Gazing at magic

Photo courtesy of
http://www.moonbattery.com/

*This post was originally written in July of 2010.  It remains one of my favorite childhood memories of the Christmas holidays, so I was inspired to share it again. Please note that some of the photos depicted only have Bing images as provenance, as Blogger didn't offer the feature of annotating photos when this post was originally written.*

When I was very young, we lived in a small, single wide trailer.  The space was limited, with the washing machine in the one bathroom, and the clothes dryer set into a corner of the small living room.  It was next to the clothes dryer that we always set up the Christmas tree, against the wall to allow for the rest of the floor space to be clear.  This meant that there was just enough space between the branches of the tree and the dryer for the clothes dryer door to be opened and the controls to be reached.  It was also just enough space for one wee little girl to scoot in and sit with back against the clothes dryer, feet tucked close, elbows on knees to support small chin on small hands....and gaze upward at the twinkling lights.

I was spellbound by the beauty of each year's Christmas tree.  The tinsel softly shifting and catching and reflecting the tree lights.  The tree lights themselves were a whole fascinating experience all their own.  Who remembers the individual painted lightbulbs that had to be screwed into the individual sockets on the strings of Christmas tree lights?  They also had individual, colored reflectors, stamped out of solid sheets of metal with fluted edges that could be deadly sharp, and these reflectors could be fitted between the light bulb and the socket, securing them as decoration.

Photo courtesy of
Bing images

The light bulbs were easily the size of a man's thumb and were coated with opaque primary colored paint...red, green, yellow, blue and orange.  I found this one photo to the left of these old beauties. The lady in the photo is country music legend, Brenda Lee. While these lights don't have the metal wheel reflectors I've attempted to describe, it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about. We would sit on the floor with my Mother, painstakingly testing each light socket and bulb, selecting the colors so that they didn't repeat, and choosing with equal precision the reflector wheels.  We always made strings of popcorn and cranberries, as money was limited to purchase expensive garland.  The few garlands that we did have were made of a tightly wound tinfoil, sometimes dual colored, others were gold or silver, and were crinkly and rustling in our hands as they were strung around the tree.

To a small child, the finished result, covered in clumps of silver tinsel when we would grow tired of the decorating process, was always beautiful.  I could sit quietly tucked between the clothes dryer and Christmas tree and look at all the colors and textures.  Gazing upward into the tree provided a whole different perspective than you could get from standing in front of it and viewing it.  Looking upwards, all the lights cast a soft, lambent glow that seemed to fill the inner spaces of the tree and produce a fairytale atmosphere.  Even at that young an age, I was weaving stories in my head about the things that captured my imagination.

Photo courtesy of
Bing images

At some point, my Mom would notice I was missing and call my name, walking by and not thinking to look for me tucked down beneath the tree.  "Here I am," I would smile up at her, waving a hand to catch her attention.  "What are you doing down there on the floor?" was usually her question.  "Watching the magic...it's so pretty!"  One evening, to my everlasting delight, my wonderful Mom didn't ask the usual question.  Instead, she carefully shifted the Christmas tree slightly sideways, got down on the floor next to me and joined me in my nightly routine.  We sat there, me tucked cozily against my Mom's side, her clean, soft fragrance touching my senses, her heartbeat against my ear as I cuddled close.  She reached over and caught my hand in hers, and we gazed at magic together. 

My older sister and brother were occupied with a game and we weren't interrupted....something very rare for the youngest of three, as I was, to get such an extended quiet moment with our Mom.  She was raising us alone and dealing with very challenging circumstances.  Money was always an issue, yet she found ways to make our childhood carefree, secure and content.  And that particular evening, she indulged my whimsical nature by joining me and gazing at magic. 

Eventually, something broke the spell and the moment ended.  Dinner needed to be fixed, small bodies needed baths and bedtime loomed imminent.  But for that one lovely moment, we just sat there together and gazed up from the floor into the heart of that Christmas tree, hypnotized and enthralled by the warm glow of lights and decorations.  I can remember my Mom climbing to her feet, extending a hand to pull me up, and bending down to kiss me, saying, "Thank you, honey.  That was beautiful.  Let's do it again soon."

Have you ever tried this?  This year during the winter holiday season, if you decorate a Christmas tree in your home, take a few moments to sit on the floor, close in to the tree, and gaze upwards into the center of it.  I sometimes will even lie down on the floor and scoot directly underneath the tree to gain the best view.  It might sound slightly bizarre, but I assure you it will provide you with a breathtaking experience.  Clear your mind and simply gaze at the magic.

It might seem odd that this post was originally written during July, having Christmas as a focal point.  I don't know why the thoughts twined together to produce this blog article with a Christmas theme during summer months in East Tennessee, but I feel it expressed a valuable and beloved memory that was worth sharing, regardless of the time of year.

Such are some of the blissful moments of my childhood.  My beautiful Mom sheltered us from the challenging reality of admittedly difficult times and provided a secure, loving and nurturing home.  She also allowed for those magical moments and on occasion, she would embrace them and join us.  This Christmas tree moment is one of my most cherished memories.  From that day and many others, I learned to embrace my ability to find magic in the most unexpected places and it is something that gives me particular joy.  It is a connection to my wonderful Mom, who recognized that evening, that her youngest child was slightly different, slightly fey, and completely unique. 

Photo courtesy of
Bing images

She taught me, in subsequent years, that this side of my nature was beautiful and to be celebrated.  I still gaze at magic, and sometimes I'm able to share those moments with my Mom.  She doesn't always see the world in the same starlit glow that I do, but she appreciates this part of who I, her youngest child, am.  I gaze at magic, because I was taught by a lovely woman, my Mom, that this is a beautiful and natural thing.  I hope those who read this post have those special moments as well.  I would wish for you all to have the unique ability to regularly find and regularly enjoy...gazing at magic.

Namaste', and beautiful holiday wishes to you all.

Choosing positivity

Photo courtesy of
http://www.flickr.com/

I was recently invited to write a guest post for Mansi Bhatia's First Impressions blog page. It is always an honor to be asked to write for someone else's site, and it gives me the chance to meet new people and write content that I might not come up with on my own.  Mansi gave me free rein to write whatever I chose, simply pointing out that she enjoys my positive approach with my writing. 

So, I pondered the concept of positivity for a couple of days, allowing thoughts to flow and simmer in my mind.  First and foremost, I do strive to see and seek the positive moments in life.  Mansi's comments actually gave me a bright moment, an affirmation of sorts, letting me know that yes, I'm doing what I set out to do each day of my life. 

I'm sure we've all run across those people who shine a bit more brightly than others...they seem lit from within with a secret that makes us curious.  I have found upon getting to know these bright Souls that quite often, they have come from experience of great hardship, sadness and challenges that would cripple many, yet they have found a way to still see beauty in every moment. 

Conversely, we have all also met those people who are like the cartoon figure who walks around followed by his own personal storm cloud.  They are determined to see the gloom in every moment; they dive into a large pool of 'Poor Me' and spend countless hours floating about, plumbing the depths of negativity and sharing that energy with everyone they encounter.  These people are exhausting to be around, as they drain our own energies as we attempt to lighten their hearts without success.

Life is about conscious choices.  I've said countless times that we define ourselves by our reactions to any given set of circumstances.  For me on a personal and professional level, much like millions of other people since the economy tanked in 2008, life has definitely been challenging.  I have reinvented myself and my professional life more times than I can count, and yes, I have been truly scared on a deeply elemental level many times about how I would survive.  During those times, I revealed these concerns to very few people and perhaps that reticence was a mistake.  Everyone does need that soft place to fall and people in whom to confide, and I admit to not always being as forthcoming as I could be.  What I found made the strongest difference for me, apart from having that small inner circle of true, loyal friends, was keeping a positive outlook.  No, it hasn't always been easy to stay positive, but finding reasons to laugh and choosing to seek moments of beauty in every single day kept my heart uplifted and reminded me that my own issues were fleeting.

Photo courtesy of
http://www.pikeresearch.com/

When we look at an ancient tree flourishing in a field, we are reminded that time marches on and our small human dramas are but a wee blip on the timeline of this world.  When we greet a brisk fall morning and breathe in the fresh air scented with the smoky sting of wood fires, we are part of the cycle of nature.  When we share laughter with friends about some seemingly insignificant moment, we are releasing joyful energy and thought that will never die away, because we have created a positive memory.  Scientists continue to ponder the concept of electrical impulses being eternal, and I remind myself of this fact quite often....my thoughts are energy. 

My actions and words are energy...I am speaking, thinking and behaving in a manner that in some small way, is eternal.  My choices are obvious:  I can choose to sink into the depths of despair and retreat from life, or I can choose to LIVE and find reasons to be appreciative each day. 

My choice is to dwell in positivity.  Of course I don't always achieve this goal each day.  We all have those moments that we admit it might have been the better part of valor to just stay in bed that particular day.  Sometimes it is actually an intrinsic part of balance to have a slower day where things don't always line up perfectly.  Light cannot happen without dark, after all.  Contrasting moments give us the opportunity and clarity to appreciate things in a much more rich manner.  I think that anyone who goes through life without experiencing any challenges, loss or physical pain is very ill equipped for that definitive moment when a negative challege does occur...because it is inevitable that they WILL occur for us all. 



Photo courtesy of
http://www.masaru-emoto.net/

Should we seek out negatives?  Perhaps there is value to recognizing negatives in order to simply learn the true colors of a situation so it may be avoided in the future.  Beyond that, from a holistic health approach, dwelling on negative thoughts isn't the type of energy I want to concentrate in my own body.  There is a frequency to every thought we project, and it can be proven that positive, uplifting, loving and happy thoughts have beneficial effects.  Dr. Masaru Emoto has studied the effects of conscious, projected thoughts on water for years, and has been able to show physical changes in the crystalline structure of frozen water.  This is a dramatic indication of how truly powerful our thoughts are, and underscores even more how important it is for us to choose positive thoughts, actions and words.

I have quite often been labeled a PollyAnna personality, been told that I wear rose colored glasses and that I am a bit too optimistic in nature.  I do not deny any of these comments, as they are true.  I am comfortable with myself and with my approach to life.  I am by no stretch of the imagination a perfectly evolved Soul; if that were true, I wouldn't be here on this Earth School, learning along with everyone else.  I do, however, find a rightness and a sense of calm, peace and balance in choosing to focus on positivity on a daily basis.  There is such beauty in the world, everywhere we cast our eyes, if we CHOOSE to see it.  Yes, there is also ugliness, imbalance, unfairness and lack in abundance, but the focus here is the other side of this coin.  Positive thoughts can move mountains in a figurative sense, making those dark areas fade into insignificance if enough join together in that positive energy.

Mansi invited me to write this guest post on her wonderful blog page because she saw something uplifting in my writing style.  My writing style reflects my true nature and gives voice to those things, issues, emotions and thoughts that I find to be most important and dynamic.  The fact that another talented writer recognizes and appreciates my message in my writing gave me a particularly sweet moment.  It brightened a day that I admit was a trifle lackluster and renewed my own Spirit.  As I finish writing this post in preparation of sharing it with Mansi's readers, there are birds singing outside my office window.  The air is fresh and crisp with that essentially full bodied autumn flavor, and Nature is just beginning to paint fall color on the leaves of the tree that keeps me company each day as I work.  In that one single glance, I have witnessed visual beauty and have been uplifted by it.  My rose colored glasses have remained firmly on my nose, I admit this without a single qualm. 

I think that choosing to embrace positivity is a noble undertaking. It may sound quite simplistic at first glance, but I assure you, there are days that I find it quite challenging to accomplish! Regardless of the challenge, it is what I choose because I feel it is important to address each day with a conscious regard towards making a strong and positive mark.  I have learned over the years, and particularly since I began writing for Healing Morning blog, that this conscious choice does make a difference and that it has impacted those around me in a positive manner.  That spurs me on and encourages me to continue.  Occasionally, I am blessed in return by such a moment as this invitation from Mansi, letting me know that someone recognizes my Light as I do theirs. 

Photo courtesy of
http://www.flickr.com/

I call it the lambent glow of our Spirit, and as I close here, I am convinced that the satisfaction of sharing these thoughts has amped up my own personal Light considerably.  If you see it, shining in the distance, I am sure it is because your own Light glows brightly in return.

Brightness of the heart can never be truly extinguished, my friends.

Namaste'.
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Take a moment to visit Mansi Bhatia's wonderful blog, First Impressions. She is one of my favorite bloggers because of her ability to laser through all the layers of distraction and write clean, concise and inspired words on her chosen topics.