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Posted: May 17th, 2007 at 1:47am By: Anne E. Ulvestad
My dearest friend,
You have been on my mind, and in my heart. Because we don't see each other regularly anymore, I wanted to share with you some small miracles that have been happening in my life. That way, when we once again embrace, it will seem less than a moment but more than a lifetime shared.
I just came in from outside. My husband has left a circle of uncut grass in the middle of the backyard. "To encourage the flowers to grow," he says. He offers me this uncut bouquet of white clover, yellow buttercup and purple henbit every Mother's Day, and I have to smile.
You know that I have planted four Japanese maples from my parent's yard in New York. They are prolific growers and make my heart glad. However, Maureen always teases me about not planting trees native to Maryland. Last year I tried just that, planting cherry, oak, dogwood and tulip trees. None of them took to root, lasting only a couple of months.
This spring has been different. I didn't plant anything, my mind being on my work rather than the yard. However, now I find I have not one but two very nice saplings already almost 2 feet high! It was only today when I walked the yard, that I realized the miracle behind these two trees. One, a graceful, full-leaved tulip tree, is growing over the grave of our dear, sweet girl kitty, Vanilla. The other, a sturdy oak, is growing over the resting place of our rough and tumble boy, Fuzzy.
It's said that the Universe brings you what you allow it to, that our thoughts and feelings can create our reality. I must be doing something right because I've allowed three big changes in my life. One has been the healing of the relationship I have with my mother. She has always been a wonderful role model, but we've never seen eye to eye.
One reason has been the fact that I have lived away from home since I was 19. When my dad died last year, all 10 kids went home to live with my parents for about a week before he passed. I was the last to leave. Mom was critical toward me at the end. I just said, "Mom, you've lived with me for a week now under very trying circumstances. You can see what kind of person I've become." She ended up saying that she was glad to finally get to know me, and I could say that who I am is in large part due to her.
Another astonishing event in my life has been the support I get from my boss. He reads my column, so I don't want to embarrass him too much, or myself, but I am grateful for the love, confidence and trust he places in me. Finding a mentor with years of experience, who is still looking to learn and grow, is truly a miracle. I'm still discovering how to ask him questions so that I can pick his brains more.
The last big change for me is the addition of a son to our family. Although I'm only filling in for his mom until she can join us, embracing Christopher is a joy I thought that I would never attain. Having a boy in the house adds a dimension that I've longed to experience and never thought possible. The first thing Kjersti said was, "Mama, now you're going to have to cook every day!"
Yes, food is important now, and games, which keeps me busy and him happy. School, on the other hand, is an opportunity to just get by, so I am trying to instill a slightly different habit in this young man. Abigail Adams said, "Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence."
Trying to teach Christopher has shown me that no matter how I believe I am led, or how many miracles occur, it has been a process of hard work and community effort. I have never been alone in this endeavor, and I have never had all the answers. As I've been telling Christopher, asking questions when you don't know, asking questions when things are unclear or you are confused, is at the heart of all learning, growing and changing.
And so I will ask you, dear friend, how are you doing? For in the telling we both grow, and we will be richer for it. So what's up?
— — —
Anne E. Ulvestad is a free-lance writer residing in Maryland. She has her masters in earth literacy, and is available for public lectures and group presentations and rituals on Spirituality and the Environment. Anne can be reached at {email anne@ourplaceintheuniverse.com}anne@ourplaceintheuniverse.com{/email}. © copyright 2007 by Anne E. Ulvestad.
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My dearest friend,
You have been on my mind, and in my heart. Because we don't see each other regularly anymore, I wanted to share with you some small miracles that have been happening in my life. That way, when we once again embrace, it will seem less than a moment but more than a lifetime shared.
I just came in from outside. My husband has left a circle of uncut grass in the middle of the backyard. "To encourage the flowers to grow," he says. He offers me this uncut bouquet of white clover, yellow buttercup and purple henbit every Mother's Day, and I have to smile.
You know that I have planted four Japanese maples from my parent's yard in New York. They are prolific growers and make my heart glad. However, Maureen always teases me about not planting trees native to Maryland. Last year I tried just that, planting cherry, oak, dogwood and tulip trees. None of them took to root, lasting only a couple of months.
This spring has been different. I didn't plant anything, my mind being on my work rather than the yard. However, now I find I have not one but two very nice saplings already almost 2 feet high! It was only today when I walked the yard, that I realized the miracle behind these two trees. One, a graceful, full-leaved tulip tree, is growing over the grave of our dear, sweet girl kitty, Vanilla. The other, a sturdy oak, is growing over the resting place of our rough and tumble boy, Fuzzy.
It's said that the Universe brings you what you allow it to, that our thoughts and feelings can create our reality. I must be doing something right because I've allowed three big changes in my life. One has been the healing of the relationship I have with my mother. She has always been a wonderful role model, but we've never seen eye to eye.
One reason has been the fact that I have lived away from home since I was 19. When my dad died last year, all 10 kids went home to live with my parents for about a week before he passed. I was the last to leave. Mom was critical toward me at the end. I just said, "Mom, you've lived with me for a week now under very trying circumstances. You can see what kind of person I've become." She ended up saying that she was glad to finally get to know me, and I could say that who I am is in large part due to her.
Another astonishing event in my life has been the support I get from my boss. He reads my column, so I don't want to embarrass him too much, or myself, but I am grateful for the love, confidence and trust he places in me. Finding a mentor with years of experience, who is still looking to learn and grow, is truly a miracle. I'm still discovering how to ask him questions so that I can pick his brains more.
The last big change for me is the addition of a son to our family. Although I'm only filling in for his mom until she can join us, embracing Christopher is a joy I thought that I would never attain. Having a boy in the house adds a dimension that I've longed to experience and never thought possible. The first thing Kjersti said was, "Mama, now you're going to have to cook every day!"
Yes, food is important now, and games, which keeps me busy and him happy. School, on the other hand, is an opportunity to just get by, so I am trying to instill a slightly different habit in this young man. Abigail Adams said, "Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence."
Trying to teach Christopher has shown me that no matter how I believe I am led, or how many miracles occur, it has been a process of hard work and community effort. I have never been alone in this endeavor, and I have never had all the answers. As I've been telling Christopher, asking questions when you don't know, asking questions when things are unclear or you are confused, is at the heart of all learning, growing and changing.
And so I will ask you, dear friend, how are you doing? For in the telling we both grow, and we will be richer for it. So what's up?
— — —
Anne E. Ulvestad is a free-lance writer residing in Maryland. She has her masters in earth literacy, and is available for public lectures and group presentations and rituals on Spirituality and the Environment. Anne can be reached at {email anne@ourplaceintheuniverse.com}anne@ourplaceintheuniverse.com{/email}. © copyright 2007 by Anne E. Ulvestad.
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