A Moment Captured

I was having breakfast with my best friend, Kris, on Friday and we got talking about the weather for the weekend. Looking up, the sky was sort of overcast but the sun was shining down on us, though the breeze was very cool, so we figured the storm was going to pass us over and we would miss out on more rain, which we both love.

We like to sit outside in the cafe's patio when we meet and watch the world move around us. It is interesting and enlightening to people watch while we sip at our coffees, eat breakfast and chat. Plus, we get a chance to see friends and acquaintances pass by as well.

It was getting on in the morning and she had to get to her therapy for her foot so she took off.  I sat back to finish my coffee when I looked up and noticed how the clouds were slowly twirling around the sun. What a great shot it would have been had I had my really nice camera rather than the one on my iPhone but took the picture anyway. What a surprise to find that it caught the moment perfectly so immediately, I had to post to my Facebook to share as I thought it was beautiful. I got so many wonderful reactions to it.

As it happens in life, sometimes we are in the right place at the right time to see the things we need to take in. It definitely made my weekend to see that and then capturing it perfectly so that I would remember that moment in life.

I am grateful to have caught that moment to remind me of how beautiful life really is.

Namaste

Therapeutic Halloween

It is that time of year that adults can revert back to being a kid and get dressed up with a fun place to go party.

I read an article recently in the American Journal of Psychology about how people age. It said that adults who don't take time to play age faster than those who do. They don't mean sports, going to the gym or playing music but playing in the park with your kids, kick ball, running around silly or just flying a kite kind of play; watching cartoons, playing silly or funny board games.

I thought, great, I am on the right track. I still do all that even though my daughter is all grown up and married. Luckily, I have three nieces and a nephew to use as a cover. Hahahaha! Yeah, even my mom calls me the silly, crazy auntie but in an affectionate way. Hey, I got it from her so she gets the concept.

My mom is going to be 77 in December but she still walks tall (for a "short shit" as my dad used to call her), has a sharp mind, drives all the time, goes out with her friends, plays with the grandkids and travels all over the world so having that attitude has helped her to extend her life and not be bedridden or in need of a walker to get around.

So as adults we take one holiday and use that to the fullest, then what? It's done until the next year. What if we took that attitude of the one day and incorporated into our lives all the time and do the good fun as kids do to keep young? How we will slow the aging process and do things that are important for longevity. Enjoy and be intrigued by the little things in life, like bugs and watching bubbles pop, giggle and making silly faces, and most important, laugh all the time.

Think about it as you get dressed up tonight and enjoy your evening. It's a fun feeling to have so why not have it all the time?

Namaste

Ah... Musical Memories...

There are two songs that keep coming back to me and takes me back to my early 20's.

First song is Hold On by one of my favorite bands, Santana.  The song was released August 1982 and as much as I loved the album, this song kept playing in my head. I played it so much that I know I was driving my friends crazy. LOL! Being that I grew up in Santana's backyard, outside of San Francisco, naturally I heard a lot of them on local radio stations in high school.

I lived in Connecticut when the song came out, but it wasn't a huge deal being a Santana fan there. I managed to convert a few friends with my Black Magic Woman ways. Hahahaha! My husband, at the time, was not a big fan but he liked music almost as much as I did, so he listened to it.

The song got to me because it was about finally having someone getting through to you with their love, you finally get to know what love really is but too late as the person is gone. It is about not letting love go and holding on for another chance to make things right.

The irony was that I was married a year, already wondering if I had made the right choice. I was not sure I was in love with him, though I cared deeply for him. Was it enough? I guess the song hit a cord within me.

This is in the Top 5 of favorite Santana songs... my favorite?  Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile).




Second song is Every Breath You Take by The Police. Remember when the song came out? I do. It was 1983, I was 22 years old and still listening to Hold On by Santana.

It was, quite possibly, my all time favorite song for the next 5 years. Weird how it still has the power to grab a hold of me and remind me of the first time I heard it and how it made me feel. I am sure there were others who loved this song as much as I did. But to me, it was an intimate experience listening to the song. Still is, actually.

I heard the song driving to work and it took my breath away. I had to go buy it. I got home and played it all the way through once. Then that song got played over and over, so you can imagine my poor husband back then. I remember him shaking his head as he picked up his harmonica and going down to the basement to practice with his buddies. I fell in love with the stand up bass then and there.

For me, even though I was married, it conjured the man that I dreamed I would married when I was growing up. He would love me no matter what and would desperately need me to be with him. It was him singing those words to me. Yeah, he would be a stalker of mine. LOL!

"Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you."

Namaste.

Nature Talks to Us

Have you ever asked a question and somehow an answer just pops into your head? It reminds me of the line from an old song... "the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind, the answer is blowing in the wind." Do you believe that Nature can talk to us? Like the wind?

Our thoughts, dreams, ideals and ideas are carried out, with our inner and outer voices, into the Universe, knowing it will be taken to its perfect destination to be manifested.

We can connect ourselves to a force of nature by focusing on the element of air during a wind meditation. We begin by centering ourselves on our breath. We inhale air, which is a life-giving force, feeling it fill our lungs and then releasing the air it into the world to let our breath mingle with the breath of nature and of others. No wonder we are connected. We breath in and out each other's energy.

If you can't feel the wind right now, you can use your mind to conjure times when the wind caressed your cheek, ruffled your hair or clothes.

We can remember the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves of a tree or when laughter was brought to your ears.

We can remember seeing the wind take a leaf and pushing to and fro until it landed on the ground.

The smell of an ocean breeze or the aroma of baking bread can remind us of how powerful the wind is.

As we recall how our senses are touched by the wind, we can feel its force surround us, calm us or even cool us. In its way, it is speaking to us.

Take that time to breath in, meditate and listen to Nature speak. It might be bringing you an important message that you need to hear.

As always, the light in me honors the light in you.

Midnight Margaritas

Since it is midnight, I thought I would leave you with this... from the movie, Practical Magic... yes, from this Buddhist Witch to you wonderful, beautiful and amazing people, thank you so much for all your emails supporting me through my journey. I am honored that you read my blog and give me such beautiful feedback.

My Friday off and I think I hear the blender going, so bright blessings, my friends.

Families

This time of year, I get nostalgic and start to watch a lot of holiday films and listen to holiday music (yes, I do) but recently, as I have been catching up on movies I have missed out on, I have been watching a lot of movies that feature families.

Rachel's Getting Married, Home for the Holidays, Nothing Like the Holidays and Tortilla Soup are some that feature different families and styles with all their drama, issues, madness, lies, secrets and other things that go hand in hand with being in a family including hate and of course, love.

After watching them, I talked to my friends about growing up in their families and how it was for them. At first, they were nice about them but as the wine poured at a dinner at one friend's place, the truths came out and I got to see that other side of them.

Some were ashamed of their families; some didn't care; others loved their families but it was a hard road getting there. I am the latter. I love my family but it took years for me to really understand the dynamics and to finally get it.

Being brought up the way I was and with the parents I had, as much as I had it easy, it was also hard. I knew some of my mom's history but not much of my dad's until he passed 5 years ago. He kept that part of him from my sisters and I so it was with shock, hurt and sadness that we knew how he grew up and why he was the way he was.

First of all, my father never laid a hand on any of his girls. He disciplined us but never spanked or hit us. After he passed, I found that he and his brothers were beaten by their alcoholic dad growing up and he left as soon as he was 18. He vowed to himself and my mom that he would never be that way. He never was. Now, mom on the other hand, didn't have a problem with spanking us. LOL! And I will tell you this... I was a handful, to say the least and I got it more times than my sisters did together. I was a rough and tumble girl and in a way, loved to push the limits and her buttons. I knew how to piss off my mom easily and did it often as a child and a teen.

Was I proud of that? Can't say I was now as I look back but it had its purpose and my mom respects me the most because I tested life, I rebelled and I learned to lived it fully as a young kid. I had no fear and would try anything.

Caution came into place after I got divorced and realized that I alone would have to raise my daughter because her dad was a jackass (and I say this fondly as we are friends now). But I still hadn't grown up yet and sometimes, I think I haven't even now. But I am good with that part of me as I know that it makes me different than others and my friends appreciate that part of me that can still look at life in wonder, at its splendor.

Families. We are born into them. We don't have a decision on that. But we meet people in our lives that become family to us. Friends who know you as you are and accept you nonetheless. They love you for your quirks, your craziness, your stubborn nature and even with all your faults, they see your infinite good and they see your pain and are there to comfort you. I have a handful who are like that to me; they are my family and I am so honored that they are in my life. And I tell them all the time that I love them.

Families are what bonds us to the Universe because in a way, we are all brothers and sisters going through this crazy journey we call life. We need them and they need us. We get each other through every day and in the end, it doesn't matter how much money or material things they or you have, it is how much of their time and love you were given and how much you gave, that counts.

Namaste.

Fate, Destinty... Serendipity

I love the story line of this movie that two people meet by chance, get this connection they cannot understand but know it is there. They have one of the best times of their lives, then by fate, go their separate ways... He in New York City and she in San Francisco, they felt that strong pull to one another, despite living their lives 3000 miles apart and several years passing. The signs are there for them to see and in the end, they can't ignore them as they realize that destiny had them tied together by their hearts and their souls.

Sometimes, when you know, you just know.

Memories in the Making

Life, with its ups and downs, makes the world turn. Sometimes, it turns the right way and sometimes, the wrong. Tonight was special. I had a bunch of amazing events happen, all small but they touched my heart.

Ever had a night when nothing and I mean nothing can go wrong? Tonight was definitely one of those. The conversations were flowing and the people involved made it all the more interesting. No one person took over the conversations and no one person was in the limelight. It was the kind of night that memories were made of. I will be sitting on my porch in Connecticut next year, teacup in hand, reliving tonight, wondering what my friends are doing. Bittersweet and happisad. Yeah, a new word.

Sitting in the patio around the big table, Witches hats on, beers in hand, giggling, smiling and chatting. Watching people pass with martini glasses in hand (it was Witches Night Out and Martini Tasting) waving to us with a "how's it going?" Life is good right now as I type this and more so, in each moment, an hour, two or four hours ago.

Misty rain lightly tapping on our hats, running down and glistening our faces, which made us giggle even more. Young, Middle, Old, Male and Female all converged to complete the no-moon night.  It was amazing to see the different faces, personalities, styles and cultures, discuss and share wonderous adventures, dreams and goals with each other.

We were all one with nature and people, not couped up in a building. Across the way, an acoustic guitar played gently on the street corner, shouts of laughter heard on the main street. Men walking by, whistling at the pretty girls. Women checking out the guys and giving a flash of a smile. I got to do my favorite thing and people watch at my leisure. I could join a conversation or relax and take it all in.

The young felt mature, open and strong to stand their ground. The old felt young, vibrant and giddy. The middle tied the two together and the world felt right, this one special night.

At the end, the smiles continued to the cars, shouts of good byes heard and hands popping out of windows as they waved. I am still getting text messages from everyone on what an awesome night it was.

Indeed, it was.  In three words... a magical night.

Morning Rituals

One of the things that I like to do each morning is to meditate. I find that it gets me on the right attitude for the day. Yeah, there are those who cannot quiet their minds and don't get why meditation is helpful. Hell, some will go as far as belittling it because it is something they don't understand. I envy their ignorance as they go through life. I think that once you understand that peace within and connect to the Universe, it does put a burden on you because you get it. But to me it is an amazing burden to hold.

Meditation allows for visualising the kind of day I want to have and allows me to send it out into the Universe. It's also a great time to say how grateful I am with all that I have and for the people in my life. The quietness lets me think clearly and I am able to send my message into the Universe before the world wakes up.

I know without a doubt that everything happens for a reason and despite my situation at the end of the month, I know I put that out there. I want to move to New England so getting laid off was the Universe's way to say, "here is your chance, Anni, take it." As always said... be careful for what you ask for. LOL!

In our own way, by meditating, when we quiet our minds, we connect to the universal spirit because our awareness becomes in tune within ourselves and with the energies around us. We are waking as the world is waking, peacefully taking in the essence of the quiet morning and setting the tone for how we see our day unfolding.

In the morning, light, air, and energy flows around us and whispers to us. Sure, there are going to be challenges to overcome but how you face those is what makes or breaks your day. If you fight it tooth and nail, your energy is taken and you feel empty by the end of the day. If you give up to it and let it go as it should, you go with the flow, it comes to you easily and you feel peace.

An old friend once said that there is chaos in the peace or peace in the chaos, we just choose which route to take by our attitude.

There are so many people who talk the talk but not as many that can walk to walk. That is why it is called a practice... you keep practicing to be better each day.

I believe at the start of every day, our path is an open and blank page. What we decide it will be is up to us and how we start our mornings. So that means that there is nothing we cannot do to make it the best day each day.

How we meditate is not as important as our choice to attune ourselves to the Universe each day. Even if it is for a few minutes to breath in the morning air and say a quick thank you.

I know it works because I hadn't done in for a while and my mind was not working as it should. As soon as I got back to meditating, yoga and working out, I became in tune with me and with the Universe. I felt the energies and heard the whispers clearly.

Try it for a week and be conscious of how each day turns ends. I am sure you will see a marked difference.

As always, I am humbled by your light.