The Dream

We are heading to NY City on a train. I feel happy that I was able to plan and arrange this trip for us - my Mom, my daughter and myself. This is one of my regular roles among this inter-generational group of females! It seems as if we have shared this journey many times with each other and this time feels no different than most, except that it is.

All around us, there are many others sharing this particular journey; each person, each family, immersed in their own private exchange or shared interactions. Muffled voices mix with the rush of the engines and create a hum of Humanity warming the coldness of the machine that carries us.

It is not long before we pull up to the station, though it seems like a life time. I am aware of my 9 year old daughter as she stretches the cramps out of her long lanky legs. I keep her in sight as I begin to gather up our belongings, our itinerary, our bags.

Shortly, my awareness turns toward my mother; not out of fear or worry, but rather out of responsibility - I am keeping track of my second charge. At once, I realize she is no longer on the train, and as my daughter and I begin to disembark, I catch sight of Mom walking the final stretch of land leading toward the City in the distance.

Effortlessly, she carries a bag in each hand; her body flowing and aligned. With head held high, she remains facing forward; never once looking back. She no longer needs help to carry her belongings - she is strong and able; she no longer needs guidance in finding her destination - she knows exactly where she is going; she no longer is concerned that I might be lagging behind, nor that her grand-daughter might need tending - she knows I will be along in my own time and I will take care of my daughter all the while till then.

I am compelled to take a second glance, but by then, she has vanished from my sight, leaving nothing more than a glorious ray of sunshine in her place...

Good bye, Mom. I miss you more than words can say.

A Cold Front.

I started out my run with the sun on my side, warmth on my cheek as I breathed in the moisture in the air. There were a few clouds in the sky overhead, but when I glanced to the north, I could see the line of a cold front spreading across the horizon for miles. Several shades of gray were rolling toward me, and the deepest, darkest, almost black, clouds were closest to the ground.

This piece of weather I was seeing was like a tidal wave in its enormity, but I was still drenched in sunlight. I watched as the leading edge of this front approached the outline of the sun. I waited, noticing how the side of the street I was on was still illuminated by the sun, while the other side of the street was darkening with every step I took. The leaves on the trees in front of me were dancing quickly in response to the increasing winds, while the air surrounding me was still and calm.

At once, the sting of warmth on my cheek disappeared while the Technicolor of a naturally beautiful Florida afternoon turned to gray. The sun was gone. The front had overtaken it. Still, the air was mild and humid. The moment I wondered if I would get stuck in the rain, a burst of cold air almost knocked me over. I could feel it approaching, and it took my breath as it passed me by. The temperature dropped by at least 10 degrees.

And then, suddenly, the clouds opened up and I was drenched by the huge drops falling all around me. I heard k.d. lang singing,

“Wash,
Wash me clean
Mend my wounded seams.
Cleanse my tarnished dreams”

Invigorated, I knew I was not alone. I was witness to and participant in the greatness of Nature’s power.

I was reminded in that brief ten minutes of time, how, if we find that center of Sunlight, if we can connect with the Observing Self within us and just watch, our experience of any storm that threatens to overpower us can be one of wonder, calm, and joy. We can participate fully in the thick of Life without being swept away by it, no matter how cold, wet or uncomfortable we may feel…

It is in the Consciousness of the moment that we find our Light; our connection to the Power that transcends the material life we lead.

Keep watching your experience in this crazy world in which we all live. None of it will destroy us, unless we give into the illusion that the external events and happenings define us. Nothing could be further from the Truth. And the Truth lies within Your Consciousness.

Peace and Blessings to you in this New Year.