One Person - Make A Difference

The Greatest Gift of All!

Someone very dear to me has reminded me this Christmas that gifts come to us in many different ways. They are not always given to us wrapped neatly in a box and tied with a ribbon. Gifts are not always received in pleasant and joyous surroundings. Sometimes gifts are hidden beneath pain and sorrow. They do not feel like gifts when we receive them, but indeed, they can be the greatest gifts of all. Discovering truth and facing fears, no matter how painful or unpleasant, will set us free. When we face painful memories and atrocities inflicted upon us, we open a door to experience our life free of fear. Walking through that door in truth will give you the gift of enlightenment. It is a gift of freedom and liberation that will allow your light within to shine its brightest, the possibilities are endless. You are no longer a prisoner of yourself, you are no longer held captive, and you are free! As you inhale and exhale every breath in your new found freedom, you receive the universal gifts and blessings of love, happiness, peace, knowledge, abundance and strength. The Christmas Spirit will live within you all year through, and that is truly the greatest gift of all.

Through the Eyes of Child!

I am always enlightened in the presence of a child. Lessons are revealed to me everyday through the eyes of my granddaughter, Lillyanna. Her exuberance and innocent approach to life never ceases to amaze me. Lilly is now seventeen months old, but at a mere 9 months old, her love of music and movies were inherently apparent. She became fixated with a ritual of watching, as she calls it with her nose crinkled up and her eyes gleaming, "my mobee"! This movie would be Walt Disney's, Enchanted.

The movie begins as an animated picture. It begins with, Giselle, lovingly creating a visualization of her dream prince, Edward. In true Disney fashion, she meets, falls in love with and prepares to marry him all in the same day! Aha!, but there is a twist, the evil stepmother, Queen Narissa, meets up with Giselle on her way to marry the prince and pushes her down a well. The story is altered to a Real-Life World in New York City's Time Square. This new world transformation leaves her somewhat confused and disoriented, but never wavering in her belief that Prince Edward will find her and bring her back to Andalasia. Now enters, Robert & Morgan. Robert, a divorce lawyer in NYC, is in complete contrast to Giselle's character. Robert has no belief that fairy tales even exist. Morgan, his daughter, despite her father, has unwavering belief in the magic of fairy tales. Bill Kelly's incredible screenwriting, skillfully unfolds a tale that leads Giselle's through a journey of self discovery throughout the feature. As the story continues, you see the development of the characters alter their course as obstacles and roadblocks are presented along their journey. In the end, Giselle discovers her new experiences have led her to new desires and possibilities, ones she never even imagined existed. In comparison, Robert learns that perhaps fairy tales do exist and that letting go of inhibition can lead to new possibilities.

In point, life will undoubtedly present obstacles and roadblocks along our journey. Obstacles are presented to us as lessons. Embracing the lessons can be difficult but they offer us an ability to experience new things and grow. What children inherently know, and teach us everyday, is that "seeing is not Believing," "Believing is Seeing". The key in life is to remember this and know that searching for our dreams may lead us to destinations and experiences that we could not have imagined, if only we Believe!

Remembering Friends

Today I received an email from an old friend who started me thinking. She mentioned in her note how she was "taken back" at how many years had gone by. She said she, "felt a bit embarassed" and wondered if she "still knew me?" As children and young adults, we had spent literally every day together. However, as the years went on and we grew older we lost touch. We travelled different roads, lived different lives, found new friends, and except for the occassional birthday calls, emails and reunions, didn't spend a lot of time together. I thought, "could our bond really be over?" The email triggered something in me and I started to reminisce in my mind the days of my youth. I couldn't help but smile at all the really wonderfully fun and stupid things we did together. We shared so many "firsts" together. Our first day of school, our first time venturing off our block, our first dance, our first experience at love and kissing a boy, and let's not forget, our first time driving, the list goes on and on! Then it hit me, "No Way!" We could never loose our bond. I believe as a child we are the purest sense of ourself. We share a bond of so many wonderful everyday experiences of our youth. We supported one another through moments in truth that no one else will ever know. Our lives were developed together, our likes and dislikes, our talents and passions and our personalities. In our lives as we grow older, we are met with obstacles and roadblocks, and sometimes make choices that alter our true paths. We did not have the same distractions as children as in our adult lives, therefore, we were able to experience one another as our true selves. If each of us are fortunate enough, as we grow we start to see our lives differently. We pay attention to the signs, so to speak, and allow our lives to come full circle. When we become conscious of our true inner self, we can return to who we always were. In the end, our purest being is who we return to being, only better! I feel truly blessed to have wonderful life long friends. Although we may not all see each other daily as in our youth, I will always hold each of them as family in my heart. I will always consider us part of the same, as are we all, our only difference is of degree!