Don't apologize for that smile child When critics chirp, as they do And green eyes look for lies No shame is found in what is pure Shine on sweetheart, shine Don't give away your pride child When hunger aches, as it will For things not in good time Plant feet on grounds of worth Stand strong, baby, strong Don't lose your inner peace child When heartache comes, as it does And shadows haunt your thoughts A tiny flame lies deep beneath Search, angel, search Don't put limits on your love child When the world seems cold, as it will For a secret I have found.. By how you give it, you will live So burn bright, my love, burn bright!
My skeptic brothers My kindred sisters My searching friends My brilliant resistors You all have goodness I've seen it Witnessed it Felt it If I may dare If you will allow I want to share my heart And show you how Of how I see your goodness in around before and surrounding you
I see your Goodness I see the Good.
The only difference between you, and me (I could be wrong, I know) Is I see Good with a capital G And occasionally ... I drop the extra 'o'
I don't know about you, but I have been really cold this Winter. My toes have been ice cubes since Halloween (no joke). You would think, being a New Yorker all my life, I would be used to it. Nope. In fact it might be getting worse. Most days I'm a sight for sore eyes: heavy wool socks, indoor scarf, sweater, and a lap blanket. I have difficulties getting warm and staying warm.
Can you guess a part of my problem? Yep, I'm trying to warm myself up from the outside-in when I should be getting warm from the inside-out.
How so? Well, like a well-oiled machine, if we put the right ingredients in, and fire it up, heat is produced. Actually, if we are alive our engine is already fired up and we just need to adjust the thermostat! How does that look in real time? Well, when I push myself to exert extra energy, whether hiking outside, dancing with the kids, or fast-paced housework, my heat-making engine kicks in. It's just how metabolism works. I get warm, and I stay warm. Well, for a few hours.
Isn't that true about life as well? When we look for external 'stuff' to make us happy, whether it's careers, relationships, goals, events, money, popularity, etc it's like we are trying to warm up from the outside-in. The problem is that heat is not sustaining. Happiness achieved from external stimuli is often fleeting. It's difficult to get there and stay there. So, do we just keep chasing the next thing, and the next thing, and next thing? (silly Wabbit) We just weren't made to work that way. Sure, all those things can be a cause of happiness but true, sustaining-joyful-energy, needs to come from the inside-out.
What's that look like?
I think the secret can be seen in children. Specifically, how they easily see the world with awe and wonder. I think the better secret is we are ALL still children, if we choose to be. We can still see the world with awe and wonder, if we want to.
Don't you find it funny how casually we use the words 'awesome' and 'wonderful'? For such BIG concepts?! Even the words themselves, 'awe and wonder' are too little to convey such a powerful emotion. Even describing it as an emotion is inadequate (sorry Webster). And yet, that is really where it's at in life.
Consider the last time you were caught by something that grabbed your attention and captured your senses: Maybe a beautiful mountain scene, with vibrant colors, crisp fresh air, and birds singing; a sleeping baby in your arms, soft and warm, angelic and sweet; a glass of cold water in a moment of being parched--eyes closed, head back, cold clean heaven running down your throat, quenching your thirst.
A laugh with a friend where your belly hurts, your eyes water, and your hearts whisper 'thank you.'
Life was made to be lived intensely. Not haphazardly, but with all cards in. With complete abandonment. Lately I've been focusing on mindfulness and being present completely in my moments; absorbing the sights, the sounds, the emotions, and the miracles all around us.
And when I do I find my heart saying 'Thank you' more and more. And I'm suddenly warm from the inside out.
I found you there. Where will your voice be caught, dear friend? In haunting hymns Holy Nights, now harmonized with tears. I hear you there. Where will your shadow rest, lost friend? In memories hid deep Lovers born in rain, soaked now in broken dreams I find you there. Where will I cherish you still, gone friend? In two little hearts and faces Who call me mommy, and you their daddy. Where our love never failed. I'll see you there.
How often do we just sit and play with our kids? Not just supervise, but actually stop what we are doing, invest our full attention span, and play? I'm guessing we all could do it more. (I know I can.)
This morning during bath time with my kiddos (Lucas age 3, Mallory age 4) we had full-on, soap opera drama. Ariel was marrying Spider-man, even though Rapunzel was jealous and hurt, monster truck was too rough and made Rapunzel cry, and Pony was just learning how to swim. You know what was the best part of the whole theatrical creation? The opportunity for lessons. With some gentle guidance I managed to get them to practice conflict resolution (Rapunzel is now handling the wedding well, friendships intact), demonstrate compassion and forgiveness (Monster truck apology), and Pony learned with some practice and patience, she would soon be diving in deep waters. Perhaps they were custom made lessons, just for my children. Sibling rivalry has been pretty intense lately.
You might wonder why I chose to write about this on a blog I designate for my awakenings. To put it simply, I believe that my role as a mother is a sacred responsibility. I help form, shape, and guide their moral beliefs in life; an intimidating task, yet what an awesome privilege! There is no other role I cherish more. Proverbs 22:6 says 'Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.' I am trusting that my lessons, particularly from my own example, of things like love, compassion, forgiveness, patience, and all the jewels of our good humanity, will be enough to keep them on a path of wholeness. That it will win over all the competing influences in life, and battles forged in the soul.
I pray for their hearts to stay tender. I pray that I honor my sacred responsibility as a mother. I pray for all the mothers and fathers in this world, specifically that they would embrace the spiritual leadership role in their children's lives. Their future is counting on it.
