This week I’ve been having flashbacks to my graduation from nursing school, in 1982. Mostly the bright, shiny pin and the extremely impractical, awkward, uncomfortable hat!
If you asked me what I missed most about being a nurse, I’d tell you two things. Summer Camp! And, advocating for my patients which – in a several instances – led to lives being saved. And, yes. I’m utterly aware of the magnitude of that statement, especially since those particular instances sometimes included being told I didn’t get paid to think!
It would be totally reasonable to wonder what brought up nursing school in the midst of the chaos of this moment. The answer is simple. I graduated, again, and there were no extremely uncomfortable hats involved!
At some point, an official certificate will arrive in the mail. For this moment, the moose in the painting is handing out flowers and congratulations, for I am now, officially, an Intentional Creativity® Cura, which means care, concern, or attention. Or, healing. Specifically, it means that there is another huge notion of medicine painting in my basket!
I think that’s probably why the moose appeared, magically, along the way. Not by intentional placement, but by noticing, which is one of my favorite medicines.
Curious? Let’s look up moose spirit animal…
Here’s what I found… strength, resilience, and adaptability. It is often associated with wisdom, nobility, and the ability to navigate through life’s challenges with grace.
I’ll totally grant you that those words feel extremely optimistic at this moment in time. Also, really helpful!!! In fact, I might go as far as saying that the moose may have begun to appear, all those months ago, to help us be ready for these days! And, just between us, I’m pretty psyched!
You see… there’s more school on my list! (The sound you hear is the Legendary Husband laughing himself silly in utter lack of surprise!)
This adventure, though, has a bit of a way-back machine thing going for it. You see, just after 9/11, I spent a year at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Well, literally, I spent much of it getting back & forth from here to there and trying to learn to live in a dorm again. I also encountered Carl Jung!
Just between us, I don’t think I had adequate filters for that particular Red Book in those days. And I’ve learned a whole lot, since then, about another Red Book. Much to my amazement – they have some connections!
I’m beginning to have a sense, though, of why Red Books have been “following me around” as my filters open to new truths. And relatives!
For this moment, though, I’m counting, with all my heart, on the symbol in the top right of the Moose’s world… It means:
As above, so below…
That, however, is a story for another day. For this moment, homemade soup and some rest for my hand. There’s more painting to do!
ps… just in case you’re hoping to raise the next generation of Good Trouble folks, this book is a great way to start! Let’s help all our Littles know they belong!!! And, if you’re in the mood to shop unique arts, there’s lots more cool stuff waiting for you, along with the books, at FierceArtWithHeart! (Also, some warm stuff!)
