35 Measures of my Joy Today
detail of painting in progress... this one's for Me
It's my 35th birthday. I wanted to have a little celebration here somehow - thought about a few ways of doing that... but they felt contrived.
So I decided to celebrate with an act of gratitude - my favorite form of joyful prayer. It truly can energize the spirit & it felt right...
35 things I am grateful for today!
1~to be ALIVE!!!
2~my beloved best friend and partner Stephen
3~my sweet four-legged canine companion, Bluejay
4~my other four-legged spirit friends, Diego & Lilybug
5~communing with my great grandmother's piano thru my fingertips, in my home
6~PAINT~PAINTing like it's lovemaking~Intuitive ART~connecting to Creative Source
7~the amazing painting sister Tribe that found me in 2011
8~LilyWheel Slide (this space) and all of the beautiful realizations and connections that are being forged because i decided to share myself courageously here
9~My beautiful, dynamic, funny family with all of our quarks
10~My husband's amazing family with their traditions and all they share and teach me
11~NATURE walks, communing in the glorious Appalachian mountains that surround me
12~My amazing, strong, radiant mother ~ saving herself (and her marriage and family) from a likely death with courage, honesty, and the helping hand of her own innate creativity & wisdom ~ it is amazing to have my friend back
13~WATER, warmth, sweet HOME with space for a Room of my Own (my studio!)
14~SUN, MOON, Stars, Seasons, Mother EARTH, Great Spirit ~ i am humble to your magnificent power, cycles and wisdom
15~My Sisters & all of my Women - who inspire, tease, gently push, support, and love me so right
16~the amazing connection created through the Prayer Painting i recently completed ~ and feeling closer to my true work
17~the Voice for me, so clear, so sure, in the land between dreams & wakefulness... and that i can now recognize and hear it and know its guiding light in my life with quiet trust
18~NEW friends every day everywhere, OLD friends that stay & play & touch my heart & life from time to time
19~Working on my first ONLINE CLASS (it's so much fun) - with 10 other fantastic contributors (opens the end of March - more info to come!)
20~understanding my truth is in art, teaching, leading, helping - and following the knowing inside that said to sign up for IGNITE with my mentor Connie... and then watching amazing manifestations begin to fall into my life like answered wished-upon stars already... and we haven't even begun the IGNITE journey yet...
21~My fricking amazing BODY!!! That I get to have one, in decent health, functioning to move me through this human experience... that i can stretch, feel sensation, DANCE, walk, digest, breathe, lub-dub pulse, desire, and listen to its messages to me as compasses in my greater path life. WOW!
22~My beautiful Elder footcare clients - who allow me to care for their feet and share with me their time and life stories and lessons
23~Letting go of working in Hospice - something I loved dearly, but not my path at this point
24~that there is rich, gorgeous, dirty SOIL to grow our nourishing, nutrient-dense FOOD - the best kind, of the earth & sun
25~ASHEVILLE - this is one amazing place to live, so much inspiration & fun & energy
26~cultivating my AWARENESS & mindfulness, in a gentle joyful way... understanding the difference between ME (my essence) and my thoughts/emotions/reflexes/reactions
27~Deep, fearless healing
28~MUSIC!!!!!!!!! A day without music is no day at all... that I can move to it, hear it, feel it, make it, love it, share it, marry it, enjoy it... it is boundless, universal, soulfood
29~the amazing, totally tangible vibration & frequency of the ENERGY Connection between ALL
30~Internet!!! what amazing connection & potential for change for people...
31~My unique life-path and story - even with all of the dark parts - blessed with so many radiant truths and experiences - making me who i am today... amazing to be grateful for EVERY step & lesson
32~the relief and rejuvenation of sleep, and my world of DREAMS, not so far from my Essence
33~That i've found my spiritual practice, learning to cultivate Trust, LISTEN, & ENJOYment - to follow through with activation, and that my ritual for this is Art
34~That i can honestly say that i LOVE my Self (this has been a long time coming)
35~The Creative Mystery, the unknown... i am in AWE
Now, I'm off to have a play day...
Thanks for stopping by on my special day. I'd LOVE to hear what you're grateful for today!
~ h