Posts Tagged ‘all-knowing self’

Coffee and Comfort

I love people.  It seems most natural for me to strike up a conversation with a cashier, another shopper, someone behind me in line at the bank, or even a woman in the ladies room washing her hands in the sink next to mine.  I do not engage in lengthy conversations with everyone that I meet.  Most of the time, a simple nod or a friendly smile is sufficient.  However, if I am waiting in the check-out line at the store, I am more comfortable passing the time with friendly banter than in silence.  I realize that there are some people who are not comfortable with this type of behavior.  I recognize and respect a leave-me-alone signal.  I actually possess one of those signals, too, only mine is rarely (if ever) activated in public.

My oldest sister, on the other hand, prefers that her ‘don’t-talk-to-me’ signal be activated and fully functioning amid the public arena.  During a long-ago shopping trip to a warehouse store with Mary Jo, she clearly expressed her preferred method of social contact.  As we concluded our joint venture to procure enough toilet paper and other household items to meet our needs for at least the next few years, I exited the store first.  When I glanced behind me to locate Mary Jo’s progress, I noticed that she seemed to be coming up fast.  On my heels in no time, she swerved her shopping cart around and rolled up right next to me as we crossed the parking lot on our way to the truck.  She looked a bit perturbed.  Turning her head toward mine and holding her gaze straight ahead, my big sister scolded me through her clenched teeth.  “I am CONVINCED that you will talk to ANYONE,” she hissed.

Jeez.

Apparently, Mary Jo did not approve of my recent exchange with our cashier.  When I asked our cashier how she was doing, she proceeded to fill me in on the details regarding all of the unpleasant circumstances surrounding her current divorce.  She seemed to have a lot to tell us while she scanned our items.  I suspect that this woman just needed to vent, and I was happy to listen and offer some comforting remarks.  Mary Jo does not go for this kind of thing.  I respect that.  I am still going to inquire about a person’s day.  Choosing to share their private circumstances with me is a chance I will always be willing to take.

Myself, I prefer to limit my personal disclosures to a select few humans of my choosing, but I am always open to new encounters.  All physical beings have a connection to All-That-Is, and this awareness will continue to fuel my desire for human interaction.

A personal relationship with Divine Source includes the intricate complexities by which each of us can distinguish ourselves as a truly unique being.  Our ability to access this common Source connects us.  We are sovereign beings who are not alone.  It is this unique property which defines our individual being and allows us to draw strength and comfort from each other.

Elegant and rich in substance, there are many forms of human interaction that can provide us with immediate access to a feeling of Well-Being.  Our openness to a connection with others is often the mother of all unexplored avenues to our own Divine and All-Knowing Self.

I am grateful.  The invitation to join an old friend and fellow witch on her back porch for coffee, a judgment-free cigarette, shared reflection, and personal exchange reminds me that I am not alone.  An unexpected text message that offers words of encouragement to renew a sense of hope reminds me that I am part of a sisterhood, and I am not alone.  And most assuredly, I am grateful for the warm and prolonged hug that is offered by an intuitive daughter, who at the tender age of 15 years, can whisper genuine words of comfort and joy to a tearful mother.

It is this beautiful expression of human nature that reminds me that I am not alone.  Neither are you, my friend.

The Good Catholic Girl’s Guide To Becoming Arrogant

There comes a time when we can no longer blame (or attribute) the course of our life to any other human being but ourselves.  If we take full responsibility for all of our decisions and their consequences, we realize that our actual experiences are chosen by us.

The one aspect that we do have control over is how we deal with all of our circumstances.  When our approach no longer serves us, we find ourselves unhappy.  Only we can make the decision to change.  Your resolve is a powerful force that will lead you to the Divine All-Knowing Self  that resides within you.  There are infinite ways that you can reconnect and remember Who You Are.  If a good Catholic girl can ’seek and ye shall find,’ I know that you will, also.  Your schedule is timely and true.

Should you wish to follow the fifty-year plan, here is a twelve-step program that I would not highly recommend…but does seem to have worked for me, nonetheless:

Step 1:  Wait until you are at least thirty-four years old before you realize that there may be something inherently wrong with approaching most things in your life based on the opinions and ideas of others.

Step 2:  Spend the next twelve months in therapy before you decide to mention to your best friend (in casual conversation) that you were introduced and exposed to inappropriate sexual behavior as an adolescent by a family member that you looked up to.  Tucking away this kind of information for over twenty years, and then having your wide-eyed best friend be the first one to hear it, really enhances the whole process.  Then have her encourage you to tell your therapist, but be sure to wait at least another six weeks or so before you work up the courage to tell a few members of your family.

Step 3 (This is the fun part):  Stay in counseling for at least the next five years while some of the people who loved and raised you treat you as a lying, possibly brainwashed, neurotic stranger.  Be prepared to continue being the subject of criticism for the majority of your family members.

Step 4:  Spend at least twelve years studying a minimum of twelve different religious philosophies before you discover a common thread that you can relate to.

Step 5:  Read every single self-help book available to mankind until you realize that you have been in the process of composing your own story the entire time.

Step 6:  Wake up one day and make a decision to stop talking about how you would like to share your experience and revelations with others.  Start writing about it instead.

Step 7:  Call your niece (who is a technical genius in all things website-related) and ask her to provide you with your own forum to share your writing.

Step 8:  Post articles on your own website as often as you are inspired to express your musings concerning the unlimited aspects of life on this beautiful, magic-filled planet.

Step 9:  Upon waking each and every morning, be overwhelmed with gratitude for discovering that you have a mind of your own.

Step 10:  Comprehend the notion that arrogance, particularly when perceived in the context of self-worth, is not a sin.  It is an individual freedom that perhaps some well-intentioned priest, nun, or religious teacher may have neglected to tell you.

Step 11:  Lighten-up in all things, remember to laugh as often as you can, and do not take yourself too seriously.

Step 12:  Enjoy your birthright.

This one’s for you, Lena.  You have your whole beautiful life ahead of you and I commend you on your early start.  Love you, baby.