I hope you’re having a beautiful Friday. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Painting Copyright © Liz Stevens Illustration 2018.  All rights reserved. Used with permission. Thank you! ♡

“Dear God,” she prayed, “let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry…have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere – be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.” Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I love this quote because it celebrates being alive and present in every moment. My beautiful friend and soul-sister Liz Stevens (Liz Stevens Illustrations) painted this lovely scene of a young woman doing just that. Perhaps preparing for a dance, or starting a new class. Alive and joyful to be so.

A Story from the Street

As promised, I’ll share stories about what it’s like to live on the street where life expectancy was reported to be about 30 years less than average.  Millions of Americans are one paycheck away from the street according to this January 2018 report.

Jerome Murdough, 56, a homeless Marine veteran, was arrested for trespass in New York because he was found sleeping in a public housing stairwell on a cold night. The New York Times reported that one week later, Jerome died of hyperthermia in a jail cell heated to over 100 degrees.  

Source:  “10 Facts About Homelessness,” HuffPost

Mr. Murdough’s death provoked outrage among the city’s elected officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, and focused media attention on the conditions at Rikers Island, where inmates frequently endure severe abuse and neglect.

Source:  The New York Times

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi

How Can I Help?

Asking today for healing, light and love to be sent to any homeless Marine vets you may know. If you know none, perhaps you could send your intentions to any homeless person who might need healing (which is pretty much every single one, in one way or another).

Thank you so much.  ♥

Healing Intentions

These stories of the street are not brought to you the way news is. They are brought to bring your awareness to a person who has experienced hardship in homelessness and to ask you to open your heart and send good thoughts or prayers or whatever you believe in.

There is a beautiful Hawaiian tradition called ho’o’pono pono which was used over a course of time to heal every inmate in a mental hospital for the criminally insane. Joe Vitale, after a skeptical journey into what he thought was an urban legend, wrote extensively about this powerful tool. It’s really easy to use and takes very little time compared to more traditional healing meditations.

Since about mid-2010 I’ve been doing healing meditations for anyone needing it at Noon EST for an hour a day when I can. I’ve been inconsistent but it still is, and always will be, my favorite thing to do at mid-day break. So, if you aren’t busy, please join me for a few minutes. I’ll see you on the “innernet” as my beautiful friend and mentor Nipun Mehta calls meditation. =)

I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

♡. under1000skies
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