I was hungry on the way to work today.
😒
My green Shake didn’t cut it.
🌱
I remembered Starbucks – haven’t been there in forever.😉
🚦
At the red (traffic) light I ordered my ice tea and egg bites. I parked, walked in, heard my name called, and was greeted with a radiant smile (as if I had made HER day).
🥳
I realized (again) that I have the privilege of living in an abundant world.
🌎
And through no skill of my own, I was born into a country, a family, and a culture where I can flow easily and comfortably through my days.
🙏🏻
I then saw a picture of Tayina, age 6, in my mind. She hung out with me at lunch during our field trip to the beach (Culture Camp, Love Orphanage, Haiti, 2018).
💞
She patiently waited for everyone to be served. For grace to be said by her adopted father Gabriel. For the group to surprise me by singing Happy Birthday (it was one).
🎂
There was no outward indication by these children that they rarely ate meat or sometimes only had two plates of rice and beans a day.
😔
There was only patience, happiness to be with us, and when I looked … the quiet hunger in their polite eyes for a heaping plate of food that was never their day to day reality.
🍽
So I ate my convenient eggs today with a Love Soaked Heart, a fierce gratitude, and a continued commitment to bring the children of Love O the things they deserve and don’t have … simply due to where they were born.
🙏🏻
If you want to meet the Love O kids, visit my Making a Difference page.
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
Kids are hungry in the United States. So are their parents. It’s mind boggling really living in a first world with an enormous third world issue. Hunger. It may not be easy to spot unless you are hungry. Or live in those kind of neighborhoods. Or are the family struggling to meet ends meet while your neighbors know nothing about your plight. Schools, teachers, neighbors, scout troops, churches all share something in common. They feed the hungry. Let’s do that. A lot more often. Until there is no more hunger in the US. Giving a meal means more than you know to a hungry belly.
Learn the one essential skill that allows you to face any challenge with confidence, sturdiness, and inner calm.
More than a technique. It’s a game changer.
Life is stressful. Always.
If you pause for a moment, you’ll see there is always something stressful happening. It might be mild, like when you’re running a bit late for an appointment. Or significant, like dealing with a major loss or facing a radical change in your life. If there’s a weather disaster, a country in disarray, or a threat to your livelihood, the stress meter goes way up.
One cool Spring morning, I stepped on the treadmill at the gym looking forward to walking a few miles. Recovering from an injury, I had to walk at a moderate pace so I had brought my copy of What Is Enlightenment? magazine to explore. I always found something to inspire me within this publication focused upon consciousness, culture, and cosmos.
Stress is a natural experience in life. It’s often viewed as a doorway to disruption of wellbeing, peace of mind, and a clear navigational path in a challenging situation.
I’m a bit of a news hound these days. As one who hasn’t watched a newscast in years, I’m surprising myself. Ordinarily, I wait for the news to come to me. And it does. When something is important for me to know or respond to, I hear about it. Kind friends, clients, my husband, or a random stranger share a soundbite which cues me to look into a situation further. I’ve been very comfortable with this level of engagement for years now.
In the midst of our country’s woes, I’ve got Lucinda Williams singing in my head.
“You can’t rule me
you wanna go and tell me what’s good for me
you wanna tell me what I’m payin’ for
Well, the game is fixed, it’s plain to see
I ain’t playin’ no more”
I drove through a hail storm today. It began gently, offering a musical accompaniment to my journey. Intensifying, the hail noisily demanded my attention.
