Broken open...

Dear Tree Limbs..

When I first saw you I was afraid...yet something drew me to you. You were broken open and vulnerable, for all to see. As I looked closer, I wondered...are you a part of Tree or are you another life form? I was not sure any more.  Your gift remains...whether I can name you or not, and that is

your vulnerability.  Being open and more..being broken open is not something I have valued in my life.  I felt to exposed and feared the responses from others.  Sorrow, pain and illness can heighten my sense of vulnerability and then, I have to choose my next step.

A recent experience with a way of sharing called "Contemplative Dialogue" has given me a whole new look at the gift and power of being vulnerable.. of opening myself more honestly and more deeply with another. 

 As part of the process, I was paired with some one whose views, I felt.. were very different from my own and with whom I had shared some difficult experiences. Where was this going to take us?

The key focus was on listening to one another from our heart center and hearing each other in the present moment, not coloring our hearing by past experiences and understandings.  We both took

those words to heart and the sharing that we had brought me to tears...tears of joy..tears of new understanding..tears of common ground that we had not focused on before. 

The whole experience challenged me to first be willing to hear and to hear differently..and not to be planning my response in my head as the person spoke.  Because we each were willing ...we heard each other in a whole new way and the past was finally past as we focused on the NOW of each of us.

This is why dear Tree Limbs, I can come back to you today and honor with out fear, your openness

and vulnerability.  May I have courage that you have shared as I meet other family members, particularly, those with whom I strongly disagree.

What would you say to me as you hear of my experience and my initial fear of you.. I would truly appreciate your wisdom.

Dear Assunta,

 Vulnerability is a rich gift that must be given freely. As your presenter stated..."Don't ask a question about how some one views things unless you really want to know their response...be curious.  All beings want to know that they matter and if we truly want to hear what matters most we have to take the same risk with each other. 

Storms, can make us more vulnerable and then we have to decide if we will honor that vulnerability or close down. As you found out with your friend, gifts and treasures can be discovered when we are willing to see and hear in the present moment and not the past. 

We also have to be willing to take the time necessary to truly hear and to truly see.  When we want answers and solutions "yesterday", we close off any new and truly meaningful perspectives, visions or ideas. 

Yes.. I hear your smile, as you realize, time..is why you have avoided coming back to share. This kind of sharing often takes more time than what you are willing to offer. I am so glad you took the time today.  Hopefully you will take the time here and with one another, to risk being open, curious,

and willing to see and hear differently. What gems and jewels you will discover! 

Dear Tree Limbs and so much more,

 Thank you for your patience, your vulnerability and wisdom. I say it each time I come to share, but again, I am blown away by your wisdom and love. I choose to see and hear in a much more heartfelt and honest manner..to be really curious for new understandings and to take the time needed in order to reap the new understandings.

Dear Rose,

I became aware of something today that I  regret not realizing sooner.  I realized just how often you and your family members and all members of the plant and flower family...GIVE YOUR LIVES
so that we humans can enjoy your beauty.  Why have I never thought of your ultimate gift until now??  I have always loved the gift of flowers and for me, especially Roses...yet I never thought about your ultimate sacrifice.

You have taught me about community with your multiple layers and your reliance on stems and branches! 
You have taught me patience...as you slowly move through your unfolding into blossom and
you have shown me the power of being grounded and rooted..as your branches support you and your family by their deep life within and below the soil.

With all that you have shared..I missed a key piece...your willingness to give your life!!

Your sacrifice brings me to my question.  Would you prefer that we in the human family admire your beauty and let you be...so that you can live and thrive as we all wish to do?
I/we have gotten into such a habit of  just removing you from your home, I/we never even thought to consider what you might want.  Forgive us.  Sad to say for far to long we have not given to much thought to our family members in the natural world!! 

More and more of us are waking up to realize our intimate relationship with you..thus, I need to hear your answer to my question and any other wisdom you would like to share with me/us!

Dearest Assunta,
Not to many people even think to raise the question you have raised. We, like so many of our sisters and brothers have truly been taken for granted as gifts for the human with no consideration of "a life of our own"!  We are still objects for so many...! It is nice to be recognized for the Gift that we are..and to have acknowledged the giving of our lives, as we do, on a regular basis.  That gives me and all of us hope that our true relationship will ultimately be recognized and honored.

Think for a minute.. what it would be like to have us grow and blossom, FREE to be who we are and able to complete our life cycle without any worry of our lives being abruptly ended!

We would still be sharing our beauty with you...and at the same time..honoring and enjoying our own life process! What a gift for you and for us. 

It would require breaking a life time habit of simply cutting or pulling us away from our homes.. in order to be in yours!.

Does this mean you could not have us IN your homes...? For some of us.. like myself..yes.  Rose bushes would not thrive inside..! Be creative..grow flowers and plants that like to be inside and enjoy them there!  No cutting needed, unless you are gently pruning!
Would all of this be that difficult??   A major change yes!  But..a change that would reflect our new relationship...one that honors the life and growth of us flowers and plants, as well as the human!

Does that answer your question, Assunta?  As you often say..this conversation was not quite what you expected yet I hope you can understand and appreciate our viewpoint!

Dear Rose,
You have answered my question and given me/us life giving options!  Will it require change...Yes..but the best part as you said..is the honoring of YOUR LIVES as well as our own!
Thank you so much.

I am so sorry...!

Dear little chick,
When I look at you, I see a precious young creature, with beautiful  intense eyes, fluffy fur, strong legs and a sharp beak....waiting to explore your new day....and then my heart breaks.  I want to hold you gently and say.. I am so sorry for how you and your family members are being treated, especially  on what we humans call "Factory Farms"! 

We want your eggs and your meat and we act in very cruel and painful ways toward you in order to get them. We have lost sight of The Gift of You...your living presence...your beauty...your delight in Being!  Your life is taken from you before you even have a chance to grow up; in the name of profit and greed.
I had heard of Factory Farms and knew they were not the kind of place I would want to be..nor would I want any one I loved to be there and that includes you and your family members. But.. I said nothing!

I saw a video yesterday called "The peaceable Kingdom" and it showed graphic images of how chicks and cows are housed, treated and killed.  It was horrible, and I am so ashamed that we humans can keep such places open without question!  

The video also showed a Farm Sanctuary that a young couple run...as they do their best to rescue your family members and others from the Factory Farms!!  They and their work, gave me some hope. 

The way things are done in Factory Farms is becoming better known and it is my hope that we humans will care enough to say NO MORE.. and close them down.

What keeps ringing in my heart is...you are killed that we might eat your meat and your eggs and we do not even acknowledge your sacrifice...how can we be so blind...so numb!

I am sooo sorry dear chick...please forgive me..us..!  I will add my voice to closing down the Factory Farms...and in the name of all that have been so badly treated we will close the Factory Farm doors.

I will do my best to help other members of our human family re-connect with you and your family members as the beautiful beings you are...separate and apart from your eggs and your meat. We will treat you with the sacred respect and honor that you deserve.

I am almost afraid to ask you for your wisdom..as you have every right to just say nothing... as we have said nothing on behalf of you and your family...yet I will ask because I truly want to hear you and I will act.
Dear Assunta,
You got your eyes opened wide yesterday and I am grateful for your tears. Like all of your "young ones", we only want to grow up and enjoy being who we are. When it is time and we are asked to give our lives so that you might eat...I wish we would be treated in a way that honors and respects the gift that We are offering. Right now, for the majority of my family that is not the case.
Do you have any idea how it feels to be so de-valued! To be beaten and broken.. and just left to die... to watch it and hear it..on a daily basis!! and Worse...to see and know...that NO ONE seems to care...Oh how that hurts...Your news reeks of tragedy...yet ours is rarely mentioned!

There are folks you can now support who speak on our behalf and that gives us hope...With a groundswell of support the necessary change can come. It may come too late for me...but..it will bless and honor my sisters and brothers. Don't let us down...thank you.

Thank you dear chick, I will not be silent.. and I will not let you down.

It's all about Energy!!!

Dear Wave,
I am so tired of pain, sorrow, violence and death.  The power of your movement, especially in this photo, is both beautiful and alarming!  I love the power of the light blazing before you, as if to say..hold back...stop...no more. Your meeting up with the light gives me hope that even in your most fierce presence...your impact may be different than expected because of your exposure to the light.

Dear Light,
You are beautiful and strong...yet how can you change the impact of such an enormous wave? You and wave, I realize, have intense energy...and I realize even more that as two vibrant energy sources,you most certainly do affect and change each other's expression! We humans are realizing more and more, not only the depths of each of your powers, but our own intimate connection to you, and how our daily lives and the actions we take impact the whole.

I laugh as I see that I have chosen to speak with each of you separately, yet, even the photo, reflects your oneness. You help me to understand the truth of we are alone and yet together as one. The energies of all....affect all!

What would you say to me dear Wave and Light?

Dearest Sunti
We, Wave and Light will speak as one. We feel the pain of your heart and we thank you for feeling our pain. In the midst of that... see and know the power of Light..Light can change even that which seems enormous and beyond change.

You are learning more and more about the power of energy...ours and yours..and even more that it is One Energy...that of LOVE. We are the many expressions of that One Energy. You are far more powerful than you know at this time.
When fear saddens you and drains your energy...go into your heart and ask for an outpouring of Love and Light.Close your eyes and see and feel the abundance of Love. This is new for you so go gently with yourself. You are never alone...we are with you always..lean on us.

Just as wave and I impact each other...in our Oneness we all affect each other moment to moment. Fear closes your heart to the understanding of "a much bigger picture". All is not as it appears. Trust in the goodness of the bigger picture and walk in light and love. As you say to so many dear one.. Go gently with yourself.
Remember the words you read, that touched your heart. EVERY positive change, no matter how small, is a positive change for the planet. You make an impact at every moment. The same is true of the negative energy. The choice is yours.
You can't do everything, and you can't erase all the pain...BUT... you can do what you can.. in the ways that you can. Let the energy of your Light and Love SHINE so that you too can halt the waves of negativity that you meet each day.

And.. you've heard this before...Stop ...Stop...reading and listening to all the negativity. You become what you take in...no matter how many times you are told that it is not so! You know the impact on yourself. It is your choice. You can grieve and care, but don't take all that energy and pain to yourself.
We love you and know we are loved by you. Thank you.

Thank you,
Wave and Light for showing me more deeply the power of our energy.. alone and together..I truly did not comprehend the power of simple acts of love. I still am growing in understanding the expanse of our Oneness and am Awed and Blessed. I will be much more conscious of how much pain and negativity I allow myself to take in.

Dear Pup...

Dear Pup,

Part of me wants to laugh, but you are truly "in my face" and want my attention. You've got it! Your eyes seem to be looking both at me and through me.  The look on your face seems to say...Will you pay attention to me please!!....and your eyes.. stop me in my tracks...Is it that hard to get my attention?

If I'm honest I'd have to say it has been hard to get my attention..I feel like I'm all over the place...again!  I know I need to focus and to commit myself to a schedule, just for organization...but I keep running.  All or nothing... keeps playing in my brain.

 How can a little puppy help me to gain focus and urge me to commit to a schedule of activity...??  Here I go again... dismissing the wisdom of  the young in relation to my life...when I extol the wisdom of the young in other situations.

I'm trying to find balance..because I don't want to over extend myself.. I want a slower pace and I want to feel joy and enthusiasm in my daily activities. How do I get there from here?

What would you say to me dear Pup??  I do want to hear your wisdom, as I want to move on and not keep running. 

Dear Sunti... I'm glad you found me and I'm glad we have each other's attention!!  I really think I can help you and I will be blunt and honest.  First dear one.. stop running!!  Begin to act...Begin to create a daily schedule that you think you can work with. You can change it as you go. As a pup,I do that on a daily basis.. because everything is new to me. I try and try...until I "get it". You've undertaken some new activities and are in a learning situation as well. The new can be a challenge!!  You try doing all the things my new family wants me to do, on command and NOW.  Yipes!!

It takes time and practice...you're a teacher.. you know that...and yet you want to get it done perfectly the first time... no way!! Just begin.... and keep trying until you know, it "fits for you".  Not to bad...huh!

It doesn't have to all be done at once... talk about going in circles!!  In the meantime and as your working things through...don't forget to laugh at yourself...and Have Fun.  You want to look forward to each day and what it holds, not be all up tight.  So...Begin....Try...and try again...you will be fine.. I know it! 

 Thank you dear Pup...you have a lot of 'common sense' that I needed to hear... again. Thank you for getting me on track. I will begin and I will have fun, recognizing that it is a process that needs to be worked through. Keep sending me your love and know I'll be sending you mine. Hugs