“A Moment to Heal”

I began my evening with what I thought would be completing the mundane task of picking up my flat iron that I had left at a fashion designer/new acquaintance’s house. After a 20 minute jog, eating half a pita bread with hummus, a gulp of lemonade, and a quick shower, I dashed off, feeling disoriented not just because I was physically malnourished but also because I carried with me a cluttered mind (one stuffed with three “to do” items---1. buy my friend’s wedding gift at BB&Beyond, 2. pick up my flat iron, and 3. collect my medication from the pharmacy). My evening probably couldn’t get more banal than that—until I just so happened to arrive at the home of this new woman in my life—and realized that I had entered much more than her home and had arrived there and received so much more than an opportunity to collect my hair straightening iron!

After a kind offer by her to come in to share some words together, have some sugary and creamy coffee with just the right amount of froth, and after watching our fashion show video which we had worked on together, I was fully content. I thought this was a pleasant experience, something I had just needed to sooth my harried mind and body…I was satisfied with that exchange, as unplanned, welcoming, and present as it was. I could not have expected anything more.
Yet, it didn’t stop there…

As we hugged and she walked me outside to my car, we somehow started talking about our lives, families, relationships, and being assertive. We learned about each other through a realm beyond the material world---literally beyond clothes, blowdryers, catwalks, etc. :) In fact, I learned from my new friend, which I truly believe she now is, of the healing powers of reiki and the gift that comes through an awareness of the life force energy that exists among all of us within the universe. As we both shivered under the moon and stars in her neighborhood, we let our conversation with each other flow. Just being open to the moment, I not only learned so much from the words this new healer of mine had said on very basic steps I could take on improving my life emotionally, but I also felt that it was more than just her words that had the power to heal—it was in her silence, in her careful listening, in her willingness to shiver in the night with me(as silly as that may sound), and the honesty that she herself brought to this conversation of us two young girls exposing our life experiences to each other. I knew that this moment, (that I never could have known would take place,) just did. Simply because of the randomness of timing, a phone call, a decision to run an errand, and an openness between two spirits—I knew the moment was a gift. I returned home transformed from something as simple as a conversation, and not worried about completing tasks 2 and 3. :)


Thank you to my new friend!!!

"Going Green"

often times I have noticed that being a part of a collective that evokes the spirit of giving (such as the beautiful space I share with those on www.helpothers.org), I end up talking a lot about giving (which is great), but while we talk about giving, we cannot overlook the very moments of giving that come to us amidst this chatter of generosity. In fact, those moments come as gifts, sometimes packaged in people you may have least expected…I myself felt this surprise while speaking on the phone with my brother (who lives in LA) the other day. while I was sharing with him the news of my amazing experience during the 10-day silent meditation retreat I just returned from which focused on purifying the mind of deeply-rooted negative thought patterns and operating out of a place of love and compassion, I was on the verge of missing a beautiful moment when my brother spoke to me of service… Had I been so caught up in my ‘preaching,'I may not have realized that he had just started to explain to me that this upcoming Memorial Day weekend he and his wife, Jen, had decided to ‘go green’ all weekend—meaning no driving, no high powered electricity usage, no needless usage of paper napkins, to honor and protect the planet in which we live. It was then I realized, any given moment, could bring with it a lesson in service, and space must also be given to let those moments arise from others.


Happy Memorial Day! Let's Remember our Earth! :)