Seasons of the Soul

Circle of Life

In late March, my 101 year old great aunt fell, and I had to call 911 to have her taken to the hospital. Subsequently, it was determined that she could no longer live alone. She’d done a marvelous job of being independent with my weekly help, but the time had now arrived when we needed to find a different living arrangement.

In going through the process of moving her from hospital to nursing facility to a Care Home, I saw the process of disengagement from life to death in those who were living in the nursing facility, and it made me aware of how life is actually a circle. 

We come into life after 9 months of gestation, and go through the process of labor. We are born as helpless little babies who need to be bathed, clothed, fed, and have our diapers changed. We sleep most of the time with a gradual increase in awake time and awareness of what is around us. We become conscious and emerge into the world.

As we grow old, unless we have a premature death, we come to the point of once again needing care from others. And when our bodies wear down, we once again are somewhat helpless, need to be fed, bathed and clothed,  have our diapers changed, and spend more and more time in the sleep state as we disengage from the process of daily alertness and interest in life. And just as labor takes 9 months, this process of releasing life takes the time it needs for us to gather ourselves in preparation for the next great journey.

There are so many rites of passage throughout our lives—moving from babyhood to childhood, from childhood to teen years, young adulthood, full adulthood, menopause and the entrance to older years, and finally old age. Each has a precious opportunity and a challenge—but all are part of our development and fulfillment, and in the end, we do indeed complete a full Circle of Life.
From Seasons of the Soul Spring 2008

"I Just Helped Him Cry"

Author and lecturer, Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four-year-old child, whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.       

When  his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy replied,

"Nothing, I just helped him cry."

The Swan

This laboring through what is still undone,
as though, legs bound, we hobbled along the way,
is like the awkward walking of the swan.
And dying—to let go,
no longer feel the solid ground we stand on every day–
is like his anxious letting himself fall
Into the water, which receives him gently
and which, as though with reverence and joy,
draws back past him in streams on either side;
while infinitely silent and aware,
in his full majesty and ever more indifferent,
he condescends to glide.
-Rainer Maria Rilke

Great Truth Adults Have Learned (Humor)

1. Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2. Wrinkles don't hurt.
3. Families are like fudge -- mostly sweet, with a few nuts
4. Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5. Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6. Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.
And as we age further, here are another couple truths:
1. Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.      
2. When you fall down, look to see what else can be done while you're down there.

Shakedown of Spirit

The Three scenarios of a child on planet earth:

1. Believing what they are presented with and succumbing

2. Believing what they are presented with and defying

3. Remembering who they REALLY are and becoming

~KJ

Ecological Alternatives - Straw Bale Houses

The interest in Straw Bale construction has increased in the last few years because of soaring construction costs and the diminishing supply of wood. This intriguing idea goes back to other periods of history and has been used frequently in Europe, but in recent years, due to modern techniques for compacting and forming the “cubes” that become building blocks for home construction, interest has been fanned in the United States and Canada.

Innovative architectural variations to the standard square are being designed as the usage of straw bale housing increases, including curved walls. Straw bale housing is easy to assemble, and there are workshops given on weekends to facilitate building know-how.  These are some of the advantages of straw bale housing:

*Annually renewable resource - straw used to be burned in the fields after harvest, but burning is now banned in many areas because of environmental impact, and cost of straw is quite inexpensive.
*Has no food value to termites, rodents, or bugs, so the walls will be pest free.

*As insulation, a stuccoed and plastered bale has a superior rating of R40-45, which is considered excellent and cuts utility bills.

*Low fire hazard. Straw bales do not burn easily. Good bales are compacted tightly and eliminate oxygen. Trying to burn straw bales is like trying to burn a telephone book.

*Straw bale construction is environmentally friendly and non-toxic. There are no noxious chemicals within straw or used to build the houses, so people who are chemically sensitive have a safe environment in which to live.

*Straw bale houses are very sturdy, contrary to the story of the Three Little Pigs. Houses of straw built in Europe have lasted for centuries.

The only hazard to a straw bale is water. Once the house is stuccoed and plastered within the frame, there is no problem. However, during the building phase and when storing the bales, they must be protected because they can deteriorate if they get soaked.

If the idea of straw bale housing appeals to you, check with your city planning department to see if they are legal in your area, and ask if they have a list of reliable contractors who build straw bale houses.

From Seasons of the Soul 1996

Uncommon Decency

Last week, Sara Tucholsky, a 5-foot-2-inch softball layer in her senior year for Western Oregon University, was playing in a big game with Central Washington University. Both teams were vying for the Division II NCAA playoffs. Sara, who was batting less than .200 all season, hit the ball over the fence with two runners on.

She had never hit a ball out of the park before, even in practice. She was so excited, she missed first base. Realizing this, she turned to go back but collapsed in agony as her knee gave out. Her first-base coach yelled that she had to crawl back to first base because if anyone on Sara's team touched her, she'd be out and her home run would be nullified. Her coach encouraged her to try to crawl around the other bases to preserve her home run, but it was out of the question.

That's when the star player on the other team, Mallory Holtman, asked the umpire if she and a teammate could carry Sara around the bases. It was an unprecedented request from an opponent fighting for a playoff berth, but the rules allowed it. Without hesitation, Mallory and shortstop Liz Wallace lifted Sara and carried her, lowering her to touch each base with her good leg.

To Mallory it was simple: "In the end, it's not about winning and losing so much; it was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain and deserved a home run."

Mallory was right. It's just common decency.

Sadly, such kindness isn't common at all in sports, and that's why all the coaches, players, and spectators who were stunned by this spontaneous act of sportsmanship wept. And that's how Mallory became a national hero.

By the way, her team lost 4-2, but in my eyes, everyone won.

Michael Josephson
www.CharacterCounts.org

Birth and Creativity

   When my daughter gave birth to her daughter, it was an amazing experience for me. Having had my children in the late 1960s, to not only be allowed to be with my daughter during her labor, but to help in the delivery was unbelievable by the 1960 standards! Everything they do now is so much different than when I had children.

   My daughter was at a birthing center where after the birth they wiped baby off and plopped her on her mother’s tummy where father and mother enjoyed their daughter for a good hour before she was taken to be “cleaned up.” Back in the 60s when babies were born, they were briefly showed to you, and quickly whisked away to the nursery. We stayed in the hospital for 3 days. Now they stay overnight. I think in that one respect we did it better, and I understand there is a lot of discussion about going back to a longer stay because it’s important for the mother and the child.

   I love the participation of the father in today’s birthing process. My son-in-law was my daughter’s coach…he was untiring through the 20 hours of her labor, never slept, and was totally present and supportive. She was a trooper, and we helped during her delivery as her sister video taped the whole process. What a change! 

   Prior to the birth of my granddaughter I was given an assignment from the presence I regard as my inner teacher. Through a series of incidents I was aware that my work was going to change, and that I was supposed to write, but I didn’t know what or how that would come about other than through my newsletter.

   On May 4, 1996 I was looking out at my garden and sipping a cup of tea when the familiar “presence” nudged me. I had just completed reading The Tenth Insight a few days before, and the thought went through my mind that I should write a novel. “I can’t do that!” I retorted. “Yes you can,” it said. “Go upstairs and start writing.” I shook my head. “I don’t do fiction. I have no idea what I’d write about.” The presence was persistent. “Take The Celestine Prophecy to the next level. Follow that format. I will help.”

   I felt excitement welling up inside and decided that if I didn’t like what I wrote, I could throw it away. So I went upstairs and began with an idea that put me in the hills of Los Altos with a dear friend, walking and then going to her home where we would meditate.As I wrote, I had no idea what I’d say, and in the midst of this imaginary meditation I was given the assignment to “find the Holy Grail.”

   My reaction was one of great surprise, and for the next 51 days I followed the leads and directives I was given, writing a book that became a spiritual adventure for the end of the 20th Century, taking the narrator from the bay area to New Mexico, including meetings with remarkable people and ideas. The title appeared, and I was in possession of a manuscript called Vision of the Grail.

   There were days when I slept only 5 hours and worked on the project almost exclusively. It was one of the most rewarding and intense periods of my life, and I told my daughter that I was preparing to birth a work that would coincide with the birth of her daughter…I wanted to have it ready for my grandchild as a legacy.

   The 12-16 hour days of work took their toll on me, and the aftermath was one of trying to recoup my energy. However, the manuscript went out to readers and was returned with valuable feedback and very favorable comments. I engaged in rewriting aspects of it and went in search of a publisher.However, I was later guided that the book must be out by the end of 1996, and that I should self-publish. Egad! Where to start? I found the printer, got everything done, and the book was released to a book store at 1PM on December 31, 1996. I had completed my assignment! (The book was later picked up by a small publisher and re-released in 2001)

   What I recognized in the aftermath of my daughter’s pregnancy and my project is that these major ventures take a great deal from us and return something precious. There is a period after the delivery when we just have to take the time necessary to regain our strength and perspective.

   As my daughter recovered she returned to focus on the present, which was enriched by the presence of someone she cannot imagine living without. As I allowed myself to rest after a very involved process, I returned to my natural enthusiasm, also with a cherished creation that I cannot imagine not having done.

   So our rhythm includes the conception, the growing, the delivery, and the aftermath. We don’t just go on with life as usual when we “birth” children or projects. There is a time to be still after our effort before we set our sights again on activity. That’s not an easily digestible idea in this culture…but it is essential…and it is perfectly natural and absolutely okay!
From Seasons of the Soul 1996

Rumi Poem

The light which shines in the eye is really the light of the heart. The light which fills the heart is the light of God.

~Rumi

Using Imagination to Change Negative to Positive

Would you like to discover another Meditation?

First thing in the morning, imagine yourself tremendously happy. Get out of bed in a very happy mood—radiant, bubbling, expectant - as if something perfect, of infinite value, is going to happen today. Get out of the bed in a very positive and hopeful mood, with the feeling that this day is not going to be an ordinary day - that something exceptional, extraordinary, is waiting for you; something is very close by. Try and remember it again and again for the whole day. Within seven days you will see that your whole pattern, your whole style, your whole vibration, has changed.

When you go to sleep in the night, just imagine that you are falling into divine hands...as if God is supporting you, that you are in His lap, falling asleep. Just visualize it and fall asleep. The one thing to carry is that you should go on imagining and let sleep come, so that the imagination enters into sleep; they are overlapping.

Don’t imagine any negative thing, because if people who have an imaginative capacity imagine negative things, they start happening. If you think that you are going to get ill, you will get ill. If you think that somebody is going to be rude to you, he will be. Your very imagination will create the situation.

So if a negative idea comes, immediately change it to a positive thought. Say no to it. Drop it immediately; throw it away.

Within a week you will start feeling that you are becoming very happy for no reason at all.

~From Osho: The Passion for the Impossible, #3