Dream, Dream, Dream...

ceramic creation by Ken Starbird - Dreams

Sleeping dreams are interesting things, don’t you think? As a child, I had a two recurring nightmares, and can still remember the feelings when I think of them. During the years I had to wake up early without the luxury of hitting a snooze button, I don’t remember many dreams. Now that I can wake up and go back to sleep for a while, I have more lucid dreams where I can think about what’s happening and even have some control of events. Many of my friends interpret their dreams and find meanings which extend to daily life. I don’t consciously do so, but often the nighttime events come back to thought during the day, and sometimes they seem to tell me to be aware. Then again, we should always be awake to events around us and intuition within us, so I rarely feel they are a portent of doom or goodness. I look forward to fun dreams where I get to visit with loved ones long gone from material sight. What do you dream about? Do you enjoy the experience? I hope so...  

"...Is there any more reality in the waking dream of mortal existence than in the sleeping dream? There cannot be, since whatever appears to be a mortal man is a mortal dream. Take away the mortal mind, and matter has no more sense as a man than it has as a tree. But the spiritual, real man is immortal." Mary Baker Eddy 

Tribes and Oneness

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Today my thoughts have repeatedly turned to tribes and the cocoon in which I feel wrapped, here in Eureka Springs. There are any number of groups of people I feel a deep kinship toward, but (as in high school) there is no limiting identity with any one. I remember when my boys and I moved here almost 25 years ago. It was to attend the Clear Spring School. One of the mothers told me this school was a way of life, and I soon found out what she meant. We worked together to raise money to keep the school viable, and leaned on each other for child care and support in every avenue of life. This was a total-immersion situation unlike any other I’ve encountered. In the past, I have loved our metaphysical group and my Eureka Thyme family; now I feel a deep kinship with the two churches where I play keyboards and the choirs I accompany, along with the duplicate bridge community, our Course in Miracles group, and my book club. Every day our lives expand to include others we meet. And this practice of non-duality we study opens us to the universal family fluttering just out of sight! Life is Good! 

"Selfishness tips the beam of human existence towards the side of error, not towards Truth. Denial of the oneness of Mind throws our weight into the scale, not of Spirit, God, good, but of matter." Mary Baker Eddy 

What Do I Want?

photo credit: Steve Shogren

I want to write about the Kurds and how they do the unspeakable in the name of honor. I want to write about our president and his cohorts, and what they do in the name of greed and power. I want to write about my acquaintances, who are still defending the dishonesty in our government; also the conservatives who have realized there is no conservation in their chosen political party. I want to write about the pain of those who love goodness and truth; who cry out for full disclosure, no matter who may fall in this facing of facts, knowing this is the only way to reclaim the lofty ideals of our founding fathers. I want to write about the slaves who were abused by those founders, and the aftermath of our self-righteous bigotry. But I’d rather write about the new earth this cleansing will bring us, the beauty left in the aftermath of this torment, and the love we have not forgotten.

“How willing are you to forgive your brother? How much do you desire peace instead of endless strife and misery and pain? These questions are the same, in different form. Forgiveness is your peace, for herein lies the end of separation and the dream of danger and destruction, sin and death; of madness and of murder, grief and loss. This is the ‘sacrifice’ salvation asks, and gladly offers peace instead of this.” A Course in Miracles

Falling off the Vegan Wagon

photo credit: Aaron Springston

A few years back, I decided to stop eating meat. I was invited to dinner at a friends house, along with three others. When I had been to this man's home before, it was for the salons we created and attended for 10 months, so it was easy to bypass the meat in the buffet line, hence I had not mentioned I was vegetarian. This particular evening was more formal, as he was introducing himself to his neighbors, who also happened to be artists I knew from my gallery. There was no serve-yourself, and he set in front of me a huge slab of meat and a few carrots and asparagus spears. I thought of my options: not eat the meat and hurt his feelings, or do as Jesus advised his disciples and eat what is put before you, which I did. Tonight I was at a gathering of our Course in Miracles group and a woman mentioned that she had fallen off the vegan wagon and had a hamburger. She looked at me and said she remembered the above story when I told it at a previous meeting, and it brought her peace, keeping her from beating herself up over her food choice. It caused me to realize we're all doing the best that we can, and at any given time that best is different! Let's all be gentle with ourselves, and others, remembering to be kind rather than right.

"The fact is, food does not affect the absolute Life of man, and this becomes self-evident, when we learn that God is our Life. Because sin and sickness are not qualities of Soul, or Life, we have hope in immortality, but it would be foolish to venture beyond our present understanding, foolish to stop eating until we gain perfection and a clear comprehension of the living Spirit. In that perfect day of understanding, we shall neither eat to live nor live to eat." Mary Baker Eddy 

Perfectly Imperfect

photo credit: Aaron Springston

One of my favorite essay writers is named Robert Klose. For the past 20 years or so, I’ve followed his single parenting of two adopted boys, seen him through many nature adventures in Maine, and realized we are kindred spirits. Today I read a piece called “Perfectly at home with imperfection”. He talks of going to buy a canoe and seeing one priced so low he had to ask, "What’s wrong with it?" The salesman replied, “She don’t float right”. “I’ll take it!”, he said. He found he had to sit to the left side to compensate, but he’s very happy with that. He bought a window that had a bubble in the glass, and it shone like a jewel in the sunlight. He states that if you get something in perfect condition, you are disappointed, perhaps even feel betrayed, when it gets a dent or imperfection from regular wear and tear. I’m with him on these things! As he said, “How wonderful is the world of the imperfect!”

"Mortal thought transmits its own images, and forms its offspring after human illusions." Mary Baker Eddy 

Tough Decisions

photo credit: Nick Franchi

Out of all the tough decisions we must make in this world, one of the most difficult is to have a pet put to sleep. No one wants to do this. But no one wants their beloved friend to suffer either. Perhaps believing there is no death makes this easier, do you think? I read an interpretation of the commandment “thou shalt not kill” which said it actually meant “thou cannot kill”. I rather like that one! The energy which we are continues on forever, although perhaps not in the form we like to imagine. Reincarnation, life continuing in another form, a different plane of reality, an alternate universe — well, we have many ideas of what the afterlife may hold — or not! And so what of humans? Is this decision all right for dogs but not for me? More people are accepting the alternative of right to death laws which have been enacted in some states. Death seems as individual as life, and I’m not sure there is a blanket answer for what is right and wrong. But I know what feels right, and I hope to not be frightened of it.

“In the illusion of death, mortals wake to the knowledge of two facts: (1) that they are not dead; (2) that they have but passed the portals of a new belief.” Mary Baker Eddy 

Memorials

Vietnam Memorial
photo credit: Aaron Springston

Most of us have an idea of what we would like to happen with our bodies once they are no longer animated by our thoughts. We may want to be buried in a casket or cremated; we may want a headstone telling who we were, or maybe we want our ashes buried in the flower garden. I’ve spent a lot of time walking in cemeteries and they are fascinating places. I wonder about the people’s stories and who loved them enough to make these lasting memorials. Nowadays, there are Facebook pages devoted to those who are gone, with people remembering their birthdays and “heavenly birthdays” and sharing other memorials. Whatever the remembrance, it’s all an expression of the love manifested in their lives. I wish I’d given my parents more flowers when they were here, and I’m grateful that my sweet son picks bouquets for me when he sees a pretty stand of wildflowers. Every loving kindness is a tribute to Life, don’t you think? Moment by moment, memories are made and love is shared.

"Thou to whose power our hope we give, 

     Free us from human strife. 

Fed by Thy love divine we live,

     For Love alone is life;

And life most sweet, as heart to heart

Speaks kindly when we meet and part."

Mary Baker Eddy - the poem, Love.