Happy New Year

Hi Maggie,

It's the last day of 2016.

I have been thinking about the year, and what is ahead.  This year was dark in so many ways, but when it was Light, it was Light!! And sometimes it was both - like having Emily die in my arms -  that whole process of her softening and releasing and mine of deciding she should not have to endure any more pain. It should not have to hurt before we go...

And worrying about Dad...knowing he is in the process of releasing, and hoping it all unfolds with grace and love...that has been both...

The Lightest moment, though, still Lightens my every day. On my birthday, I expected to go out for dinner with S#3. Instead I had my five children together, with various other beloved members of our extended family, eating pizza. Hanging out.  They were all together for the first time in seven years.  And it was so amazing.  The most amazing gift ever.  When my daughter-in-law's mom heard, she cried. She knew how deep and special this moment was.

And you were part of that...thank you so much...

I slept fairly well last night, but I was awake for a short while.  I am thinking about resolutions. Someone, a friend who is also a friend on everyone's favorite social media, challenged us all to not buy a single plastic bottle full of water this year.  That goes well with my ongoing attempt to reduce the amount of plastic I buy and am forced to discard.

One of my favorite pasta sauces just changed to plastic jars.  I will not be buying it any more.

It is hard...ridiculously hard...

But I was thinking about blockages and flow.  And I started thinking about parasitism versus symbiotic relationships. Our species is behaving like parasites on this Earth. We take and don't give. We live in an unsustainable manner, and just hope there is enough for us to survive. Our attitude is really, if we pull back the curtain and look at the TRUTH, it is - fuck our grandchildren, as long as we make it with what we want, what we deserve.

Kind of like Lucy,  "All I want is my fair share..." But we don't have any comparison for understanding our fair share. We just have television.  Our country has 5% of the world's population, and we use 25% of the world's resources.  There is no way we understand fair share.  We take what the neighbor takes, and if we are spiritual and aware, we take a little less.

Parasites kill their host.  It is really the only possible end. Then we go on to find another host.  But if you only have one planet, well, that doesn't  work.

How do we become symbiotes?

How do we unblock the flow? One of the most frightening and glaring examples, is of course our 1%, our billionaires. They are the ultimate parasites.  There is really no way to accumulate that much wealth without exploiting the Earth or exploiting other humans.

I have been thinking that maybe someone needs to identify and define pathological greed as a recognizable mental illness. We need to see this for what it is rather than continuing to honor the caste system which underlies all this puritanical belief that if you have money, god loves you. And with this proof of god's love - you don't have to change or acknowledge the people or situation where there is obviously no love from god.

So - resolutions - try to recognize and not be involved in parasitism.  Reduce plastic use.  Clean up my diet.  And make sure the kitchen is clean before I go to bed.  A lot of times Nephew and I sort of graze in the evenings. Since there isn't a meal, there isn't a clean up.

It's all connected somehow.

Happy New Year Little Sister!!

With love and hugs from Clare