always rethinking, reinterpreting

Hi Maggie,

I've been thinking about our last few posts a lot.  I was working outside today when I suddenly stopped to think about Mom's words again..."If we had put our minds to it..."  I wondered if she ever took the next step and tried to understand what kept them from putting their minds to it.

I mean, for a family of kids born in the 30's, they were remarkably well educated.  They all had extensive music lessons.  With six kids, there were three registered nurses, two engineers - one with a master's, the other with a doctorate.  Even Aunt S. had formal business school training.  Grammy also had her R.N.  I don't know if Grampa was educated or not.   But he knew a lot of poetry and he knew music.

They were given advantages that seem unusual for kids of the depression- who came from a poor family.  And they all had families and careers, but no one changed the world...

I had another lake moment.  Nephew and I were driving past the lake at sunset.  The surface was silver in the dusk.  I got the impression of a lithe, beautiful woman on her back, stretched out along the Earth. I stated that her position was too vulnerable for me.  It was too easy to be raped in that position.

The lake responded and said we, women, must be strong.  But we must also live in strong community with men who would not rape...Men who don't see women as commodities, I suppose.

I love that admitting your fears released your pain.  I think you are onto something.  I used it on my older neighbor this evening.  She called and said her neck had been hurting.  She blamed her acupuncturist - a man who has made some remarkable progress with some of her issues.  She really can't afford to see him now, so she was carrying on about him just wanting money.  I finally told her her the negative things she says about people bother me. I told her his job was to release stored pain.  She stopped mid-treatment.  Then I told her about your neck and asked her to consider what pain she might have stored there.

Then she went off on her sister, who got her and her brother in trouble - her parents were very violent disciplinarians.  So we talked about who hurt them, and about how her sister might have really felt.

It was a good session!

Night times are getting interesting.  I'm sort of perceiving a spiritual portrait of people and seeing connections. I can't even describe it, but it is powerful.

And it is bedtime for me...

Love and hugs from Clare