El Gato y La Luz, Like Coming Home from Camp, The Unexpected

This is my altar. It’s very simple. A carved wooden car with heart-shaped leaves glued in random places. One leaf seems intentional as it is placed over the heart. It is perfectly located to reflect the candle light. Each morning I light the candle and make offerings for each of our children and grandchildren. It’s a practice I learned from my mom. She did this in bed at night. Often falling asleep since our family was large and continued growing well into her nineties. During each new pregnancy she would pray each night, “give this new baby a sweet spirit”. Me gusta eso. (I like that)

I prefer the morning for this ritual. Both for the gentle light and the opportunity to start each day with blessings and gratitude. I begin with our children, then grandchildren and then our larger extended family and friends near and far. Although I am often in a location far from most of these folks I rarely feel “distanced”. Me gusta eso. 

I create a simple altar wherever I land for more than a few days. Some of them I remember well. But I must say, this is one of my favorites. In the U.S. I am a dog person. In Mexico I am strangely attuned to el gato (the cat). They often wander over to me in restaurants, look at me from their quiet spot beneath a tree, or roll at my feet as I walk the cobblestone streets. Last year I even played matchmaker!  A tiny kitten showed up at our AirB&B. I couldn’t resist. I fed it just enough to survive. Then later a bit more food. Then we had a long talk. I told this adorable kitten we would be leaving and  it was going to have to develop the skills needed to win the heart of our AirB&B host. A person who often commented on the unwelcome intrusion of cats!  It worked. In my humble opinion a mutually beneficial relationship. 

Anyway, el gato y la luz are my morning companions. 

Tambien me gusta eso.

Like Coming Home from Camp

Way back in the 90’s I spent a week each summer on staff at a week-long Sr. High Camp in the N.C. mountains. In the early years I drove a 15-person van from Longwood, Florida to Laurel Springs, N.C.  13 teenagers, 2 adults, and a trailer full of suitcases, guitars and kit-kaboodles…..a small fishing tackle box full of make-up and fragrances. I banned all fragrances from the van’s  interior. On some trips there would be complaints that the perfumes helped cover the body odors of campers averse to showering in the rustic bathrooms. We managed to forget about dirty feet and stinky bodies by singing most of the 12 hour drive. It was wonderful. We were a tight group. 

Campers arrived on Sunday. Spent a crazy-good week together. Then at what seemed “way-too-soon”, climbed back into cars and vans and buses to go back “down the mountain”. We cherished our mountain top experiences. Life for one week seemed magical. Different. The way it should always be, but often wasn’t.

Back home exhausted by life’s fullness I alternated between the need to sleep for days and a desire to stay awake and hold onto the sweet memories. Those were such profound experiences of shared life. Most of us would say you can’t go back. Can’t recreate it. Can’t, as adults,  go to camp!

But Monday morning I had the strange feeling I was back at camp. Time to say good-bye to new friends. What an unexpected joy to find such friends in this stage of life. People you really connect with. People who get you. People you can stay up late with. Share stories. Do silly things… sing and dance and watch the sunset. I am not in North Carolina. But I just had a Mexican, high desert, mountain-top experience.

I am content

I am filled with loving kindness

I am well

I am peaceful

I am grateful. 

And, ESTOY TAN LLENA (I am so full)

And from Steve: The Unexpected

Having guests this week has taken me out of my normal routine into unfamiliar territory. I found myself doing a lot of socializing in a group, drinking a beer, watching sunsets, going to listen to music, singing, dancing, playing pickleball, talking to friends back home; a real social butterfly.

There is another aspect to having guests is the opportunity to get to know each other better. Long talks and stories. 

Life is full of love affairs, and for me this visit included some of the best days of my year. 

My face hurts from smiling. 

My heart is full 

My teams won. 

Debbie was wonderful. 

The food was fantastic.

The stars aligned

The buses came. 

It was a magical ride.

It was fun.

When one is sucked into the vortex of fun, the appropriate response is gratitude and wonder. I look at the old me and say…..what a stick in the mud……and I look at the Me of this week and say ……I am still learning about this life.