotions so that you can maintain a healthy balance in your minds and hearts.. and if you ever feel on the verge of a breakdown.. have it and be done with it.. because you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to me...
 
May your afternoon be filled with all things good,
With Love,
Elena
 
Disclaimer:  This email address accepts "Venting" emails at anytime, but be advised that "Venting" emails will be deleted to ensure that emotions are released to God's hands immediately.

Show Up

Hello from my heart to yours....

"I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often."  Brian Tracy

I've never been a believer in "luck" really... The dictionary defines luck as 'believing that whatever happens, either good or bad, to a person in the course of events is due to chance, fate or fortune'... luck has nothing to do with anything operating for or against you, neither is it a matter of chance.. we make out own "luck" with being open to new experiences.. by "showing up" I think..... I've written about luck in the past because there is no religion.. not Catholicism, Judaism nor Buddhism.. that believe in luck.. if we believe in God, believing in luck only undermines God's role in our lives.... 

Anyway, so the quote isn't to focus on luck, it's to focus on "showing up" ... on Saturday night, I went out to meet a friend who is visiting from Texas.... we were simply going to dinner... when we arrived at the restaurant, it was transformed into the "Moulin Rouge".. I thought it was a private party and was worried that we had to go elsewhere, but fortunately, she had made reservations... she was expecting 10 people so we waited.. after 45 minutes, no one else showed and so we ordered... and during our fabulous meal, we enjoyed a show with Can-Can girls and girls with candelabra's on their heads, dancing on the bar... truly beautiful.... 

At dinner, she told my boyfriend and I that a friend had tickets for all of us to go to "The Donkey Show" ... and so.. that's what we did.. the four of us.... it was a spectacular event... while we were dancing, her friend came and put VIP bracelets on us... the husband turns to me and says, "that's what you get for "showing up" ... lol... of course, well into the night.. with each fabulous 70's song and dance that passed, I thought, "too bad our other friends didn't show up" ... and his words stuck with me all of yesterday and today... and I thought about all the many things in life we miss out on.. the many people we never get to meet.. the many opportunities we don't get because we fail to show up...

Don't misunderstand me... I'm not saying that we have to become like Elasti-Girl and show up to everything... we have to know what is important in our lives.. and who is important in our lives... I have a lot of out-of-town friends who come to visit and I do want to see them all, but sometimes it's impossible... I actually did miss a visit last week or so ago, which made me sad, but she'll be back and we will go on a "secret" breakfast.. lol... so, I'm looking forward to that.... anyway... "showing up" is similar to "being present" I guess... and maybe that's why I haven't been able to stop thinking about it...

Woody Allen said, "Eighty percent of success is showing up." .. well, there is more to it really.. and many people actually don't like his quote.. regardless, I read an article once about "showing up" ... it said that there are 4 basic ways to "show up"...  

(1) we "show up" to people.. we offer all of ourselves to people.. we give them our undivided attention.. it's the (when you walk into a room situation) where you say, "There you are!" .(instead of "Here I am")..it's offering help and maybe even stretching out of your comfort zone... it's "being present', if you will...
(2) we "show up" through people" ... this is the "I tell a friend, you tell a friend, and so on and so on..' ... for example, a Contractor I saw today said he had a mutual friend who had a violation and he asked if I could help him out.. well, I have him on the blessing list and so, of course I contacted him...it's networking one another... advertising for each other.. recommending people we know and trust... things like that...
(3) we "show up" for people when we go to something they are involved in to help give moral support maybe.. this is my favorite way of showing up... I have a great friend who is in a cover band... when he plays, he has (what he calls) his posse... yes, that's us... the group of supporters who "show up" for him... fun, fun, fun... this is, also, when you go to a church or temple event that another group is hosting to show that you recognize their efforts... for example, when the women's Emmaus ministry is having a retreat at our church, the Emmaus men come and set up the beds and rearrange furniture for them.. and vice-a-versa.. the women will decorate the rooms for the men's retreat...
(4) we "show up" for ourselves... as Shakespeare said, "This above all: To thine own self be true." ... This is the reason I like to work for myself I think.. I don't always take care of myself, but I do know what I need in my life to be able to function daily when I'm working... I know that I have to have certain days for certain building departments... I know that I have to have at least one "inspection" day a week so that I can be outside in the sun (or the rain)... I know I have to set aside a day of the week for a "brother" or a "friend" lunch.. (I know Wendy... I'm trying for Friday) .. and I know I need a "work-from-home" day... am I ever going to be a millionaire this way? probably not financially, but it's spiritually great for me... 

As usual, when I don't write as often, I go on and on and on...  sooooooo....  let me wrap this up by saying... "Show up" ... in one way or another try to "be present" in mind, body and soul for all of the blessed people in the world.... after all, God always "shows up" for us... the least we can do is "show up" for one another ... I think that in doing so, we are "showing up" for God right back.... 


....and with all of that said, I feel the need to apologize for not "showing up" for you all... for being absent in writing the blessings... for not being true to myself... writing these blessings has always helped me reflect on my own life and how I can better myself... I will try to do better... I will try to "show up" more often... if only just to remind you that you are all loved beyond measure and are cherished blessings to the world and me...


May you be blessed.  May others be blessed by you. This is my heartfelt wish to you.I love you,Elena

Being "Present"

Hello from my heart to yours...

“We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, and then... for joy.” 

                                                              ~ Pema Chodron from When Things Fall Apart

On Monday morning, my house was burglarized... I was only gone 2 hours... I can't explain the feeling of walking into such needless destruction and disarray... as if a tornado ripped through each bedroom individually... what's gone is gone... after all, they were just things... mostly of sentimental value as I sold almost all my jewelry 3 years ago to pay for a fabulous trip to Italy... so, I'm not falling apart because of that... my grandmother's things can't be replaced.. my father's 100 year coin collection will probably be used in vending machines... oh well... I just feel beaten up and violated... some strangers touched my clothes and my bed sheets and even my make-up... but thank God, nothing happened to me or my child... only mentally, do we feel exhausted...

Yesterday, I attended a funeral service... those of you that have been with me a long time know how I like to go to memorial services and masses (not burials) .. I go for the living... to offer "presence" during their time of sorrow.. this is what I was taught... and so, as I partook of the mass for the mother of one of my Emmaus Sisters, I looked around and realized that there are a group of Emmaus Sisters that are always "present"... always the same familiar smiles coming together in companionship and love... 

Back in September, I wrote a blessing about being "present" for others.... again, about attending a service where the minister open with, "Thank you for being "present" ... your presence is a prayer offering for the family and friends showing them that they are not alone." I have never forgotten that.... so anyway... just as my thoughts drift from one thing to another in the blessings I write, so they do all day and the "presence" of my Sisters, triggered the thought of the robbery again....

When I got home, I called my siblings and my best friends... they kept me company on the phone while the police went through the rooms... in between phone calls, my yard guy and my neighbor sat with me in the patio... they were "present" for me... I had to go to a meeting so I left, worked, picked up my kid and came back.. all the while dreading the thought of having to clean up... when I arrived at my house, my sister-in-law was there waiting.. 30 minutes later, my aunt and uncle arrived, then, my brother, then another aunt, then my sister.. and all the while, my phone didn't stop.. calls, texts, emails.. all wanting to offer their "presence" ... or their home for us to spend the night... by 7:00 the rooms were back to a "decent" state... and there was no reason for me to "fall apart" .. I am blessed. I am loved... (Of course, that night, we slept in a locked room ...)

Anyway, life goes on and though it may "fall apart" one day, the next day it comes together again... and with another's "presence",  we heal.. and there is joy again...  so, I thank God that I am here... it could have been much worse... and I thank my Emmaus Sisters for reminding me (at the funeral service) about the importance of being "present"... it made me realize how many people are "present" for me and how blessed I am because of it.... 

It doesn't take much to be "present" for one another... all you have to do is remember that you are loved beyond measure and a cherished blessing to the world... We transform our lives and the lives of those around us simply by being "present." ...  It’s compassion in action..... thank you all for being "present" with me on this spiritual journey of blessing one another....

May your day be blessed with all things good,

I love you,

Elena

Success Stories

Hello from my heart to yours... 

"I write about people who sometime in their life have a vision or dream of something that should be accomplished and they go to work. 

"They are beaten over the head, knocked down, vilified, and for years they get nowhere. But every time they're knocked down they stand up. You cannot destroy these people. And at the end of their lives they've accomplished some modest part of what they set out to do."

— Clifford Irving

WE are these people... I write about all of US all the time.. but yesterday, a friend I have had for quite some time now, emailed me saying, "My inner voice is named Jeffrey. But he prefers to be called Jeff, and gets pretty upset if I don’t. And he’s very jealous of the other voices in my head."  lol... I was so cracking up... we proceeded to exchange a few "catch-up" emails about life and the kids... and then this quote popped up on Facebook and I immediately thought of him again... 

He hasn't had an "easy" life... he has definitely been beaten over the head, knocked down and vilified.. but he always stands back up... and though at times throughout the years, he has asked me to remove him from the blessings list because the message is of no use to him, he will email me later and say, "don't listen to me..I was depressed..put me back on" ... lol... he has raised his 3 children alone for the past 10 years... he has schlepped them from state to state to ensure that they see their mother whenever possible... he has a successful business in this horrible economy.. and I am proud to call this "character: friend... he has visions and dreams and sets out to accomplish them...  

Last year, a mile wide tornado went right through his city... from his house, you can see the hospital that was ripped apart... it was a scary time for him and his family... there is still debris everywhere, but the city is slowly recovering ... when I drove through Alabama last year, I saw remnants of this tornadoes destruction and let me tell you, even my boys had tears in their eyes... those of us who experienced Hurricane Andrew and Hurricane Katrina know that it takes a long while to recover from these types of natural disasters.. financially, physically and emotionally... but we still stand back up and continue our life journey...  

I believe that it is true of all of us here... I receive many emails asking for prayers and guidance and moral support... not because I am an expert in any of this, but I think it's because we are all connected to one another and don't want to stay down in our moments of despair... we are people of faith, hope and love in our hearts.. and even at our lowest moments, we know all we have to do is reach for another's outstretched hand... none of us want to fail... and none of us want others to fail either... we all desire to be "success stories"....and know people who are "success stories"... and if I knew each of your stories, I could write blessings about each of you for 1000+ days ... isn't that crazy wonderful?

Anyway, may we always be able to "stand up" .. may we be willing to pick ourselves up and start all over again.... if it helps, look to another's success story to get ideas and help... pray and meditate for yourselves and others... pray specifically for faith, hope and love... for as long as we have all these, we can never be destroyed... we are are loved beyond measure and cherished blessings to the world... remember to thank God for this love....

May your day be filled with all things good,

I love you,

Elena