After the storm, gifts....

It was a wild Friday night here in Chicago! Severe thunderstorms, lightning shows across the sky, torrential downpours, trees and powerlines down, flooding and roads closed. As if that wasn't bad enough, next came tornado warnings, sirens blowing, fire engines and squad cars...and many a stalled cars amidst trees whipping in the wind.

And all the while my friend, Dawn, (don't you love her name?) and I were driving in all this on the way to our first quincenara for our friend's twin daughters. We did arrive safely to our destination. We were late, of course, having to contend with all this -- and soaking wet in our dresses and heels. The wind was blowing the rain sideways by now and the parking lot was holding several inches of water. But, still, onward we went knowing that dinner, drinks, and dancing would soon take our minds off the treacherous conditions outside.

The evening was wonderful and I got home rather late. By now the storm had subsided and my headlights could illuminate some of its remnants lying on the ground. Back at home though, the neighborhood was pitch black dark, of course, and therefore I was unknowing of what had happened in my own backyard during the storm. Despite the lateness of the hour, I logged on anyway to check my various networking sites just to see if someone might want to chat. Though it was late I didn't feel like turning in just yet. But internet was down and my landline phone was out, too. So it was off to dreamland...despite my inner protestations.

When I awoke on Saturday morning I could not believe what I was seeing literally in my back yard. What is normally a large field of grass was now a HUGE lake...yes, this spot of land is a water retention area but I've never, ever seen it so full of water...it was, literally, a LAKE. Beautiful mature trees were standing in the middle of it...it's edges reached almost to the fence of my yard.

It was beautiful....but there was more beauty to come...I didn't know that yet...since I had to discover it....

As I went about my morning rituals, I saw that a solitary egret had arrived. Followed by several mallards and even more geese. These glorious waterbirds were taking flight, then gliding over the water, and then performing their soft and graceful landings...one after the other, like an airport on water. They were loving it! It was a new playground for them, a new place for them to explore. The egret waded in the shallows quietly observing the fancifulness of the other birds. It really was a beautiful performance.

I quietly hustled myself out there to take some photos of the egret - so majestic white it stood in the shallows of this new water source. I was only able to capture one photo of it in repose before it took off in flight and graced me with a wingspan of fluttering and flapping sheer white that left me breathless.

I went back inside and readied my home for a gathering of ladies who would arrive later in the day. But the water kept calling me back...the sun glistening on this new scenic vista outside my window create a jewel-like effect. You have to understand...I live in the middle of the Chicago suburbs...this is unusual for us surrounded by so much of the subdivision concrete!

This Sunday morning, the new lake is now smaller in size, but it is still magnificent. Barefoot, I went outside to explore and took my camera. I could not believe what I was finding...

There were feathers EVERYWHERE. Feathers are one of my very favorite things in this world. They are the Universal symbol for Truth. And they were everywhere. Black ones, white ones, gray ones, of all shapes and sizes....right away I knew this would be a very special little adventure. I would be finding some "truths" here.

Next I discovered that a flock of seven robins were gathered together eating from the soggy grass. They seemed to be delirious with joy in their new food source. And, there were seven mallards on the lake...swimming in parade-like fashion, one after the other, round and round....their honking had woken me up earlier at 7 a.m. through my open windows...Their gentle gliding to and fro, so unhurried, was surely a message to slow down, take your time, and enjoy the ride.

Seven robins....seven mallards....Hmmmm. This had to be signifcant. Seven, of course, is the number of stages of transition I've identified in my book, The Pinwheel Girl Takes Flight. And we all know that seven is a magical number for many, many reasons. But seven robins and seven mallards....what, then, could this gift mean?

As I walked the circumference of this new "lake" I found that I was really taken with the trees standing in the middle of all this water, their trunks immersed. There were several sets of trees like this and I started to photograph them. But it was a pair of trees that, when I saw what they were "saying" to me, I felt lightheaded, like a bolt of lightning from the storm had just hit me, like my heart skipped a beat...

These two clusters of trees standing upright in the middle of the water...they were saying "this lake is for you...and all the gifts that have come with it...they are all for you...there are messages here for you to see, learn from, absorb, and have faith in..." See? There were "truths" to be revealed.

The trunks of the trees, along with the reflections that they created on the water's surface, perfectly and without a doubt, created MY INITIALS -- a double "K" -- it was as plain as day....I could see it like I could see my hand. I could feel the Universe saying "With this storm, let's deliver a gift to KK." Suddenly, the lake became "mine" though I know others will most surely enjoy it. Suddenly, the egret and those seven ducks and those seven robins became mystical companions to me.

And suddenly I knew that once again the Universe always delivers to you EXACTLY what you need when you need it. It is all about trust. Trust that you will be taken care of, that your needs will be met, that you are loved no matter what, that prayers are heard AND answered, that every day is a gift full of gifts, and that life on this planet is precious and we are privileged every day that we are here to partake in what life brings us.

It was a moment when I felt for sure that I was sitting in the palm of God's hand....to see the Double K...it was a moment of deep grace and inspiration for me. I've been attached to my initials my whole life...and never changed my name as I aged and wed. There they were...on this new found body of water.

So what did the lake and it's messages mean? Why were they sent to me? I looked up the Animal Medicine for each of the animals I encountered this morning. What I would find would once again fill my heart with gladness, recovery, and deep peace.

The robin -- harbinger of spring, new life, new growth. Seven of them. The song of the robin is very mystical -- it recognizable almost as soon as the warmth of the spring sun appears. The song is used to mark territory even though it is considered a song of cheer. When robins appear en masse in one's life, it reflects a need to "sing your own song" and pave your own way to new growth.

The duck -- symbols of emotional comfort and protection. Seven of them. Ducks help us remember to navigate with ease the waters of our life. Ducks come to tell us it is time to shed the feelings of discomfort with people in your life and to find others who are more like-minded in spirit. Ducks also remind us to return home to those places inside ourselves where we feel most safe and protected.

So the robin and the duck brought me messages today of balance....striking out, singing my own own song, but returning to realms of comfort. Wow, that was really a gracious message.

The egret -- the egret's medicine is about learning to be self-reliant and assertive about entering deeper waters without fear. They teach about learning to stand on your own two feet. They send reminders about independence.

I have to say that I needed to hear all three of these messages on this particular morning of my life. I love how the Universe flows and brings to our spirit what it needs for restoration and inspiration. For me, there is spirituality and God's presence in all of nature. Animals and all of the elements have so much to teach us when we encounter them with awareness and symbolic sight.

I share this story with you not because I want to single myself out as "special" but because I want to encourage all of you, if you are not in the habit of doing so yet, to see with symbolic sight, to speak more often in metaphor, to look every single day of your life for the gifts it brings you, to find the peace the Universe so often delivers if we only could receive it. Many times we feel that the days all blur and run together. "Same old, same old" we say. But every day there is a message waiting for you to uncover. Sometimes the most ordinary days are the best kind.

Peace to all of you who are reading this today. May you find today's gifts flourishing deeply in your heart like I have. See the signs and rejoice!

"...there are teachers everywhere...the day is full of gifts...look, listen, feel..."

Need Some New Energy? Try a Smudging....

Whenever I am in need of some new energy, a new twist on things, or getting rid of a sour spell of inactivity and dour mood, I get out my smudge stick and clay pot...and I "do a smudging..."

Smudging is a Native American ceremony, or ritual, of burning herbs to cleanse away old energy in order to bring in new energy. The idea is that by burning a smudge stick made of dried herbs (bound together with simple string) and then moving it around a specific object, person or place -- such as a room or area in a home -- the gently wafting smoke carries negative energy away leaving new opportunity for positive energy to enter.

Smudge sticks are available in many varieties and easily obtained on the internet. Different herbs offer different kinds of energies to invite into your space. I use one of dried sage and lavendar. The herbs, as plants, represent the element of Earth.

Typically, smudge sticks are burned in one of two different kinds of "pots" -- clay pots or abalone shells. The pot is used to collect any ashes that might fall from the stick as well as to extinguish the stick at the close of the smudging. An abalone or shell pot represents the element of Water for the concept of Life. Smudge pots are also easily obtained on the internet and there are wonderful selections to choose from.

I use a red clay pot from the island of Antigua that I found over 20 years ago. When I first found it on the island, I had no idea what I would use it for. But I loved its deep red color, its simple shape, and the fact that a local potter had made it by literally digging up the clay earth from his local setting. For years it was packed away, I rarely had it out on display. But when I got divorced and moved to my new home as a mid-life single mom, I found it in one of my boxes and out it came. It was perfect for the smudge sticks I had received as gifts from friends ~ red earth clay for grounding, red earth clay that had been surrounded by water on an island. Now my smudge kit was complete.

For me smudging is about breaking a cycle of dead energy, starting anew, bringing new life and new ideas and new people into a situation that has been dormant. It is also about clearing away negative thoughts, patterns, actions, and routines. Shaking things up. Out with the old. In with the new. It's about anticipation, excitement, setting intentions, making wishes, clarifying dreams, having goals, and asking for the Universe for manifestation. I love smudging because I can feel somewhere deep inside me the glory and the beauty of this ritual...I feel powerful when I am smudging. I feel sacred. I feel connection. And I know good things are coming because of it.

When you begin to smudge, the remaining two elements are invoked...Fire and Air. As you light the end of the smudge stick, there is Fire. Fire is about courage, passion, and strength. As the stick gently burns, the soft, billowy smoke rises and curls into the Air. This is for the space where all of our dreams, thoughts, and wishes reside. Now all of the four elements are represented. There is balance. All that is needed now is your own spirit to guide you through the process of smudging.

So you see smudging is intense but it is good. When the smoke starts to burn and it is wafting through your space, there is indeed a new energy, a sense of calm anticipation, that ensues. Before I begin, I always set the stage, so to speak. I clear my mind with meditation and I begin to reflect on the changes I want to incur in my life at that time. I carefully and specifically invoke exactly what I want the smudging to bring...

My first smudging was three years when I moved into my new home, where I live now. I deeply wanted the smudging as a way to bless my new living space, to clear out the old energy of its past inhabitants, and to make new wishes, dreams, and invitations for what would take place in my new life and in my new home for me and my little boy. I was single now and had big dreams for what was to come.

I invited six of my very best girlfriends to join in the ritual with me. A friend of mine led the smudging. To prepare I had made a list of intentions that I wanted to come true for each room of my new home. For example, I had been very isolated in my old neighborhood and feeling a strong lack of soul connection with neighbors. As we smudged my new living room I invoked it to be a place where new friends would gather, soulful conversation and good times would take place, there would be joy and companionship, and new relationships and friendships would be forged in this space. It felt so good to set these intentions, to be purposeful about it, and to be clear. As I watched the smoke dance about the room, I imagined old feelings of loneliness and despair leaving my body. As the smoke dissipated and eventually disappeared, I imagined new feelings of camaraderie, bonding and connection take hold.

At the front door, as my friend smudged the entry way, we released all negative energy existing in the home from prior occupants into the open air outside, and we invited in love, peace, harmony, safety, security, warmth, protection, and happiness through the front door and into the house. At this time, I also asked for special saints and goddesses to come live with me and my son.

In my son's bedroom, as we wafted the lit stick around his new room, the smoke curled about and created delicate swirls and designs in the air. I asked the Universe at this time to help my son heal through the divorce, to sleep well and grow healthy in this room, to have fun with his friends in this room, to enjoy his playthings, to feel safe and secure in this room, to feel that it was a place of comfort and security for him, that he would love being in it and that his happiness and health would continue to flourish here....

Similar intentions followed for every room of the house...I asked for creativity, new ideas, new skill sets, and new dedication and resolve in the room that would become my art studio. I asked for health, good food, good habits, good times, and a feeling of ease in my kitchen, a room I am most often stressed in, where I often feel the least confident and the least comfortable.

We even did the attic, the garage, and the crawl space...out with the old, in with the new....each friend took a turn smudging some area of the house...there was a tone of seriousness but also lightheartedness ~ this was a new beginning and my friends were happy and excited for me.

We opened every cupboard door, every closet, ever drawer...and allowed the smudge smoke to waft in and out....clearing away anything negative gathering and hiding in the corners of these little and often overlooked spaces in a home.

As the smoke drifted throughout the house, it was filled with the pungent but warm and luxurious scent of sage and lavendar. It was heady and delightful. When we got to my bedroom, all of my friends and I gathered in a circle and each one of us received an individual smudging. My friend who led the smudging wafted the stick around each of us one at a time, starting from head to toe, and as she did so, each of us meditated and reflected on our own personal journeys, wishes, and dreams....inviting in newness and releasing what was no longer needed.

This particular smudging took about an hour to complete. It was strong and potent and I did see many changes come to fruition over the next two years. I wrote, illustrated and published my book, The Pinwheel Girls Takes Flight, after having found a new sense of energy, creativity, and determination. I made new friends and new, helpful, interesting people entered my life. I feel, still to this day, a deep sense of calm, serenity, and peace in my home...each time I enter through the door, the house, it seems to hug me, deeply and with much happiness when I arrive. My son is thriving and happy, healed and optimistic about his future. I eat well, I have lost weight, I sleep well, and I've become healthier living here. I feel safe physically and emotionally. Negative people don't enter ~ there's isn't a place for them here. And most of all, I feel that I am doing here what I set out to do...starting anew, making my wishes and dreams come true, being who I was meant to be, and thriving.

You don't have to have a major life transition in order to do a smudging. You can do one any time you feel like it but I tend to pick certain times. My birthday. A full moon. The New Year. An anniversary of something significant. Or just when I have the funky blues or I'm in a rut about something. You don't have to do your entire house either! Just one room, one area, one object, just yourself, a doorway, a closet....anything you want to "clear out" will do.

If you are needing some new energy to enter your life, try a smudging...have fun with it, but give it the seriousness and careful reflection it needs. Why? You'll get what you wish for. So be specific, make it good and right for you.

Photo Caption: My smudge pot, smudge stick, and a feather to help waft the smoke...

"...you are bigger than life...reaching, expanding, connecting..."
Stage 5, The Pinwheel Girl Ascends

There are Teachers Everywhere...and Wishes Do Come True

When I first got married many years ago now I lived in a 100-year-old farm house. It was the kind of house that had intense character and charm ~ by this I mean it had no closets at all, not one, and the basement had a dirt floor. The floors were crooked and none of the doors could close all the way. The staircase opening was so low and narrow a double bed mattress could not fit through it and we struggled with roof maintenance, having regular heat, and proper plumbing for modern day appliances. Nevertheless we loved our picturesque farmhouse and so we filled it with antiques and farm tools, kitchen gadgets from the 40's and 50's and an assortment of cozy and comfortable furnishings. All that was missing was the rabbit.

I really wanted a rabbit. I envisioned taking care of a cute little bunny who would "hang out" in a cute little gingerbread-style rabbit hutch painted in "country" colors in the back yard. I even had a great place for the hutch ~ nestled amongst the newly thriving wildflower garden of cosmos, purple coneflower, blackeyed susan, phlox, and more. For me, the idea of a rabbit in a hutch would complete our country home without having to actually do any farming. Afterall, we were smack dab in the middle of Chicago suburbia!

But, alas, there were many arguments made against having a rabbit and so the dream passed and within four years time, tired of repairing gutters and windows that wouldn't properly open or close, we sold the "old" farmhouse and bought a "new" one in a progressive conservation community on an Illinois prairie. The new farmhouse was made with energy efficient construction in a low density subdivision plan. The community boasted its own charter school and an organic farm complete with a wind turbine. There was mandatory composting and recycling and every home had open views of prairies of tall grasses, wildflowers, lakes and farm land. Surely, I thought, it was time for me to have my rabbit in this perfect environment!

Unfortunately, the constant threat of coyotes, I was told, made having a rabbit in a hutch a dangerous endeavor and a near certainty predicting the rabbit's demise. And without even the slightest bit of subtlety, I was told by various people that I would hate taking care of the rabbit, I would hate cleaning out the hutch - which would be required daily, and I would hate that rabbits have to have their teeth filed -- and what was I going to do about all that? I would even get tired of and eventually hate feeding the rabbit!! they said. And what about the excessive Chicago summer heat wih the poor rabbit all cooped up in a wooden hutch? The naysayers went on and on until once again the idea of having a rabbit came and went.

By now you might be asking why I was so predisposed to have a rabbit -- especially since I was a suburban girl and had never ever visited a working farm or had any pets other than a family dog to take care of -- I really cannot tell you why. I just know that I wanted one. I really couldn't articulate the reason why then and still not now. I just knew that somehow I was yearning for one. And somehow I was always "told" by someone else that I could not have one.

Many years passed and with them came many changes. Our beautiful son grew, careers took hold, life got routinized, dreams were abandoned in favor of getting through the busy days, vacations were rare, communication lagged, relationships suffered, and then one day I woke up and realized it was time for a new life, a new birth, a new beginning. My husband and I divorced agfter 17 years of marriage and we each moved to new homes.

Times were tough during that transition. There was a lot of fear. There was a lot of worry. Can I take care of myself? Will I be safe living on my own? Will I be able to handle what comes my way? Will I thrive? Will I be able to resurrect what I have lost? Will I be able to handle being competely alone?

It was time to find out.

I moved to one-half of a duplex in a high density subdivision in the suburbs of Chicago. The duplex was and is perfect for my 11 year old son and I. It offered us beautiful interior colors and a third extra bedroom I could convert into an art studio to support my now newly rediscovered need to draw Pinwheel Girls. The back yard boasted a wood fence painted gray, a large deck, and a retractible sun shade over it. My kitchen window overlooks a stunningly gorgeous open space that many people mistakenly think is part of a golf course. Mature trees are everywhere. There is a pool and a golf course, basketball hoops, and bike paths. When I purchased it, I knew it would be perfect for me and my son for our new life.

Interestingly, not even a year in the duplex I saw that, lo and behold, I had a co-resident hanging out with my son and I in the backyard. She arrived on Easter Sunday ~ of all miracles. A rabbit. Plump, soft, thriving, complete with a cottony cottontail. Easter Sunday - a symbolic holiday for rabbits which embody the idea of "new life" and "resurrection from the dead."

Three years later she is still with us.

She lives under the deck. Every morning she comes out for her daily munchies of dandelion leaves. Then she lays around in the sun all sprawled out, relaxing and sunbathing as any good rabbit would do. As afternoon arrives, she rests under the shade of the tall pine tree. We love to see her hopping all over the yard, her little white cottonball of a tail frolicking behind her. Last year she birthed baby bunnies for us to enjoy and they inmitated their momma's behavior just perfectly. Imagine our delight to see momma bunny and baby bunnies romping around the yard!

I have photographed her and my son and I sit on the deck and chat with her, coo to her, and feed her shredded carrots and lettuce in the summer. Every morning I look for her out my kitchen window and my heart soars to see her hopping or lying around...munching on the tall grass and weeds that try to pass themselves off as a "lawn" at my house.

So...with all this rabbit energy surrounding me and my little duplex I decided to research the symbolism of the rabbit. What I discovered amazed and touched me so deeply. I knew then that the other times in my life when I had yearned for a rabbit were not the right times to receive one.

Native Americans believed that the rabbit stood for "fear." They also represent "fertility" and "new life."

As we all know, a rabbit is prey for many animals. Yet, it is equipped with the gifts of very high speed and agility to outrun predators as well as the ability to reproduce itself in high numbers to preserve itself as a species. When a rabbit hears or senses the threat of danger, what does it do? It runs!! Fast! They also have the amazing ability to stop and start, twist and turn in their path, and change directions with lightning speed.

The rabbit can also make great leaps and hops...Hmmmm.

The rabbit is also considered the sacred animal of the Greek goddess, Hecate, who ruled over women's transitions. Learning this was like receiving a lightning bolt to my head...I was right in the middle of managing a major life transition -- ending a long marriage, beginning life as a single, mid-life woman and, now for the first time, a single mom, too -- and I even had a small porcelain statue of Hecate in my living room to honor the transition I was experiencing...

I was indeed crafting a "new life" for myself and my son. Powerful medicine this little rabbit is.

And so as I researched, I found that the lesson of the rabbit coming into your life is for you to stop demonstrating so much fear and to stop talking about it. Afterall, what you fear most is what you will become. When a rabbit shows up in your life, it is a sign to tell you to stop worrying, to stop saying "What if this tragedy happens" and "what if that horrible thing happens" and, in my case, to stop saying "What if I can't handle this?" and "What if I have done the wrong thing?" and "What if I really can't take care of myself after all these years?" The rabbit wants you to instead focus on how there is always a way out in every situation, or problem, or with every fear you face.

So now when I see my little rabbit, who I finally have as one of my companions, I know now why I had to wait 17 years for her. I didn't need her before. I needed her at just the right time that she arrived. She came when I had to deeply examine my fears. When I had to cast them aside and take my life into my own control. When I had to forge ahead with leaps and hops. When I had to create a new beginning, a new birth, for myself. She came when I could be open to what she had to show me.

The Universe works with us and for us, not against us. And there are teachers everywhere. Even in my little rabbit who lives under the deck. She requires no hutch, no special care, no worries from me about the heat or about coyotes. She requires only that I pay attention to the gifts I am given from the Universe...and to learn from them. She has become one of my greatest teachers in my life to date. She with the little cottontail.

What Do You Think Of When You Encounter A Pinwheel ?

Did you know that the universal symbol of a pinwheel is "to turn one's luck around..." Pinwheels are found world-wide in cultures all over the globe.

What do you think of when you visualize or interact with a pinwheel?

As symbols pinwheels also represent childhood, the unseen energy that causes movement and animation, the cycle of "stopping and starting," the concept of "spinning in a circle" and more.

When interacting with a pinwheel now, as an adult, many remember the comforts of childhood, exploring the thrill and power of a pinwheel furiously spinning in the wind through an open car window on the way home from a carnival or parade, or colorful, shiny, dazzling visuals spinning with delight reflecting the light of the summer sun. For many, all of these feel "carefree" but for others it can represent a childhood lost.

Others think of unseen energies moving us along, then stopping us in our tracks, only to start up again, as if without our permission. And still others think of how something powerful must "move us." What about the idea of youthful energy? Or that of a "plaything" or "toy"? And "vicious cycle."

Some folks have shared with me that pinwheels represent the diversity of humanity ~ each pinwheel is different: different colors, different materials, different sizes, different effects, different speeds. Some moving, some still. Some stuck. Some unstuck. Some furiously spinning. Some calmly waiting for the next movement. Some shiny and dazzling, some more sedate and pastel.

Other folks have shared with me that pinwheels make them feel energetic and inspired...the slightest wind, breeze or touch of the finger sets them spinning to express their color and movement...

There are many interpretations that the pinwheel symbol can embody....

Next time a pinwheel appears in your life think about what it has come to tell you or ask you to think about regarding your own life's journey. For me the pinwheel will always be about the unseen energies hard at work in our life...and how sometimes those energies will cause us to jump off the stick that has held us pinned down. Once free, the pinwheel flies and soars through the skies in a dazzingly array of colors for all to see.

I would love to hear from you about your interpretation of the pinwheel as a symbol or any pinwheel stories you'd like to share!

Warm Winds To You! I'll see you in Sky!

Mother's Day Is For All of Us, All of You ~ Whether You Are A Mother Or Not, Whether You Have A Child Or Not

This is a Mother's Day Message for all the mother's out there and there are many of you and many different kinds of mothers. I feel that Mother's Day is heavily marketed in a stereotypical way...it is exclusive and singular. It leaves a lot of women feeling like this holiday is not for them and they feel left out, unseen, and forgotten. If you are one of those women, I want to include you.

For those of you who are mothers right now, I wish you a happy mother's day and hope you will be able to spend the day with your loved ones. I also wish you time and serenity to reflect on your mothering and to grow in confidence as a loving, nurturing steadfast guide for your children. When I was a new mother, I had confidence in certain areas of my mothering, not so much confidence in others. It was important that I took some time to reflect on the areas of my mothering in which I needed to grow and evolve. Mother's Day is a great reminder for us to do this.

And for all the experienced mothers out there, I wish you a day of gratitude and loving pride for all that you have accomplished, often unseen and unnoticed, as a mother.

For those of you whose mothers have crossed over to Heaven, I wish you a Mother's Day of peace and sanctuary in your memories of her. I am sure you know and feel that she is still with you caring for and loving you throughout your days. You might feel that there isn't an appropriate greeting for you on this holiday nor one you can send to your own mother anymore. But this holiday is most definitely for you in your mother's honor. I hope you will be able to find a way to recognize her that is satisfying and loving to you.

For those of you who wish to be a mother but that day has not yet come, I wish you opportunities to think about what kind of mother you would like to be, to really plan for that and to make it a real and conscious part of your awareness. And I wish you success in becoming that mother.

And for those of you whose life path painfully does not allow you to be a mother despite your prayers, desire and efforts, I feel that Mother's Day is a holiday for you, too, because you have mother love in your heart and that is something to celebrate, honor and cherish.

This message is also for those of you who choose not to be a mother. I would like to thank you for all of the support, caring and understanding you have given to your own mother as well as to other mothers and their children. Your assistance means so much and it is greatly appreciated.

For single mothers, this holiday is most certainly for you. I wish you time on this day for self-care, relaxation, and rejuvenation. of course, I know that all mothers need this! But I also wish the single mothers an extra dose of continued resolve, resiliency and strength because you are doing it all alone. For this, I want to also wish you companionship and support. I understand your journey.

For all of the mothers with an empty nest I hope you will be able to spend time or communicate with your children and feel their love for you and to express yours for them.

Grandmothers and great-grandmothers and godmothers ~ thank you for your timelessness, your wisdom, your experience, and for teaching the new mothers.

Happy Mother's Day also for all of the adoptive mothers, foster mothers, and step-mothers. The generosity and expanse of your heart is amazing. The world needs mothers. And you have stepped in to fill this need. I personally know adoptive mothers, foster mothers, and step-mothers and I see how their particular roles as mothers are layered with complexity beyond what I could imagine in my own life. To me you have huge hearts capable of so much unconditional love.

This message also goes out to all of you who have had the painful experience of child loss whether to miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss, or another untimely death that meant you had to lose your child. I understand your pain on this day. I wish you time to reflect on and to celebrate the gifts of the heart your child surely brought to you. If you lost a one and only child, you might wonder if this holiday is for you since you don't have any living children. It is. You are a mother whose child is in Heaven. There isn't a Hallmark card for this and you might not want a "Happy Mother's Day" greeting. But I honor you and your child on this day. I know you.

Mother's Day is also for all the aunts, cousins, nieces, sisters, caregivers, nannies, housekeepers, coaches, tutors, counselors and teachers...for each of you have also offered your mothering in a myriad of ways. Thank you for the gifts of your heart to children everywhere.

I also want to acknowledge those of you who lost your mother at an early age because this meant that when you were still a child you became a mother -- to yourself and possibly some siblings. For you in particular, I honor the mother you became early in your life and again now if you have children of your own. You are a very special person on this planet. Never forget that you are strong beyond anyone's imagination and that your heart and spirit are filled with grace for what you have endured.

And for any mother who is separated from her children due to incarceration, war, poverty, substance abuse, homelessness or estrangement, I wish you a speedy reunion that is full of reconciliation, recognition, and endless love so that the Mother-Child bond can grow and prosper between you.

I am sure that there are many other kinds of mothers I did not mention in this post. I did not intend to forget or overlook you. If I did, I apologize and I wish you a Mother's Day that is joyous in a special way for you.

Mother's Day is For All of Us and All of You...whether you are a mother or not, whether you have a child or not...because Love is Eternal and Mother's Day is about loving and caring for another. Blessings to all of you and your loved ones wherever they may be on Mother's Day and always. Celebrate and honor all of the mother love you have in your heart!

Photo Caption: My beautiful mother and I. Her name is Iris and she is 87. She grew up motherless but became one of the best mothers on the planet. Thank you, Mom. I love you.

Seeing the Unseen Creates New Ways

It was a glorious day today...warm sunshine, cool breezes, big blue skies, cloudscapes...all the things that make for a perfect Pinwheel Girl realm. A recent business trip lasting several weeks finally ended and that meant that my 11 year old son and I could be reunited after a long separation. With such great Spring weather upon us, we decided to explore some of the wetlands in our area to discover what treasures might await us. With camera in tow, we set off to "follow the wind and find something we had lost..."

"...sing all your colors as you soar across the sky into your own magnificence..."

The first thing I began to photograph on our foray were the cloudscapes dancing above us in the Big Sky. I have always felt that it is in the realm of the Blue that our deepest dreams and hidden gifts reside. I invite all of you to spend time in what I call "the Dreamland of the Sky"excavating and ruminating on your dreams, goals, aspirations, and hopes. Some of us have abandoned our dreams, forgotten them, put them aside, or left them on the side of some long ago travelled road. It's important to rekindle these...they are the whispers of your Soul asking you to share your self with the world.

I took lots and lots of photos of the Sky and the Clouds...there were so many "openings" in the cloudscapes -- so many "holes in the sky..." To me, these are huge symbols for us to find and see. When an opening from the Sky occurs or is presented to you, you simply must walk through it...or fly through it! It is there through that opening that all of your authenticity and the seeds of your best life can start anew...to get there you must begin to dream again. Seeing all the holes in the sky made me think that the Universe and our Life Path offer us openings all the time...we have to "see the unseen" -- notice, be aware, take action when the inspiration strikes. When we do this, we can live a life of immense joy and fulfillment.

"...love is in the air..." ~ Literally!

We saw a cloud shaped like a heart lying on its side...Hmmm....love is all around us, you know? Today, literally, love was in the air! Sometimes I think we don't remember that love surrounds us every day, all day. At least I often forget! Sometimes we feel unlovable, forgotten, devalued. But, I have found that the Universe, this big beautiful world of ours, sends me messages ALL THE TIME that I am loved, seen, and valued. How? I find "hearts" wherever I go...rocks, shells, clouds, trees, and more all in the shapes of hearts. When I find one it is like the Universe has just sent me a love letter. I believe it is the Universe's way of sending us a powerful message. Again, we have to have open eyes to "see the unseen" sometimes. You are not alone, not at all, and you are loved. I feel that everytime I find one of my "hearts."

"...memorize the endings and the beginnings....they will come again..."

The wetlands were teeming with new life. Budding trees, birds nesting, bumblebees flitting, and saplings shooting up out of the Earth. We encountered a gaggle of goslings...the sweetest, fluffiest baby geese you'd ever hope to see...following their parents about. Everywhere was the sound of birdsong...like a natural orchestra...they were laughing and talking! The colors were glorious...every shade of green, golden yellows, and the left over browns and rusts of last fall.

My son and I...how can I explain this...we were both SO HAPPY. Being around all this new life, I think that it has a glorious effect on you. There is just so much beauty to be seen looking out into the World. To see all the new life surrounding us, the baby geese, the delicate but swollen green buds on every tree limb, the bees feasting on newly blossomed spring wild flowers, I thought to myself "All of this life around me is beautiful...actually, LIFE is beautiful." Indeed. Despite my problems and concerns, my life is beautiful, too...so is yours. Think about it.

We found a huge tangled up, gnarly, mangled tree rising up out of the wetlands about 6 feet from the muddy shore of the Des Plaines River. The river is quite high right now after the spring rains. This was not the prettiest tree I've ever seen...but it had a majesty to it that made me keep photographing it. The bottom of the tree was a complete mess -- all jumbled up, rotting, falling down, split open, and submerged in water. Many of the main branches had collapsed. It was, as I often say, "tangled up in all sorts of entanglement."

But as I have recently found once again, things have a way of working themselves out. Life unfolds and the tangles get smoothed away…new life begins and new strength is found. Sure enough the upper reaches of this tangled tree were sprouting beautiful green buds amidst new and strong limbs. And in those limbs were many “openings” to the Big Sky behind it…

“…the biggest rocks make the biggest circles…”

My son was having a great time throwing rocks and skipping stones into the river. What is it about boys and rocks? He loved it. Always on the hunt for a special rock to keep and add to our growing piles, we found a very special one indeed. How about sticks? We collected a bunch of those, too, and we found that some of them were in the shape of letters. “L” was one of them. As my boy continued to throw stones and be captivated by the “circles” he could create in the water, I left a “message” for others who might follow us on our journey through the wetlands today.

Just as we were leaving, two grandparents arrived with three granddaughters and a bevy of fishing poles. Instantly, the energy changed…yelling and hollering was the standard modus operandi, it seemed. The first words we heard were “Get away from that boy with the rocks! He’s scaring all the fish away!” followed by “Get that net OUT OF THE WATER – NOW!” I told the grandfather we were just leaving and that the fish would arrive soon. As we left I told my son to tell the three girls we’d left them a message on the shore and to check it out.

Here's the message we left on the river's edge ~ complete with our special rock:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38013406@N06/3495985886/

As we headed for our car and another stop along the wetlands, it occurred to me how there is so much energy powerfully at work in our lives…it takes many forms and is often invisible…it’s important to stay aware and focused on the kind of energy and influences you want to welcome into your life and those you want to offer to the Universe, your fellow human beings, and yourself.

I think of the Wind as a metaphor for the Inner Voice…they are both often unseen and only felt. There is also Deep Knowing and Intuition. What about chance, synchronicity, a hunch, an inkling…these are also energies working hard to get your attention. I like to say that “…there are teachers everywhere…” – in a rock, a stick, a cloud, a feeling, a nod, a glance, a message…Look for these unseen forces working in your life…and when you see them, take notice, and share them.

“…seeing the unseen creates new ways…and a new you…”

The Pinwheel Girl Has Some Questions For You

In Stage 1, the stage of going inside, the Pinwheel Girl says that “it’s about protection.” How have you protected yourself so far in your life? What new ways can you use to protect yourself?

The Pinwheel Girl says “you know what to do” in Stage 2 of her transformation as she begins to unfold. What do you think she means by this? What do you know what to do that you are not doing right now? Where does the knowledge of “knowing what to do” come from? How can you tap into it and hear it so that you “know what to do.”

When she begins to expand, the Pinwheel Girl states that “surrender is worth it” in Stage 4. What do you need to surrender to? Make a list.

“There are teachers everywhere.” What do you think the Pinwheel Girl is trying to say with this Message from the Wind? Teachers are not just in classrooms, churches, counseling sessions, or lecture halls. Where else can you find teachers who can bring you gifts of self-knowledge, growth, new ideas, awakened dreams, and confidence? Who and what have been or could be positive teachers for you?

In Stage 6, the Pinwheel Girl realizes that working on yourself is a lot of hard work that is often painful. She says: “Dare to see what you see, dare to hear what you hear, dare to stand it, it is only the Truth trying to set you free…” What have you been avoiding accepting about yourself that has held you captive? What if you face it and stand it? You can be free to be and do what?

The Pinwheel Girl is You. She is Every Woman. She is your Inner Voice. In Stage 6 she says “A part of you will always be invisible to the world…but I see you…all of you…I know you…I will always be with you…always…” Who exactly is the Pinwheel Girl inside you?

Many women abandon themselves, take care of others before they take care of themselves, and neglect or forget their Inner Voice which is meant to guide them through Life. The Pinwheel Girl says “I have been waiting for you to find me. Don’t forget me.” What promise will you make to yourself about how you will take care of yourself, heed your truest Inner Voice, and reject thoughts of self-abandonment?

"...the answers are here and there, this way and that...the answers come when you listen to the sound of your own Voice...bringing you the keys to your Life, Love, and Freedom..."