one step at a time

This is a time of year when I find myself focussed on gratitude. Gratitude for the many small and great blessings in my life. The family I have who are still all here, whilst so many have family who have died. The love of my family. Wonderful, trustworthy and loyal friends. Shelter, food, water and a body that still works - a bit slower these days -still working. Thankful for the opportunity to share with others and for their trust and faith in me. For my faith in myself. So thankful for my brain which I do use and I try to understand how it works to optimise its power. Thankful for all that is seen and not seen that supports me and most grateful because I  know that i am supported by the unseen. I am thankful for my heart, ever opening and opening and opening. The more it opens the stronger I feel, the more love I give and receive.... life is beautiful.

Gratitude helps me to stop noticing that which is not working. Gratitude focusses my attention on what is working in my life and invariably leaves me with a feeling of contentment. Content in the knowledge that I can build on what I have and as long as I keep a positive attitude and an attitude of gratitude I move forward one step at a time. This is how I have been doing it all along.... one step at a time. @lornahouston

Cool fresh air at the crack of dawn, telling me it is a new day. Another chance to start. An opportunity to succeed at that which I failed at yesterday. An opportunity to do what i put off doing yesterday and to be my best again today!

soul power

Know that i am full and complete, i am perfect.
Accept the good and not so good. Make peace with the parts of me i suppress. Then i can deal with it.
Be still, do with love.
I have to reawaken and know my essence and it helps to create newness.
Create an attitude of disinterest if i want to move from an interest.
The challenge is letting go.
Soul power lies in the choices i make.
Spring clean physical spaces and the mind.
Be present and focus on what needs to be done now.

The journey in short - Eastern Cape and Back in 3 days

Thursday the Cape Town travellers: Sinazo, Bongiwe, Nolovey, Abigail, Thulani and I, Lorna left Cape Town at about 21h00 to go and bury Sandile in the Eastern Cape. Bhuti Mzaala, agreed to transport us.

We arrived Friday morning, had some breakfast at Sandi's father's BhutMxolisi, home and then went to wash and nap at his grandmother's home where his mom, sisLumka was staying. sisThozama Sandile's step mother and his aunt sisLindy were very hospitable in driving us around and feeding us.

Friday night we went to Frankfort for a prayer meeting and returned very late and exhausted since we did not have proper sleep the previous night as we were on the road. We stayed in Mdantsane Hotel.

Saturday morning we were up very early to be at ekhaya no tata ka Sandile for prayers as the body leaves. We then drove in convoy to Frankfort for the funeral.

We looked forward to meeting Billz and Gracious at the farm in Frankfort. We spent the entire day at the funeral and drove back to Mdantsane where we discovered that we did not have a place to sleep due to some misunderstanding and needed to find new accommodation, which tata kaSandi managed to sort out.

It was wonderful to be with Gracious again and to spend time with Billz - small mercies.

We drove back on Sunday 18 November.

Thank you Bhuti Mzaala for your patience with our needs on this trip, as it turned out we stayed in Mdantsane and Sandi was buried in Frankfort, we went their twice,  and it is very far from Mdantsane. Thank you Abigail for organising the transport.

Thank you to the Cape Town travellers for a meaningful journey.

Gratitude in the wake of death

Loosing Sandile has been extremely hard to deal with as Thulani and I who are two people who normally hold and contain the organisation and its processes are also the two people who have been parenting young Sandile here in Cape Town – Thulani much, much more than I, in both cases. I know that Sandile and I are very close as souls, which is why we cared so much for each other and so we remain connected at that level. My physical self though is reeling at this loss and as much as I would like to just sit with my feelings I have not yet had the chance to fully do this as obligations arise and my own need to escape in busy-ness arises. I have though sat, felt my sadness, just been, cried, stilled my body. I am thankful to Thulani who understands my sadness best, for giving me permission to do as I please and for holding me when I need it. I am thankful to Nadia for love and support even though she is still writing exams and grieves in her own way. I am thankful for my Houston family (the whole tribe) who truly love and care for me and their support through this time, for my Umbon’omhle family who fill my heart with love and compassion as they continue in the ‘summer wars’.  I am thankful for Sandile’s friends and the Langa community who came together at the Memorial and helped to create a beautiful evening of celebration and remembrance of an Angel known as Sandile Nene.

Thankful for the life I have lived and the privilege of having Sandman in my life and being able to share him with my Houston family. Thankful to Lumka for laying a foundation of love of food, openness and respect in him.  Eternally thankful to Thulani for saving Sandile’s life by showing him a way of being in the world that is about respect, caring and love – Sandi embraced this so fully, as many who spoke at his Memorial reflected, he was so loving, respectful, generous, humurous and caring.  

 I am thankful for the time granted me to take off work and for the beautiful chanting led by Lenore to lift his soul. Thankful to the Divine, angels, saints, elevated spiritual beings, my spiritual guides, Guanshiyin – Buddha of love and compassion for so many blessings and holding me in this time of deep heartache.

Stories about Caring People and Caring Acts

Last night we were discussing the idea of a story about people in a community and how they care. Care as an action. The story should inspire those who read it to act in caring ways by its illustration of care in action. Sad that we need to teach people how to care or at least, help them rememeber how to care. Our daily actions should be the image of care. The past few years we have had the international Mandela Day where people are encouraged to give 67 minutes of their time in the interest of another. We need to do our 67 minutes every day, all day. Showing that you care in small ways like listening, greeting, smiling, sharing our knowledge these simple quick ways of caring can have a huge impact on someone. We all need acknowledgement and those are not very demanding ways to acknowledge another human being leaving another feeling valued and like they matter.

Anyway back to the conversation last night. It was interesting to note that in thinking about key characters for this story it felt necessary to have a self destructive person and one that is just going through the motions - because these 2 characters are so common in our world. This is why we need to tell this story, to change behaviour and increase caring and one day we can rewrite this story with our characters all being examples of great caring and compassionate beings. 

Settling into my new job

My apologies for being absent for such a long time. I am settling into my new job at Jazzart Dance Theatre and it is growing on me like a new skin. I am so excited and invigorated by all the creativity and beauty that surrounds. As always though there are challenges - in this case of learning a new organisation, getting to know the 30+ souls that make up Jazzart and learning a new sector that has its own language a very different way of working to what I am familiar with. That said! Life is beautiful and I can see why I am here and what I have to learn and to give.

Its October, the year is virtually over and ek is dood moeg! (i am dead tired) I need to make time to decide what I want to focus on as a last thing to do for 2012. Actually, I think that should be regular blogging :)

Happy Days!

Jazzart - The Jewel of the Cape - WE SHINE!

Jazzart - The Jewel of the Cape - WE SHINE!

Yes, Orlando loved the show and found it amazing and emotional. We can take it as a gift from the angels to have such an esteemed and humble artist appreciate our work.

Mainly WE SHINE because we are serving up a production that comes from inside, from our own Being, borne out of a creative process that challenged each member of the cast to investigate Biko's Quest and then to connect to that quest today and discover their own quest and turn that into the production! WE SHINE because the production reflects our own quest as much as it asks the audience to  reflect on their own quest for a true humanity.

Our beauty is shining, our positivity, optimism and hope is shining. We Shine as we inspire each other, encourage, support, love and forgive in the making of this production. We Shine because we embrace a new partnership with The Steve Biko Centre an initiative of the Steve Biko Foundation. We Shine because many souls have recently joined the Jazzart Dance Theatre bringing more light. Light that is illuminating the new people as much as those who have been here for a while.

We Shine because every person who has contributed to this production is as important as the next, We are all leaders, all giving hope to ourselves and each other!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/lornahouston

More inspiration from Brahma Kumaris

I found this so inspiring, I just had to share it. The weekly inspiration form BKs for 3 September.  Reflections from Madhuban, the forest of honey

Being in the beautiful and pure atmosphere of Madhuban, the Bk headquarters for a week filled me with a quiet serenity and joy, just being in the company of the Dadis whose purity of heart, simplicity of life and love simply elevates your consciousness.  Below are some special jewels from Dadi Janki the head of the Brahma Kumaris. Have the deep feeling inside of moving forward.  Do not look back,  just keep going.  Finish everything and don’t pick up burdens.  It is very easy to tell others what they have to do, but it is hard for us to hear what we have to do.   Through soul consciousness you get the power to understand yourself. Through the connection with God you get the power to change yourself. Through the awareness of time you get the power to change now.   You can only be deeply happy if you understand and recognise yourself. If you recognise yourself you will have the conviction internally to do the right thing.   If you ask ‘why’ and ‘what’ it means you have not understood the drama of life.  Let nothing enter your mind that it will cause fear. Nothing should come in my mind without my permission. Keep two security guards: pure and determined thoughts.   Take everything with good feeling.   Nothing can happen without honesty and love.  If you don’t have the strength to finish what happened in the past, you won’t have energy for the future.  Value time. We do have time. Value time and you will not get confused. Then those who have to help will just appear in front of you. Those who know the importance of every day and every moment are the emperors and empresses so there will be a lot of happiness.  Ego takes up a lot of extra time from us. Arrogance is the desire for recognition. It doesn’t allow you to feel ‘I am a child of God’. Ego is of the self and doubt is of others and situations. In order to absorb knowledge a clean intellect is needed and by inculcating this knowledge it turns into jewels.  Why is God loved so much? He transforms the intellect of souls!  The sound of faith from within is ‘everything will be fine’. Faith gives the experience of victory. Pure and elevated thinking benefits others and gets the work done from a distance.  To be introverted means to keep your mirror clean and then to check yourself.  By considering yourself to be children of God and keeping attention, the mind and intellect will create the right sanskars.   Courage, trust and pure feelings (bhavna) – even if you don’t have a penny, keep these with you.   Internally keep truth and in interaction keep humility.

Bob Dylan Blowin' In The Wind Lyrics

How many roads most a man walk down

Before you call him a man ?
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand ?
Yes, how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea ?
Yes, how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free ?
Yes, how many times can a man turn his head
Pretending he just doesn't see ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Yes, how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky ?
Yes, how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry ?
Yes, how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died ?
The answer my friend is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Sharing

Thank you people for keeping in touch with my blog while I have not been present to this space. Life is a roller coaster and I am riding it - YAY! YIKES! YAY! 

Sadly I did not take up the opportunity to fast and cleanse with the muslim community during Ramadaan, honestly, mainly due to laziness. I did enjoy the celebration of Eid Ul Fitr with my muslim family and the Samsodien family. It was wonderful to share in this celebration with loving and supportive families. I enjoyed conversation with someone who spoke about how giving was a very natural action in his extended family and that anyone would give anything to anyone else. Rarely is there differentiation between in-laws and other, everyone is treated as first family and I can give to my children in the same way I can give to yours. The emphasis lies in - if I have what you need let me share it with you. It is a shame that we have lost this spirit of giving and sharing in many families and then of course it becomes more absent in communities. The result is a survival and desperation mode which is all about the idea of 'each man for himself'. 

We must realise our own value to realise that our family, neighbours and everyone else is just as valuable and equally deserving. We need to WAKE UP and start to give!

Life's questions

Lately Life has been asking me daily ‘are you compassionate and loving?’ I have been doing a sterling job of replying, if I say so myself. Life always checks that we mean what we say, that we really want to honour the choices we say we make. Oh my, I am discovering a part of myself I have not fully appreciated, although I think some of my peeps would say they always knew me that way. The joy of discovering me leaves me filled with gratitude for the healthy and positive lifestyle choices I have made, for my openness to the universe and for working so hard to heal myself and to show others that they are beautiful and can heal themselves.

So I continue to seek the beauty inside of myself and others. I strain toward the light, following its glow, drawing it in and radiating it out.

Life in Transition

My life is in transition, I have spent the past few months trying to create a new rhythm in my life. The past few days I have rested, watched too many crappy hollywood movies, reflected, relaxed, had fun with the family children, rejuvenated and glimpsed at my present/future. This mid-year break is for some deeper reflection. 


As I reflect and take stock I am tempted at times to fight and argue with others, thankfully I understand that these are the precise issues I need to delve deeper into, within me. That this issue is telling me something about myself. I have to unravel the mystery and piece the puzzle together, and usually I have to forgive myself, forgive others and give me permission to do something differently. Then move on to the next issue.


It is illuminating to actually see how easily I can choose to blame others or beat myself up for something and not resolve the matters. Just as interesting and educational is seeing how if I set my mind to it I can move through that moment of blaming me /others and shift into a I'm ok, you're ok view and find clarity and resolution. I am thankful that I practice daily reflection, heaven knows what a mess I would be if I did not.  


I find I am evaluating everything, only motherhood is sacred. I am questioning all my actions / commitments, my motivation for doing them and checking that the values I say I am serving are truly being served. Or is that just what I tell myself I am serving. 


I try to use love and karma (unconditional universal service ) as my tools for measurement of success - tricky because I have to watch out for my own mind games and self sabotage. 


I am also moving into action and starting to do some of the tasks I have been neglecting in my personal life - this is the real rejuvenating, taking control of what is most important - beginning with me, with my home. 

Love

Love is the message and the message is love...... love has to be my way of doing, the outcome of my action and my being.  Love is in short supply in our world and often understood as a male -female binding only and even then it may be a distortion of love. Another common understanding of love is its heavenly nature.  Love as an act of god and not humans.

Then we also have a common understanding of motherly love, between mother and child.

Many of us are learning in this very special time we are living in that love is so much more.... that it has the power to transform and is easily accessible to all. It is a heavenly,  saintly quality that we already have / are, Love. We are love and we are heavenly.

Leaving

Its been a while since I have blogged, that is a pity. I aim to be more regular and consistent. Life is hectic at the moment I am working really hard at my employment. I resigned and am working out my notice period and so I am doing so much regular day to day stuff plus trying to wrap up stuff.

I am sooo tired. Work is pretty exciting as our organisation is reinventing itself and this itself takes energy. On the otherhand leaving - I am learning - can also take a lot of emotional energy. Mostly, for me leaving is an education. I am discovering that people equate ones loyalty to an organisation and being a hard worker with never leaving employment. Iwork at a non government & not for profit organisation. We do amazing work with community care workers and are very impactful. I am passionate about the people and work. StillI am more loyal to myself than to any organisation - we have to be true to ourselves. Noone is irreplaceable, all organisations will easily find a way to replace me or anyone else. I cannot stay forever, in any job. Or people think that because you are passionate about a cause you will stay in that place forever, if anyone was listening they would have known that I am passionate about society as a whole, that my passion is helping people to awaken and that I can do anywhere. I learnt that at AIDS Response.

Keep loving life people. Remember to stay true to yourself and when times are tough at least you will know why. Peace

Princess Vlei, Let the people decide

Open letter to the Press and Mr Bredell

 There have been many voices over a protracted period of time calling for NO MALL AT PRINCESS VLEI, LET THE PEOPLE TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH PRINCESS VLEI! Somehow our politicians do not hear this call. Recently the Cape Town Municipality heard it and decided that the vlei should not be rezoned. The Western Cape Provincial Government decided to rezone the land, against the will of the people.  We have a plan for Princess Vlei and we will make it a reality!

Please hear the people of the immediate surrounds Grassy Park, Parkwood, Lotus River, Ottery, Retreat, Lavenderhill, Zeekoevlei, who also enjoy the support of communities in other parts of the City of Cape Town, when we say WE DON’T WANT A MALL.  A mall will destroy the small traders in our community who have lived and traded here for years and an obvious effect will be the creation of more unemployment in our communities. The vlei is an important heritage site for Khoisan peoples, let us show respect for that heritage. Shopping malls bring increasing access to credit, for communities that are already impoverished we do not need families to have more credit and thus more debt.  There are high unemployment rates and we see an increasing number of our people struggling to buy electricity to cook food.  A mall will not respond to our need for sustainable living. On the other hand, the community has been rehabilitating the vegetation of the vlei and hundreds of indigenous fynbos and trees have been planted, the City of Cape Town has assisted with this process. The community has a plan for the vlei.  The vlei has been home to many varied activities over the years, be it karate club practice on Saturday mornings, baptisms in the vlei on Sundays alongside of groups of people socialising. Very long ago people caught fish there and many a young boy learnt to fish in the vlei.  The environmental impact of a mall on the open space of the vlei is likely to be devastating. Although no formal environmental impact assessment was conducted, from my very basic understanding of ecology and nature though, it is not hard to see that the Princess is a key body of water in the South Peninsula. Princess Vlei is part of the south peninsula wetlands ecosystem that is providing much needed green space, trees and bird life for us to have the oxygen and plant life that we enjoy on the Cape Flats.  When there is construction on the vlei the trees and plants will have to go so that a mall can take its place. Immediately this means less oxygen because remember oxygen comes from plants. The bird life will move to find another space probably in the direction of Rondevlei, Sandvlei and Zeekoevlei etc.  The community activities that do take place at the vlei will cease and the positive impact that this green space currently has on the mental health of our communities will be no more. 

We have said THE PEOPLE WE WILL DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THE PRINCESS, please MEC Bredell, listen to the people, there are many varied interest groups who are opposed to this, why do you insist on pursuing it? The people shall govern and the people will decide what should happen on this land.  This is not your land, those in public office such as yourself are there to serve the public, look after public interest and act on behalf of the public. The public of the Cape Flats are saying we will decide what to do with Princess Vlei, we are moving forward with our plan and we invite the government to join us in implementing it.

Join on Facebook the Save Princess Vlei group, here is the link for anyone else who wishes to support this cause http://www.facebook.com/groups/116600385068084/

Sincerely,

Lorna Houston

Hair

Recently I have been noticing that many people - woman especially - here in Cape Town are wearing extensions, weaves and whatever else they call false hair or worse still human hair. I have always been in favour of sticking with the hair i was born with as curly and croes as it may be, it is part of what makes up this particular being, Lorna. Natural and connection with nature has always been me so i can't begin to understand why other people want to hide away their natural hair. I can only but think it is the same / similar reason why they may straighten their hair - because of the idea that Black is ugly. Black kinky / curly hair, black big lips, black fat nose, etc The truth is that not only black people have these features and that we are all beautiful. [By black people I refer to a wide range of Blackness]

It is sad that we cannot be Black and proud and see the beauty of our blackness that we need to spend thousands of rands on hair - sometimes hair stolen from another's head! - just to make ourselves feel beautiful. We see ourselves through the eyes of the white man and woman, believe the untruths of blackness is ugliness and stupidity, Africa is backward and in need of eternal reams of advice from people from the north. Eyes unable to see the humanity and beauty of black culture.

Wake Up!!!!!!!!

We are beauty, peace, love, purity, bliss. We are all the virtues of hope, harmony, justice, joy and more just like white people we are beautiful.

Wake Up!!!! Go inside yourself, connect with yourself and discover the treasure chest of beauty that is hidden under life's trauma and suffering.

Take a look inside your own heart and see the love that lives there and know that you don't need false or human hair, you are beautiful just the way you are. :)

Don’t get mad get wise

This Blog is taken directly from the Brahma Kumaris - Weekly Message of Inspiration 15 May 2012. I thought it worth sharing.

         

At a recent conversation with a group of young people the subject of anger came up.  As one participant highlighted that society always advises us to find alternative ways to deal with our anger, however suppressing anger is certainly not the answer and further sometimes it is important to let the other know of your anger.  Anger - why does this emotion erupt within us?  Our usual reason is - other people.  Ever heard yourself saying,”you make me angry”.  Certainly, people’s behaviour, ideas, opinions and personality can differ from ours.  Secondly, sometimes we can feel that people have over-stepped their boundaries.  Whatever the reason, is anger useful to me?

          

That is the first question to consider, is anger useful to me?  Have you ever considered what anger does to you?  On a physical level - it increases your blood pressure, your heart rate increases you release adrenalin in the body to cope with this added pressure.  So on a very basic level - anger affects my health.  Secondly, often words spoken in anger can never be taken back.  It can lead to hurt, pain and regret which would need a life time to heal.  Thirdly, anger leads to anger - it creates an endless cycle.  No one learns, changes or grows through anger. 

          

Finding alternative ways to deal with the things that trigger our anger is very important.  Suppressing it is certainly not the answer.  How do we transform that emotion?  In his book, Don’t get mad get wise, Mike George mentions - “any emotion under observation dies.”  To transform and heal I need to firstly acknowledge the emotion.  Secondly, it is vital to recognise that you are responsible for the emotion created.  Irrespective of what happens around you, you are the one who creates the emotion of anger.  No one does it for you - you created it.  Until we acknowledge that our emotions are our own creation only then can we feel empowered to change it.  Thirdly, the understanding that anger is not useful.  I nor anyone around me has ever moved forward through anger. 

          

A useful approach is to take a moment to step back and look at what options there are around you to find a meaningful solution.  Most times, all it requires is COMMUNICATION.  This is a big word.  Communication can truly only happen when emotions are cooled down.  So give yourself the time to be calm before attempting to communicate.  Second rule, always speak from the point of how you feeling as an individual rather than blaming or accusing.  Thirdly be honest and respectful and finally be willing to listen to the other person’s point of view.  Only if we prepared to listen than will we be able to shift from our own perspective.  This shift allows for a way forward.

          
To be able to do this it is very important to cultivate time for self reflection and inner peace through meditation.  When I learn to create inner calm and peace, it gives me the clarity to see solutions and ways to move forward.
        

Vision

I am pretty sure that we do not fully appreciate the power of vision.  Earlier, I was on how grown up and mature my children are today, and how much I appreciate that they feel they can approach me with the challenges they face. I remembered the time when we were poor and I truly struggled. I can still recall the day, back in 1993, already a single mother with a newborn baby and a toddler to care for, I questioned what I would be able to give my children on my meagre income in ten years’ time. I was aware that with my incomplete high school education I was never going to earn much more than what I was at the time.  In that moment I decided that I must do something different.  I had a vision of completing my high school education and a first degree so that I would be able to provide my children with a Life and not an Existence where all I focus on is the treadmill of hard work and minimum wages that don’t allow us to live in decent conditions and eat adequately healthy food.  

I embraced and realised this vision and many other visions I have had before that one and since.  Vision helps us to move toward something, to create, to change, to have motivation and purpose.  They are amazing vehicles for real transformation whether individual or collective transformation.  Shared vision is even more powerful because then the vision has even more attention directed to it. I believe in the power of vision and I know I underestimate its power otherwise I would be using it much more frequently to help me on my life’s journey. 

Some ways we can use Vision:

Before we start the day, or a new project or activity – picture the desired outcome, imagine you achieved the outcome and notice how you feel, your posture, your thoughts, what you can see or hear. Take it in, allow yourself to fully experience the successful achievement of your day / project / activity and then get on with what you need to do to lead you to that moment.

Today I had an amazing coaching session. I was being coached and trying to understand how to be with a friend whom I have a good relationship with but have some concerns about. It was quite amazing to just have the coach reflecting back to me what I was saying - as she reflected back it was like a mirror  she held up. I could see quite easily some of the illogical thoughts in my head, that have been there for a while, and had seemed perfectly logical to me all along.

She asked only a few questions, all so powerful, and as I spoke and thought and went deeper into myself I found those questions were like turning a switch in my head and I suddenly saw the situation differently. No real work to argue myself into seeing things differently. I just had clarity, simply by considering questions I did not ponder before. I had a new perspective.

I love coaching, I love clarity. I now have clarity and know that my friendship will remain strong. Yay!

Being Centred

Today I attended Life Coach training and saw just how large and strong / stable / firm I am when I am centred and my ego is set aside during the coaching session. It was such an awesome insight. It is amazing to see the strength and power when the ego is not present. It confirmed what I already know, one more time, that the ego can get in the way of meaningful, respectful communication.

We all need to learn to manage our ego and not have our ego manage us.     

Goodbye Himoe

I am so glad we had such a great birthday celebration with you just a month ago. We had a wonderful evening and I even got into a little trouble with Nadia for being out so late. It was worth it. The search for coffee and the one crepe Natalie made us all share J.  Me belly-dancing, I hope you enjoyed that one, lol.  I trust this past year showed you just how much we love you and care.  We enjoyed a nice cosy evening at Natalie’s and you told Naomi about how – according to you, we became friends – Nat and I agree, we thought we were already friends!!!  I recall how you told the story of Sein and Graham’s passing and Mark’s passing and my friend (whom I still can’t remember) that came to the funeral because they could not believe I was friends with the son and the father.  You loved talking about your relationship to all of us, I could see how important it is to you and I was thankful, because its also important to me.

Himoe, you passed away on my birthday – if the shoe was on the other foot you would say the F-word J - I will say I am sorry you were too sick to come to celebrate it with us, you may as well have given that the worst thing that could have happened did anyway.  It’s okay though because we had so much fun together recently, Easter at Annie and Ismail’s, not to mention the sleep-inducing Cabaret movie and oops did I say that out loud? Your presence at Layla’s graduation in our home and of course, the many music clubs and your epistles.  I looked for an epistle from you this morning, ready to laugh, of course there was not one and won’t be anymore. I will have to reread the others. 

 

Himoe, we will now meet the Martians. I am looking forward. Seriously, life will not be the same with out you, my blind friend, who saw deeper into hearts than many.  My life is not the same because of you as a friend, an older man, an example that men can be different loving, sensitive, responsible and caring.  You helped and supported me in my darkest days not judging or directing instead, accepting, understanding and doing what you can. Introducing me to Maya Angelou - one of your great loves – and encouraging new feminist perspectives in my brain.  I know I should have told you that last point while you were here, it would’ve thrilled you to hear it.  Music, life, film and art you were always interested to discover someone / something new and always generously sharing a new love.  Thank you for sharing so much of yourself so freely with me and my whole family incorporating the McAskills. 

You loved your family so much especially all the grandchildren, I know they will all miss you. I will remember you with a laugh and a song always.

A generous, kind and joyful heart

Stimulated by music and art

Filled with love for all around

Always around to provide the sound

You came and touched so many lives

Big and small, we were all your size

Good food and drink you knew how to appreciate

My poetry read you did ingratiate

You challenged us to be more than we are

Believing we are all stars

Himoe, a dear dad, friend and brother

You touched our lives like no other

A peculiar dynamic of relationships

And you marvelled at this odd friendship

Of two families, merged into one

Of the ties that bind us till we are done

You leave behind a world richer for laugh, knowledge and sharing

A world that has learnt from your example of caring

Begin with self, find the Courage to change the world

We all talk of a better world, dream of a life where we can be truly happy and free of daily stress and the social ills that are bred through economic exploitation and the culture of plunder and war. We talk of 'one day'.

It is not easy to live in a world filled with so much violence - physical, emotional, structural, spiritual, genderbased and sexual We are overwhelmed by the presence of these acts and what they produce. The media makes money selling this violence to us, especially in the music, entertainment and news industries. This ongoing attention on violence pertuates the cycles of the violence. Positivity is rarely promoted in the media!

We are presented with a number of challenges: 

1. to withstand the temptation of fear dominating our way of Being
2. to withstand the temptation of buying into the ideas they are selling
3. to remain hopeful, full of hope
4. to Be peaceful, cooperative and optimistic
5. to Be courageous and fly the flag, wage war for a world where love is our religion and where cooperation and harmony is the standard

I am sure that you can think of more challenges. I have not even touched on the challenges of trauma release, healing and restoration that is required after violent acts.

To begin to respond effectively to these challenges we need to start with the self before moving toward a collective response. Whilst there is a collective response, the work with my self should continue. Our collective organised efforts often do not recognise the importance of each of us changing. After all if we aim to change the world, are we not intending for people to change their behaviour? In this case, we intend for people to change their behaviour from violent to peaceful . And who is the people, well, we are, even if we are not perpetrators. Are we always hopeful, peaceful, cooperative? No.  Do we become complicit to the violence by allowing fear to control us so that we cower and hand over our power to the perpetrators of violence? Yes. Perhaps some of the time we do speak out when we witness violence. Honestly if we all were courageous enough to take the power away from those perpetrating violence we would not be living in a world where for example "only 61% of the Sub-Saharan population having access to improved water sources", Alertnet.

We need to begin with the self, so that we are not bound by the chains of fear that is very effective tool to keep us in place. We don't always see how the system requires us to live in fear, be assured it does. If we were unfetterred by fear, we would speak out at every injustice, risk loosing our jobs, possessions, our life without a second thought. This is how change came about in our country, South Africa, we said "freedom in our lifetime, freedom or death, victory is certain". We were not afraid to loose possessions or life and many of us lost possessions, lives and loved ones.

Let us find the courage that resides, asleep or half awake within, let us rediscover our powerful, peaceful, hopeful selves so that we can start to gather the resources inside ourselves to continue journey toward a world where love is our religion and cooperation and harmony is the standard.

One Love

our Essence includes Compassion

I believe we, Human Beings, are all innately compassionate. I am therefore disturbed by the different responses we have to a world in crisis. For example in this time of economic depression after the Wall Street Crash of 2008 the responses of some people are to close ranks and only look after their own immediate families, while others share the little they have with those around them (family, friends, neighbours) in need, others seize an opportunity to plunder those who are reeling from the loss of income / business etc.  These responses happen at all levels, globally all the way down to the most local grassroots level. 

I realise our differences will mean that we respond differently to any situation however our motivation should be the same – after all our Essence is the same. The real reason for my discomfort is that I find it very difficult to grasp why the response of Human Beings to others is not naturally one of compassion.  When did caring for ones neighbour become an heroic / saintly act?  Thankfully there are many heroes and saints still caring and showing compassion on a daily basis in our communities.  Sadly though there are much more people in need of love, care and compassion than they can reach.  We need more people to care and to be compassionate to others. 

There is a wonderful painted quote on the Mustadaffin Foundation building in Belgravia, Cape Town – it reads “if every man helps his neighbour then who would need help”.

Today let us think about what it means to care and be compassionate? What does compassion mean to you? How do you know when someone cares about you, what are the actions they perform that says ‘I care’? What are the words that tell you they care ? What do they not do to show you that they care?  What are the actions that show compassion? Let’s start to translate these answers into our way of being with others – if you are not doing it already.

It really is as simple as each one caring for our neighbour to create the happy world we all wish to live in. CHOOSE.

Human Beings - Being or Not Being

Today I blog for the first time and I am certain, start on a new journey in my life that will bring me many joys and surprises. It is at this time, my life purpose to help Human Beings to Be rather than Not To Be, more conscious. I have decided to blog and share my views, thoughts, feelings, inspired wisdom and information through this medium to help me achieve that purpose.


 I do not mean conscious in the way that some activists may say political consciousness and exclude the awareness of matters seemingly apolitical. Instead I mean consciousness that encompasses an awareness of all that is and that cannot be seen, consciousness that relates to the suffering of humanity, mother earth and all living organisms as well as to a deep awareness of the spiritual and striving to attain higher levels of vibration and connection with the spirit world.

Various people who have read my poetry, prose, writing - not sure what to call of it - have asked me if I publish and often identify strongly with what I write and appreciate it. It is with this in mind that I have decided to use blogging to get it out there. I usually write for myself, now I am writing also to share with others.

Many Human Beings are Not Being, many are zombified and just existing. We, Human Beings, need to Be. We need to Be fully conscious to live in the world in love and peace.

It is my intention that this blog will take us a few steps in that direction. I hope you will find this blog useful, it is my intention for it to be of use to others more than to me; that this blog brings new insights and stimulates thought, feeling, word and action in all of us toward the bliss-full world I know we can have. A world where Love, Peace and Harmony is dominant :)

Peace