A new student arrived today, full of tears and fears. He just turned 3 two days ago, and I’m sure no one could prepare him for the total change in his life from being in his home/womb to going out into the world to spend a day with 4 adult and 10 child total strangers. They say he only speaks about 20 words. We’d done our research as to his strengths and “weaknesses”, but there is no way to prepare for the joining of heart, mind and soul that occur when two people meet.

 

I believe that the soul that inhabits a child is fully functional, but it takes awhile to learn how the dense flesh works. That’s part of my function as a Special Ed. Pre-school teacher, to troubleshoot and mend a few rough patches, but the soul is just perfect, Spirit made, 24 carat love.

 

Luckily there is a universal language that works, and it’s love. I loved him for days before he arrived. I’m sure that he got it, because we are all connected at the level of love.  He wouldn’t know in his mind where it came from, but I trust that he received it and used it as needed to make the transition. He may have figured it out when I hugged him for the first time. That was when the crying stopped. The hugging, a little rocking…. Some kind of cooing that says, ”I love you little friend. You are safe with me. I’m on your side.”

 

I had to be the structure that said, “We do this now, and this is how we do it.” It wasn’t always what he wanted to hear, and the crying would begin again, but there was the hand holding that said, “I know you can do this.” And the crying would again cease.

 

Lunch was on my lap. It’s not really supposed to be that way, but it was his very first day, and there had been so much to learn, and he didn’t like the chili, milk, or much of anything else on his plate, although he nibbled some rice, and peaches, and did try the corn bread. Lunch blues were soon forgotten when he had a chance to play on the playground. IT WAS COOL ZOOMING DOWN THE SLIDES!

 

Lucky for him he arrived on a day when we built our quarterly earthworm farm. He had a chance to hold a worm, and heard a worm story too. Nap time was interesting….a pajama party of new friends on cots having stories read to them, while soothing music played. I lay down close to him, and read the worn animal book, and soon he was asleep.

 

I’m just thoroughly in love with this new teacher that has come into my life.

My trip attending to my mother in Cape Cod was a success. She is recovering from full tongue and larynx removal, and is doing well. Her attitude is incredible, and she gets a little better every day. I also got to spend some quality time with family, which is great. After a long (22 hr.) but safe trip, I arrived home at 10:38 pm last night. I'm catching up in all the little ways, like unpacking, and shopping, and restocking, and also the specific ways: writing lesson plans, cleaning my school fish tank and water filters, etc. And now I’m writing.

 

We picked up our son Paul at 9:40, and proceeded to The Olympic Cafe, Christina and Jason's favorite place for breakfast, which they hardly ever have out. Paul is coming home to live with us for a while, not so much for R and R, but L and L, which I’ve coined to mean Love and Laughter, two very healing things. He is a 33 year old man, with children and responsibilities, and we had to question whether we were helping, or enabling him by inviting him back. Certainly we love him, and that can only help. I followed what I thought was my guidance in saying “Yes, come on.” But I wanted a little more confirmation, so asked Holy Spirit for it.

 

I’d taken “A Course in Miracles” to share passages with my mother, believing that  it is important for her to begin identifying with her Spirit self, especially since the physical is well, getting more fragile, shall we say? She is very aggressive in her treatments, even when her quality of life is going down, and pain sometimes goes up!  The family wondered if she was afraid to die, and why. I’ve talked with her about our being Spirit, but I feel inadequate to try to explain to her the peace, and energy I feel when I still my ego self and reach feel the Loving Spirit that I am. So I’d ask for help, and open the Course to a random page, and read it. It helped.

 

While flying home yesterday, however, I found a passage that I’ve already typed and sent to her, but it also was the confirmation I’d been asking for from Holy Spirit about Paul. I thought I'd share it with you. It's the truth behind The Prodigal Son parable. It assumes that one accepts the notion of the two worlds: one being Spirit, created by God, permanent and ever perfect, which is what we truly are, and the other being a 3-D world created by a collective consciousness that we help create. It sounds simple, but requires a huge leap of faith to begin living by, yet when understood makes many things clear. Anyway:

 

"This son of a loving father left his home and thought he had squandered everything for nothing of any value, although he had not understood its worthlessness at the time. He was ashamed to return to his father, because he thought he had hurt him. Yet when he came home the father welcomed him with joy, because the son himself WAS his father's treasure. He wanted nothing else.

 

"God wants only His Son because His Son is His only treasure." [Text p.138 in my old edition]

 

That actually made me cry, I was so touched that God loved me/us so much. All the mistakes of this world are meaningless, as are all of the successes and riches in God's eyes. The 3-D world is for us to experiment and learn in, to help us reach truth. And we learn by our mistakes. The Gold is in the knowing that What we are (Spirit) is perfect, and we will all return home. There is no hell to fear or judgment to worry about…just the loving Creator welcoming us home.

 

Have a joyous day!

The Visionary St. Patrick

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day coming up, I'd like to write a bit about his mystical side. If you ask people about him, they remember that he supposedly removed snakes from Ireland, or that he brought in potatoes so the people wouldn't starve, but there is another side not frequently spoken of. His life is a testament to trusting inner guidance.

He was born in Roman Britain around 387 AD. Captured as a slave at age 16, he was taken to Ireland, and was a herdsman for six years. He writes that he prayed every day, and grew in faith. After six years he heard a voice telling him that he would soon go home. Again, later, he had guidance that his ship was ready. He escaped from his masters, and traveled 200 miles to a port where a ship sailed him to Ireland. After various adventures arrived home with his family.

Another time, a little later, he had a vision. He saw a man coming from Ireland, named Victoricus, who carried many letters, and gave one to St. Patrick. The heading stated "The Voice of the Irish". As he began the letter, he imagined in that moment that he heard the voices of the people who were near Foclut, which is beside the western sea—and they cried out, as with one voice: "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.” (facts are from Wikipedia) He followed his guidance. He became a Catholic priest and then a bishop, returning to Ireland as an ordained bishop in the north and west of the island, but little is known about the places where he worked. He did ordain thousands. He died on March 17, 493 AD. Must be something to eating potatoes, and following guidance. That's 106 years old!

What might our guidance be trying to tell us? How can we be reached by Spirit?  What adventures are waiting? I know that my next adventure is that I'm going to Cape Cod, MA tomorrow to spend time with my mother, who recently had her tongue and larynx removed. I'll learn stoma care, and get to travel with her in an ambulance to Boston as she has a medical check up there. But before that, I have a field trip to Kawamura farms with my pre-schoolers today. Life is a great adventure.