I am sure most of you have heard about the UPS plane crashing here in Louisville. The sorrow of it all hurts my heart. It seems the closer to home a tragedy hits the more I realize how deeply connected we all really are. Those people affected by the passing of someone they loved have remained in my prayers. The crash had a falling dominoes effect; schools in the Louisville area closed the day after, some UPS workers had to wait to be notified before they could return to work, the Louisville airport had major changes related to whether the planes could fly in or the planes fly out. I was concerned about anyone working at the airport or those that lived near the airport, including the horses residing in stalls at Churchill Downs Racetrack, because of all the thick, black smoke that hung in the air for miles. We all were reminded once again you never know what the day will bring.

I chose to lie down on Mother Earth in the backyard of Our Treehouse, the afternoon after the plane crash. It was a beautiful, warm Fall day, filled with brilliant yellows, oranges, browns, and reds, all covering the Tall Beings. The colors alone offered me comfort, yet there’s something even more comforting lying down on the grass and reconnecting with nature with this individual vehicle we all move around in called a body. It was just what I needed.

The Mysteries of LIfe cause me to ask questions. How do you cope with tragedies? Why do we even have such tragedies? How do you pick yourself back up when LIfe hits you so hard, leaving you bruised with a tattered heart and at times you can feel so broken it feels as if nothing can ever heal. Ever. And what about those times that your old friend Grief comes and sits beside you once again and places that heavy blanket of sorrow on your back, so heavy your body vehicle doubles over from the pain. One believes Life can never be the same. Never. And perhaps it never is the same. But no matter the level of our sorrows LIfe goes on, doesn’t it?

So, Mother Earth helps me. And I chose to lie down next to some ornamental grasses. Ornamental grasses that were dancing, then bowing down before me, swaying low to the ground, the blooms soft as corn silk, tresses-like blossoms the color of rose gold. They were moving and flowing with the wind, slowly and gracefully. It was if they were speaking. to me, saying, “Look at me, really look at me!” reminding me I needed to embrace their beauty. And once again I realized it is the simple things in LIfe that gives us back so much LIfe. Then when I am ready to release some of the sadness I can turn it around and ask other questions related to the Mysteries of LIfe. The beauty of Life that constantly surrounds us. Questions like how did that Maple tree get to be that particular gorgeous, red color? How does a Wood Duck make that unique whistling call that always stops me in my tracks so I can truly listen? Why does my cat, Pan, with his long, furry coat seem to have the softest fur I have ever touched? And on a cold morning walking down a country road, how is it I can almost smell the crispness in the air?

Yes, Mother Earth helps me.

c   Love, Joan