Close Encouter of a Lovely Kind

I have shared in the past about my wonderful morning walks with Aimee, the most adorable puppy on the planet. We go to a 34 acre park near by and walk the hills. There is sacred and healing energy in that park. I can feel it and I can see it. One time a few years ago, while standing at the top of a hill in this park, looking down over the acres of lush green expanse, I saw the universe raduate with light. The colours were brilliant. I "saw" my life in a moment. I had a sweet feeling of peace. But most of all I felt compasion-- for me. I "heard", "You have done well." I hold that memory in my heart. It feels precious to me.

In this park live all manor of wild-life. Huge black crows who loudly and with urgency, share their caution of doom. Bunnies skittering into the bushes. Aimee chases squirrels into the trees, we pass areas that smell of skunk; little, lively foxes hurry by looking for a. Maj snack. Majestic hawks float overhead and call attention to the blue-berry sky. Last summer Aimee and I interrupted 3 deer as they quietly nibbled the grass then loped over the wooded hills to some place unknown to us, but safe for them, we hoped.

This morning Aimee and I saw the coyote who has been living there for several months. I suspect she has pups. Thus far none have shown themselves. Today Aimee decided to try friendship with Mama Coyote. She was close enough for me to see her soulful eyes and feel her quiet, shy presence. Initially, Aimee clearly hoped for a friend, but for some instinctual reason, this little bitty puppy began to growl at this lovely, soft brown, almost tamed mother animal. I scooped Aimee up and leased her. We walked away.

Something about these few short moments, opened my mind and heart to my friend in the Iranian prison. And to his captors.

I am sure my friend feels small, vulnerable and powerless. I don't know if he has tried to growl back. But my fears for him would be quite similar to my fears for Aimee: both are too little for the job and it would be unlikely either would survive an incounter.

What about his captors. If we could look deeply into their eyes, as mama coyote allowed me to do this morning with her, would we find any softness? Can they be tamed? Or have they been in the wild too long with no one to bring gentleness into their lives? I doubt I would be brave enough to growl, like Aimee did. She is fearless, sometimes. I am never fearless. So much learning and growing to do!

Someone very wise once told me that we all actually have only 2 emotions: love or fear. Profound.

If I can't love his captor, I fear them. If I fear them, or more to the point, if he fears them, his soul withers. He needs our love to help him survive. We are the holders and the containers of hope. Hope for the world to know more about love, and less about fear. More later. NAR

Changes! Changes!

When my oldest son was 7 or 8 years old he was uncharacteristically irritable and cranky one day. I asked him what was wrong and he said to me, "Changes, changes. Too many changes, Mom. I can't stand it!" I asked him what changes he was referring to and he said, "You painted the front door red and bought me new pajamas!"

At the time I didn't take it nearly as seriously as I maybe should have done. I think he was referring to feeling that his life was slipping out of his hands and he felt powerless to do anything about it. All the grow-ups in his life were making decisions for him and not consulting him about any of them.

Ever feel that way? Of course you have. We all do. Some of us feel it more frequently than others do. With enough time on this plan of existence, we learn there are more ways to feel powerful than we realized for such a long time.

My friend's husband, who is also a friend of mine, has been in prison in Iran for 3 weeks. His Canadian and Iranian passports have been taken from him, as have his credit cards, his ticket home and his money. He has been able to call his sister in Iran 3 times and claims to be doing alright.

What can we/I do? At first I felt hopeless. However, my awareness of the power and creativity I have as well as the power of numbers has increased considerably and I truly think we can do a the job, do it well, and do it in peace and love.

We can pray, meditate, vision, dream, send energy, get more and more people involved in focusing positive energy and safety surrounding him, holding him, protecting him.

This is not being in-active, foolish, or unrealistic. It is absolutely pro-active and powerful. Collectives of loving, gentle, caring people world wide who spend a few moment, an evening, a half hour, simply thinking of him, loving him, healing and empowering him. We can light candles, read poetry, listen to music, hold hands and have a moment of silence to focus our hopeful energy on him. At the same time, we can send soft, caring, changing, healing messages to his captors. Many of them are only doing what they have been told to do and are just as scared as he is and as we are.

Our fear is not useful for my friend. Our hope and positive, loving thoughts for him and for his jailers and tormentors is what will free him. Please join those of us who vision my friend walking off the plane into the loving, waiting, healing arms of those who long for his return.

I will write more about this later. Enough for now. Comments please. Warmly, Nancy Ross

Out of the Fire into the Frying Pan

Monday evening, June 3, we returned from 19 days in Austria. Much of the time was spent in Vienna, with wonderful side trips. One side trip was 3 days in Salzburg. As beautiful, historical, and welcoming as Vienna. I love Austria! The down side is I do not speak German and I am a languagephob. I often get tangled up in English. Having the courage to try another language seems totally out of my safety space.

It rained the first week in Austria, and the second week it was 35c and HUMID. Today in Toronto it is 29 and VERY HUMID. I wonder if I bring weather with me wherever I go?

In-spite of challenging weather, the trip was highly successful. I made terrific business contacts and feel very clear that there is a place in Vienna for an English speaking Imago relationship therapist.

I am so confident that this is true, that I have committed to return in Sept. and will begin seeing couples the week of Sept. 15. Promoting myself is the trick. How do I get the attention of English speaking couples in Vienna who want to strengthen, heal, and grow in relationship?

Anyone who has ideas, please pass them on to me. There is the space, I have the desire. I want those 2 emerging energies to connect. Then, 3 times a year, for probably about a month, I will go to Vienna to work and play, to learn and grow, to give and receive. YES!!