Triggers and Lessons

Your song was playing when I turned on my car radio... the husky crooning of Louis Armstrong singing "and I said to myself, what a wonderful world". I smiled and thought of you. These gentle triggers come at times I need them most. I thought about how many times in a day I start a sentence with "my mom always told/taught me ...".

Your life lessons, delivered so casually, were profound. You were ahead of your time. Who talked about the mind, body, spirit connection in the early seventies - or the power of visualization? When I felt worried you would tell me close my eyes and make a mental list of everything that was upsetting me, and then picture myself loading  the "problems" into a trunk, locking it up, and then dropping it from a plane into the sea. If it's out of your control, let it go. Funny enough, I always felt lighter and relieved afterwards.

When I would lose something, you would tell me to go lie on my bed, close my eyes, breath slowly and deeply, the whole time affirming that "I know I will find [lost item -- usually my library books]. I know the answer will come to me".  It was like magic! I would inevitably get an image of where to find that which was misplaced. I felt powerful and confident.

You taught us to "accept" that which we needed --"I accept all the creativity and inspiration I need to complete this project" - as opposed to begging for it. You explained that all that we need already exists and is there for the accepting -- knowledge, wisdom, strength, courage, and creativity. It was a matter of learning to access it.

You taught us well Mom and I am still learning. You reminded us always that life is an exciting adventure and not to sweat the small stuff. Best of all you taught me to create the life I want to live and to trust that life is unfolding as it should. And you know what? I think I have, and I know it is!