I took this picture in Dachau last year. It was such a haunting experience and I have thought of my time there over and over again. It was profoundly moving. And while the focus of that trip was something totally different - this is what I think of the most and it is what haunts me.
A friend of mine told me her father had been held there. I cannot imagine what that must have been like. Since then, I have read many books on the need for ancestral healing and how the wounds of one generation are passed on to the next and the next... I felt compelled to thank the guide I had for teaching countless others about what happened in that camp, so that we would never forget. I asked myself then, how could this have happened? But the truth is, I knew. And we all know. And yet it continues to happen. Like many, I am profoundly affected by what is going on in Israel and Gaza. I am also very concerned about all of this escalating into something much bigger. I have many friends who are Jewish. And I have many Muslim friends as well. All are wonderful people. All would have my back in an instant. And I would have theirs. I stand with those who are suffering in Israel. And with those who have missing and detained family and those grieving the deaths of loved ones. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be to be in such a situation. I am at a loss for words but I find myself thinking of Dachau - and Israel, where I have also been, and the people who are being targeted or used by terrorists. I can only pray… And I long and hope for a better day and future for all. I long for a day where there are no divisions such as we see here, in the US. I pray for a day when our diversity is celebrated - not feared or despised. I envision a day where violence is no more - or is so rare that it would be shocking - and not so mainstream that it dulls our senses. I do believe we can ALL make a difference: One person, one experience, one moment a time. We can open our hearts and listen - listen deeply - and express kindness - and reach out wherever it is necessary. I heard it said once, that a mother's prayers are so very strong and that if we could see the energy of those prayers - we would see the whole planet surrounded in the Light and Love of those prayers. Let us all do what we can to make it so.
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There was a time I came to this river, about a mile from my home, almost daily, but it has been a while.
This morning, the river itself was very still. Quiet. At rest. Even if people walking around or sitting by it were not. The leaves have not quite taken on their autumn mantel of brilliant colors, and it was a warm morning and definitely not very fall like. Despite all the details and concerns that might be floating around in my head, or taking up real estate in my mind, there was something about the calmness and stillness of the river that spoke to me. It invited me to slow down and be present. It reminded me that there are times in our lives when we are called to be more active, but there are also periods where we are invited to slow down, and just simply be. And the thing is, neither one is better than the other. There are times for motion and activity and there are times for rest and stillness. What is your life calling you to right now? Greater activity? Or rest? We are beginning to head into a time of shorter days and longer nights, of cooler weather - at least in some parts of the world, like the one I live in. The harvest may be done, and in another era, people slowed down and turned more inward. Listen. Listen deeply. What is your life calling you to do right now? And follow that. Do that. Whatever it is, it will be the right thing for you. And eventually, it will be time to do the exact opposite. The seasons, and this river remind me that every day I step into the river and circle of life anew, with a different invitation., until the next day or the next season. For free resources for your journey, visit this link: mailchi.mp/53d1cf65ef3f/meditation-simple-gifts-for-you |
olga rodriguez RasmussenChanging the world! Archives
January 2024
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