It really is all relative!

So, it was about 3 am by the time I got comfortable enough to finally fall asleep. Body dueling with inner artist. To-do lists and big dreams wrestling for attention.

Then, suddenly, I peered at the clock beside the bed and it said 10:30 am. That was a bit more sleeping than my calendar had space for! And, it got worse. According to my more contemporary toys, it was actually 11:30 am, which was even less optimal!

And then, I remembered. It’s an old electric clock that gets confused about daylight savings time! And, yes… I’ve been lobbying to retire it for a while!

Fast forward, though, to tea and news. And an overwhelming, informed sense of relating to what the people of Jamaica are waking to, this day. If, indeed, they are waking.

Fast forward a bit more, to #wipWednesday post up, another cup of tea, and what felt like a zillion emails. (I’m guessing you hear me!)

So, I yelled at some politicians. (The ones who live in my “clueless” file.) I encouraged some more. (The ones who actually care… and reminded myself how blessed I feel to have some of those on my team!)

And then, it hit me!

It’s not just that I’m relatively lucky that the raindrops falling on my metal roof remind my auditory processing self of prayer dots… it’s also that we are ALL part of what’s happening in Jamaica, and Cuba, and the Bahamas. The environmental challenges. The “othering”. The increasing fascination with telling all the “little people” what they must believe and accept. And, perhaps most of all, the not caring how many living, breathing humans get hurt because a few of the “cool” kids are trying to steal even more power.

It isn’t just all relative. It’s all related!

Take a deep breath with me, please. Feel your heart beating. And join me, if you like, in re-membering that this world needs a whole lot more connection circulating in it!

For this moment… a wisdom card, like the photo, above. But first a note! There are 66 cards in the deck, plus 11 blanks for users to add their own. Several different categories. I usually choose a category or two, related in some way to my inquiry, shuffle them together, and then run them through my hands until one calls me.

This time, I went all in. I pulled out the blanks and then mixed all the rest together, even though that means lots of sorting later! Then, eyes closed, listening deep, wrist whining, I passed them through my hands. The one that found me was from the Memories category, and looks like the photo, above.

Alternative Context

January, 1989. A study trip with a gaggle of Seminary students and a very patient teacher. Budapest, Hungary. Alternative, indeed!

If you’re doing the math, this was less than a year before the former Eastern Block fell.

Christian and Jewish Seminaries where no new books were permitted since before Hitler. Russian tanks busy with target practice in farmers’ fields.

My hand on a stone altar in a Catholic church crypt, where the sacrament of Communion had been celebrated every day for 1500 years, even when it was deeply dangerous to do so. Full body chills. Not from the weather!!!

All of this, Filtering the news in this moment. What are you remembering???

I’d really love to know! You can leave a comment, below, or email me!

ps… curious about the cards? There are still some in stock for quick shipping! Just click here!

pps… World Central Kitchen is at work, feeding Hurricane Melissa’s surivors!