"Thats OK"

Tonight I had dinner with a new friend- its funny how connection works- opening ourselves up to another, letting them into our lives, our thoughts, our worlds. Risking that they wont judge us. That they will accept us even though our stories are different. Choosing to take those risks.

In this case, it was an easy conversation that flowed as we talked about everything from professional passions to optimistic outlooks, shared interests and dysfunctional family life.. we compared faiths and life experience and goals and somewhere in the middle of a story he was telling about his housing situation he mentioned, rather off hand, that he and his long time girlfriend were recently in a "pretty serious car accident, and she didnt make it,"....

"She didnt make it,"....

"She didnt make it, and thats ok"

Then he smiled and continued with his story. He smiled because at times that's all we can do... and that smile is a choice. That smile is a celebration of memories, wrapped in the muscles of the mouth turning upward.

I dont think that his matter of fact response in anyway negates his love or feelings for her. In fact, I am quite positive that there isnt a day that passes that he doesnt miss her terribly. But he understands that this pain, this loss, is making him the man he will become. He is aware of the growth that can happen when we let go and dont let our heads fight with our hearts against the hard parts of life.

Bad days happen. Horrible things happen. People die. The world is rocked daily by death... greed... pain... hate... heartache... fear... but, as in everything, there is a balance that can be found if we choose to look for it, choose to search, choose perspective, choose to just let go- knowing that the course of this life has so much meaning. Choose to go on living through the times that simply put, suck. Choose to live each day grateful for the lives we have, the people we call our friends and family, the love we are able to give and at times receive.

..Choose to not only live, but live INSPIRED.

"She didnt make it, and thats ok"

I very much like my new friend.

Irish Blessing...

look a little further..

Why do we let our inner cynic hold back our inspiration? Tonight i did something i have enjoyed since i was a kid... i watched the Academy Awards. One might be quick to judge or think; "how does that matter? How is watching wealthy, elite, privileged celebrities receive accolades in addition to their already inflated paychecks, lifestyles and egos relevant to the currant issues of society?" ... in a sense, "how is a shiny golden statue being handed to a shiny golden actress going to change the world?"

....

Well?
...

Can it?

....

The way i see it, most people have never allowed their guard to be lowered to truly feel the power someone carries when inspired to make a difference through art... expression... story telling...

in addition to the beauty of tradition and ceremony - something sadly lost on most people these days- there is a platform to showcase people doing what they love to do. A platform to bridge the vast gaps that exist between our everyday lives and the stories and experiences of others we are detached from in this world.

Tonight i watched people be honored and awarded for painting pictures of love, hope, fear history, abuse, heartbreak, rebirth, conservation, acceptance, passion... war...

While most are focusing their attention on judging what celebrities are wearing they are missing the simple honesty to that resounds at the Academy Awards. A convention that resonates with the warmth of a community getting together to commend each others achievements, to celebrate inspiration and the risk that it takes to create, to dream, to know what it feels like to walk in anothers shoes, to connect to a character who's life is vastly different than your own, to be moved by new stories, new characters, to relate, to learn to be granted a glimpse of new perspectives, to FEEL. To feel something for someone you may have never otherwise encountered.

As the credits rolled, i turned my TV off and felt as though i had spent the last four hours with close friends, and not so much famous strangers. I felt their dreams, their hopes, their need and desire to create something relevant to our world and to their own artistic expression.

I felt my own need to dream, and create, and inspire, and be relevant... we all have stories to tell and with the help of a theater full of strangers I'm more compelled than ever to tell the world mine.

overlooking 'Action'

I am reading a book currently that involves the idea of bringing Heaven to Earth. Its making me realize that so many "Christians" seem to simply be waiting for their earthly lives to end, but, as it so often seems, in the waiting, so much is being overlooked. We forget that its NOT all about the end of this life- its not about dying- its not about a soul or spirit leaving our body and floating through the clouds with a golden harp and a flowing white nightgown.... its not about a heaven in the clouds, or st. peters list, or giant golden gates and an eternal life without pain, or hate or poverty, or loneliness, or whatever plagues a person in their earthly existence.

its really more about;

REBIRTH.
RESURRECTION.
RENEWAL.

One might even say... the original form of RECYCLING: We are the used and the broken and the damaged and the empty and the discarded, and through personal faith and belief and love and experiences we are rebuilt in a more perfect form. 

That is what should be driving us forward - to live our lives with this 'new life' always as the goal... the plan...the not so final outcome... we should constantly strive to emulate this unattainable being we may one day be blessed to become- and while we are shrouded in our own imperfections we should do everything in our power to help bring this positive energy to our current existence.

Should. Could. Choose. Become. Empower. Implement. Create...

Words. We say them aloud. We preach them to others. We write them in journals or in our blogs... however, without action, without follow through, they are quite simply empty romantic notions.

Everyday people exist to serve others. People, who give freely of their time and their energy and their love to make the lives of others better, to make the world of others better. To bring a little bit of "heaven" to earth.. no matter what their religion, they act. They give. They Love. They are living, striving, reaching toward that more perfect form. A more perfect world. They may just be one person, or a handful of friends, or a small organization, they may seem insignificant in the larger picture, it may seem like their contributions wont make a bit of difference in this great mess we have made, but they give anyway. They contribute. Time, money, energy, love, perspective.

These people bring "heaven" to a small piece of this life.. to a fragment of our existence. Words are not simply words - they are actions. Actions that lead to steps... and steps that become a journey... A journey that continuously opens upon itself with new words, new chapters, new actions, new beginnings, and new people willing to contribute to the beauty of an empire that is imperfect yet built on love. Because in the end... heaven is coming here.