Sunday, February 22, 2015

New York

Merry meet Friends,
Michelle here, bringing lots of love and light!

"I believe compassion to be one of the few things we can practice that will bring immediate and long term happiness to our lives.  I'm not talking about the short-term gratification of pleasures like sex, drugs or gambling (though I'm not knocking them), but something that will bring true and lasting happiness.  The kind that sticks." ~ Dalai Lama XIV

One of my FB friends, Nessa Crescent Moon, shared a video of a man in a town square or somewhere open.  He placed a sign in front of a book bag that said, "I trust you.  Do you trust me?  Hug me.", he then blindfolded himself and stood waiting with outstretched arms.  Many ignored him, many hugged him and many more took pictures.  It moved me to tears.  I find that I am moved to tears more readily now than I used to be.  I cried over sentimental movies and sad songs like most people; those things that are supposed to invoke those emotions.  However, instead of smiling and saying that's nice about other types of somewhat emotional situations, I now cry.

It's not a bad thing to feel compassion toward other beings which include animals too, as far as I'm concerned.  Watching infomercials about the mistreatment of animals will also have me crying.  I believe when I was younger that my heart was more closed because I was afraid of rejection.  As I've grown older in age, wisdom and the knowledge of God/Goddess/All That Is, my heart has become more opened.  I have learned that even rejection is a learning experience that can bring healing, if we allow it to do so.  Sometimes it has nothing whatsoever to do with us but the other person.  Either way we can become healed if we understand that, this too, is a gift.  Spirit healed me from feeling rejection from my father and my mother in her womb.  Rejection helps me to understand and help others.

Each day, week, month and year, we grow and learn more about ourselves.  I have learned more about me in the last four years but even more in this last year.  I feel as if I am becoming more of the person Spirit intended before my birth.  And, of course, we have to grow into that person.  I'm becoming more comfortable in my skin.  I'm leaning toward a more natural, holistic way of living and expressing the ancient ways.  I'm discovering more about the type of area in which I'd like to live, how I wish to dress and show up in this world.  I love the energy of New York and I always have but I want a little less of the energy and cold that comes with it.  I like quaintness and being able to walk to the places I frequent.  I like being able to open the front door and step outside.  As a younger woman I dreamed of living in NY in a condo, unmarried, no children and a career woman.  Now I want to plant and grow my own food within in a city. Who knew?  Certainly, not I.

On Thursday I went to Brooklyn to see my friend and fellow OSIS graduate, Rev. Iliana Delgardo.  We were going out for brunch.  It takes about an hour on the train.  When I got off the train and walked to her house, the wind was fierce!  When I arrived she asked if I would rather get a manicure, her treat.  I needed one, so of course I said yes.  She then told me she had an organic meal prepared: whole grain pasta with tomatoes, spinach, nuts and cheese and a raspberry chocolate gelato for dessert.  Yum!  We took the bus to the nail shop and walked back.  I stopped in the organic store to pick up a few items then took the train back to Manhattan.  My fingers, with gloves, felt frostbitten.  It was extremely cold.  It was just beginning to get dark when I returned to Manhattan.  I can not see at night.  I think I may have to see if I have cataracts and if so have them removed. 

On Saturday NY was expecting snow around 2pm.  Jason and I went to brunch on the upper West Side at Sarabeth's.  The ambience is nice and the food was delicious.  I don't eat eggs unless they're organic, cage free and vegetarian fed, if I have a choice.  The eggs at Sarabeth's are all natural from a farm in Pennsylvania so I felt fine having the crabcake benedict.  Then Jason and I went to the upper East Side to a few stores.  We were about to head back to his apartment when he remembered he needed to go downtown to his job.  It started to snow on the way, well before 2pm.  By the time we arrived at the apartment, the snow was sticking.  Later that night I could hear the freezing rain against window.  We were warm and cozy though.  Today it is somewhat cloudy and sunny at times.  The temperature is supposed to be around 40 degrees so it may melt the snow.

Later this week I will try to meet another friend and fellow OSIS graduate, Rev. Sonya Brown.  We were going to meet last night at the New York Open Center for an event but the weather prevented that from happening.  I look forward to meeting with Sonya.  She, as are most of the graduates from both seminaries, is very intuitive.  I love to hear her insights and revelations.  I am sure wherever we meet, the place will probably close and we may be asked to leave.  Ministers tend to have quite a lot to say.  The joke is, never give a minister a mic if you wish to speak again.  There are others here that I wish to see before I leave.  I'm leaving soon but I am returning shortly thereafter.  My first year dean, Rev. Sandra Bargman, is not too far away from Jason. I will walk to see her when the weather gets a little warmer and there is no forecast of snow.

I will close as I started, with compassion.  Compassion is the emotion that one feels in response to the suffering of others that motivates a desire to help.  While I agree that compassion does produce a desire to help, I think sometimes we are just moved by what we hear or see.  I don't know if the man in the video needed a hug, felt others needed it or both.  My teary response was not so much to help but at the tenderness I saw displayed.  It's the same emotion when I see the mistreatment of any being.  However I do think that the response could motivate me to ask, what can I do, how can I help?  I would like to be an active participant in life, not a spectator.  Maya Angelou said, "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."  I agree with you, Maya.

Until next Sunday,
Merry part and merry meet again,
Blessed be,
Gypsi Mama Michelle








1 comment:

  1. How strange that your blog this week is about a hug and compassion. Deon gave me quite the scare Friday - he came to me gripping his chest, sweating profusely and gasping for air. I rushed him to the ER and they admitted him so we spent the night in the hospital. Thank you Jesus it was not a heart attack but he really has to take it easy - this was a warning. He puts so much pressure on himself because he doesn't have an income despite sending out applications religiously. He's been very depressed since he lost his Gram and because he can't contribute to the household. Until this happened I didn't realize how stressed out he is or that he thinks he is a burden to me - not! Even with his own health problems he does everything for me - chauffeuring, cooking and cleaning.

    Having said that, when we were in the ER one of the women who registers patients came in to have him sign a paper; she was Black and out of nowhere asked him "what do you need? She said she felt compelled to tell him that her church helps people not only with financial aid but also with job assistance and the like; she then gave him the phone number to call and invited us to her church. This lady had an such an aura of love and compassion. I was so overcome with gratitude that I asked her if I could give her a hug and she obliged. Virginia told me recently that Spirit revealed to her, based on a dream she had, that when two people hug, their hearts align. After I hugged her I knew that God was present and then understood why we were in that place, at that time, and I knew that God was saving my son's life, answering my prayers, and that my son is going to be alright.

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