Inspiration from Hafiz

All through eternity
Beauty unveils Her exquisite form
in the solitude of nothingness;
she holds a mirror to her Face
and beholds her own beauty.
she is the knower and the known,
the seer and the seen;
No eye but her own
has ever looked upon this Universe.
her every quality finds an expression:
Eternity becomes the verdant field of Time and Space;
Love, the life-giving garden of this world.
Every branch and leaf and fruit
Reveals an aspect of her perfection-
The  cypress give hint of her majesty,
The rose gives tidings of her beauty.

Whenever Beauty looks,
Love is also there;
Whenever beauty shows a rosy cheek
Love lights Her fire from that flame.
When beauty dwells in the dark folds of night
Love comes and finds a heart
entangled in tresses.
Beauty and Love are as body and soul.
Beauty is the mine, Love is the diamond.

They have together
since the beginning of time-
Side by side, step by step.

~Hafiz

A little inspiration for a Sunday morning for you from me (and Hafiz)!

Shine On!

xo

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A Honeybee Came To Me

Recently my life has changed dramatically.  Divorce is final, we’ve closed on our home and we have moved to a new place.  So much upheaval physically, emotionally and mentally, but as I joke when people ask how we are faring, I say we are still upright which to me means we are still here, still walking on our paths and still getting up every morning to greet the dawn with gratitude.  Of course, that’s my description of what upright means!

I’ve continued my tradition of quiet prayer over coffee outside in the mornings before anyone else is up in my house.  Luckily for me, we have a small yard where I can sit and think among Mother Nature’s gifts.  While watching the birds, the small chipmunk who lives nearby who wanders around the patio and listening to the gentle awakenings of nature, I say my prayers and talk with God.

Friday morning began as usual, quietly sipping my coffee and feeling the gentle breeze blow the weeping willow nearby when suddenly a honeybee alighted on my shirt.  She didn’t scare me as she walked on my sleeve.  I looked at her and realized she was a honeybee with no stinger to injure me.  When was the last time I’d seen a honeybee so close up and why had she alighted on me?  Immediately, I thought that she was a spirit totem animal as I’ve had many instances when animals deliver messages to me.  So I looked it up and read what I could find.

Saturday morning began my quiet routine and again, the honeybee came to visit.  This time she landed on the cell phone in my hand.  I watched as she gingerly walked on my phone for about 5 minutes, just walking across it in circles, looking like she was sniffing it as if she were a dog.  Again, she made me smile and as quickly as she had appeared, she flew away.

Saturday night, I was outside again, enjoying the night sky, talking on the phone with a dear friend and who do you think came to visit again?  Yup!  My friendly honeybee alighted directly on my arm.  Her feet tickled my skin, but I remained still as she walked down my upper arm to my elbow and then flew away.

However, this morning, there was no visit, which I have to admit made me sad, as I was enjoying our little morning routine.  With spirit totem animals, there are messages to deliver via Mother Nature’s children and certainly, when we are aware and notice, the messages are delivered.

Have you ever been visited by an animal?  Do you know anything about totem spirit animals?  When was the last time you saw a honeybee?

Please share!

Shine On!

xo

Rose

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.

~ Gerard De Nerval

I adore flowers and all that is found in nature.  But especially flowers and trees.  There is something so magical about them and their fragrance and ease in which they blossom captivates my heart.

The little prince speaks of his rose in the book, The Little Prince. 

“People where you live,” the little prince said, “grow five thousand roses in one garden… yet they don’t find what they’re looking for…

They don’t find it,” I answered.

And yet what they’re looking for could be found in a single rose, or a little water…”

Of course,” I answered.

And the little prince added, “But eyes are blind. You have to look with the heart.”

-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

To look with one’s heart is to see with the eyes of love and compassion.  When we choose to look with only our eyes, at only the surface of any relationship or situation, we are blind.  Blinded by reasons that don’t matter, by superficiality, by greed, by ego and perhaps even by dark emotions.

We all have a knowing inside, call it what you will – intuition, soul, self, innateness, whatever word you choose, but we know that in using our gifts, we connect with others and together we bring more love and light to our planet.  One by one we emerge from the cocoon of ego reasoning to brighten the lives of the other roses whom we touch soul to soul, heart to heart, mind to mind.  It is in making those connections that we find the beauty in the tender rose.

I wish you love and light as always.  I pray you to see with your heart, shine your heartlight and know that you are love.  Let your soul blossom and shower your loving presence into the world.  Feel the gift of loving connections from all of us to all of you.

Shine On!

xo

Let Us Love

since that is all

our hearts were made for.

– St. Therese of Lisieux 

St. Therese of Lisieux was affectionately called ‘The Little Flower’ and roses are her signature, hence the photo above which I do not remember where I found it originally, but I send gratitude to whomever shot the photo of the roses.

If you want to read more about her, please click  here!

Just another small reminder today to use our hearts for what they are made for, LOVE!

Shine your heartlight!

Shine On!

xo

Roses For You!

“Don’t strew me with roses after I’m dead. 

When Death claims the light of my brow

no flowers of life will cheer me;

instead you may give me my roses now!”

~ Thomas F. Healey

I’ve always said that I’d prefer my flowers now and not on my casket.  So let me take this moment to tell you all in writing how I feel.  Not that I’m going anywhere soon (as far as I know), but when I found this rose photo and then the quote above, well, I just thought it was time to talk about it.

How do you feel about flowers?  Would you prefer to have some fresh flowers around the house now ~ cut flowers in a pretty vase or in your garden to enjoy while you’re alive ~ or flowers strewn across your casket after you are gone?  I am not trying to take away from anyone else’s traditions, this is just my own point of view here.

I want to enjoy the fragrance of sweet roses, lilacs, gardenias and honeysuckle now while I’m alive and able to smell their heavenly fragrance instead of having them go to waste when I’m dead.  I want to delight in the springtime daffodils, tulips and crocus as they brave the beginnings of the Springtime thaw from Winter.  I delight in the beauty and aroma of all flowers (with the exception of lilies whose smell makes me feel a bit sick).

How do you feel about flowers after you are gone?  Would you prefer to enjoy them while you are alive?  And/or do you imagine a casket festooned with flowers to go onto the next chapter of your journey?

What’s your favorite flower?

Just wondering…

Shine On!

xo

P.S.  Just an FYI, a small bouquet of fragrant pink roses for me will be fine after I’m gone.

P. P. S.  I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon though! ♥

How Do You See A Rose?

The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns;
the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose.
Kahlil Gibran

A grainy cell photo of a rose I once received, but still, a sweet rose which meant so much to me at the time.  I love roses.  I always have, ever since I was a little girl.  There’s something about fresh flowers which touches my heart every time.

I am an optimist and I see the beauty in a rose ~ I acknowledge the thorns, but they don’t take away the beauty and perfection of the rose herself.  I think people are like roses as well.  Some are thornier than others.  Some look perfect, yet have no fragrance.  Some are fragrant, but like the photo above, aren’t perfectly colored.  Me, I like the fragrant ones who aren’t perfectly colored ~ I guess I like a little imperfection in myself.  I think it adds a bit of charm and character.

Who wants to be one of the crowd instead of calmly loving our own uniqueness?

I think that’s the key to a peaceful life ~ accepting ourselves and others for our whole rose and not wishing that the other person were less thorny or more fragrant or more perfectly formed with uniform color.  To accept the rose for who she is and not to find her less attractive for her flaws.  Instead, to hold her gently in your heart with loving kindness, patience and understanding.

I want you to know that like the rose, I see your beauty, flaws and all.  I cherish your uniqueness.  I applaud your fragrance and your thorns.  I will hold your friendship in my heart and it will linger long after we have withered and I will wait for you to bloom again.

Shine On!

xo