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But listen to me. For one moment quit being sad.
Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you. ~ Rumi
The phone is ringing. I answer the call.
I hear the familiar voice of the Hospice volunteer director, checking on my availability to serve this evening as an 11th Hour Volunteer for a hospice patient who is actively dying.
I say, yes and am given the patient’s East Austin nursing home location.
It’s a facility I’ve not visited before, so I arrive early, park the car, and discover some challenges in entering the building. At 7 PM, it’s already locked down for the night.
Finally, someone existing the building provides me with an open door.
The facility is a hubbub of after-dinner activity.
The odors in the building are pungent, and I observe that the building is in much need of repair.
I continue onward, finding my way through the maze of residents, lining the hallway.
The room I’m looking for is on the second floor, so I proceed to the elevator.
Once on the second floor, I figure finding room 2216 will be easy; it is once I get by the nurses station. Clearly the nurse who greets me is experiencing a challenging day.
I ponder for a brief moment or two the question . . . What am I doing here?
I continue onward, finding my way through my mind’s maze of doubting thoughts.
The door to room 2216 is closed tightly. I knock and then enter.
The patient, who’s in a coma, is surrounded by family members . . . a sister and some nieces.
I introduce myself to the family.
Then I step up to the patient’s bedside, introducing myself to her and letting her know how honored I am to be with her at this time.
I find a place to sit.
I listen to the conversation, the sharing of stories, relating fond memories of the patient’s life.
After a short while, the patient’s daughter arrives.
She’s greeted with warm hugs from her cousins and aunt. The soft sobbing sounds simply add to the barren room’s soft, peaceful, loving glow.
The sharing of stories continue throughout the next hour.
How blessed I feel to be privy to the dying-patient’s life story . . . a woman now 78 years old who clearly gave her life to the role of playing loving mother . . . not only to her birth children, but to nieces and nephews, and, up to the age of 68, to foster children, in particular, babies with special needs.
The more I hear the about the patient’s life I become ever more consciously aware of Love’s peaceful presence in the room.
I’m reminded of Rumi’s quote, Hear blessings dropping their blossoms around you.
Clearly on this October evening in an East Austin nursing home, I am hearing the rich blessings of life’s Loving dropping their sweetest blossoms.
Loving you,
Robert, aka Bob
Here I am in Austin, Texas . . .
ATX.
Standing near 5th and Lamar, looking up, up, up;
Offering an early-morning Cuppa Joe toast to the new day.
The building you see above is named Spring Condominiums.
I honor the architect for his/her vision.
I honor those who helped construct the building.
I’m so grateful they kept their focus on building up . . .
And,
If challenges were met along the way, rather than choosing to find fault
Place blame on others,
And tear apart what had been done . . .
They’d make a course correction and keep their focus on building up, up, up, and up.
Yeah, you can refer to me if you like as a hippie elder.
I admit that back in the early ’70s . . .
I let my curly locks grow and grow and grow.
I uttered the cry, Make love, not war.
And after all these years filled full of life-lessons learned,
I believe even more strongly in the power of Love.
Love I’ve discovered
Is
Uplifting . . .
In other words, Love builds up the human spirit,
Lifting you and me into a higher perspective on life.
In the year 2011,
If I listen to the news media
Or tune in to reality TV,
I repeatedly discover
That . . .
A higher perspective on Love is not the story being told.
And so here today, August 17, 2011,
I stand here in ATX,
Saluting with Cuppa Joe a building-up perspective on living life.
I look at Cuppa Joe
And note his five-letter message to me . . .
BRAVE.
This message percolates deeply within my heart.
And so, my friends,
I’m building myself UP,
Speaking UP
And acknowledging
How my experiences of Life are encouraging me to respond to this question:
What’s it all about?
LOVE.
Loving you,
Robert/aka Bob
Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. ~Mother Teresa
I’m here, sitting outside Juan Pelota Cafe, sipping on my Cuppa Joe.
I’m pondering the news in an email I just read.
Brad, a good friend from my days of living on Chicago’s north side, was placed in hospice care yesterday. He is nearing the end of his life.
I realize that it’s been almost ten years since I’ve physically seen Brad.
The paths of our life journeys simply took us different directions.
Yet, I’m aware of a special bond with Brad that enabled us when our paths did cross, simply to begin right where we had left off . . . which happened to be in the loving spirit.
We would simply greet each other with a smile and a hug and be immediately transported on to the playground of the heart.
Through the years, Brad was there for me, reaching out when I was in need of receiving a helping hand.
I always knew I cared for Brad, but I didn’t realize until this morning how deeply he resides in my heart.
The tears just flow.
The sobbing naturally erupts.
The distance I feel between Chicago and Austin seems so great.
I so want to be there with Brad as he completes his life’s journey; and to be there for his family, supporting them.
I take a sip from my Cuppa Joe.
I close my eyes.
I see Brad.
I see the twinkle in his magnificent baby-blue eyes.
I see his smiling face.
I feel as though I’m on an elevator, lifting myself from the doom-and-gloom into the heart’s joy.
Suddenly, I’m so aware that the heart knows no distance. It simply knows, oh, so well, the Spirit of Loving.
And riding upon the Spirit of Loving, I am with Brad at this time; and I am with Brad’s family supporting them.
And so today I honor you, Brad, and your life; and I celebrate the brotherhood and unity of mankind.
Yes, my Cuppa Joe is percolating an Ode to Joe, uplifting me, and I am singing in harmony with life.
Loving you,
Robert, aka Bob
There is only one sacred manuscript,
the sacred manuscript of Nature, which alone can enlighten the reader.
~Hazrat Inayat Khan
With a Barton Springs Pool early morning swim completed, Cuppa Joe and I begin our hike through some urban territory.
We walk familiar terrain at a vigorous pace; eyes clearly focused on the sidewalk that lies before us.
Suddenly, I feel an inner nudge to slow down and pause.
I hear words of advice from what you might call my urban-hike tour guide, Fritz Perls:
Take yourself off automatic pilot and you enter a whole new world of wonders.
I take a look around me, noting Nature’s road signs, pointing me to springtime growth.
Well . . . you can see in the photo above what it is I see.
Yes, new growth on a cactus plant plus the smiling face of an old-timer in the plant community!
I can relate to the role of the old-timer . . . and especially to its smiling face that somehow has magically appeared, presenting to me a present.
Yes, the gift, as I open it, has a subtle reminder for me . . . to smile with the changes of life and to embrace life’s abundance of opportunities for new growth.
Ah, once upon time, when growing opportunities presented themselves, my immediate response was not to smile; but to take the learning very seriously, wearing a frown throughout the growing process.
Yeah, I’d take learning rather seriously, retreating into myself, and painfully struggle through the process.
So today Cuppa Joe and I toast Nature and its masterful ways of enlightening its readers, people like you and me, willing to pause and take ourselves off of automatic pilot and enter the world of wonder!
Loving you,
Robert, aka Bob
Passing through Town
The day is young, and I’m in my car with Cuppa Joe in my hand.
The early-morning commuter traffic is encouraging me to take an alternate route.
Cuppa Joe points me in the in the direction of taking South 1st Street.
Ah . . . now the traffic is flowing.
And me? I’m smiling.
Suddenly I look up and see a sign posted along the side of the road:
Welcome to Slackerville City Limit.
Oh my, I wonder, how did I end up in Slackerville?
Have you ever been there . . . Slackerville?
Most people would not look favorably upon a Slackerville resident; especially, those residing 24/7 in today’s corporate world.
I decide to park my car, get out, and lift my Cuppa Joe, honoring my visit today to Slackerville, and snap a mug shot.
Amazing. . . I think to myself, a sign welcoming people to Slackerville.
To be honest with you, I admit to having spent time in Slackerville before; although I never saw a sign posted welcoming me here.
I recall one Slackerville visit when I was 14 years old. It was summer, and all I wanted to do was sit around and hang out with friends.
My parents were concerned and even called the doctor to make sure I was OK.
The doctor confirmed that I was indeed OK.
The summer passed and so did I pass through my visit to Slackerville.
And now that I’m down the road of life, a wiser man . . . I’ve learned through my life experiences some Slackerville wisdom.
Do, do, do, do, do . . .
Does not lead me into residing in Slackerville.
It does lead me into living in the tight-grip of fear and stress.
What I have discovered that works for me is shifting gears to a Be, Do, Be, Do, Be rhythm.
In fact, you might even say that to the outside world when I’m in the Be-ing it might look like I’m residing in Slackerville.
Yet, I’ve discovered that when I’m in the Slackerville be-ing, my creative juices are being charged.
And the more willing I am to let go of judging myself for temporarily residing in Slackerville . . . the faster my journey is through Slackerville and into residing in a creatively-charged do-ing.
And so today, letting go the judgments about my surprise visit to Slackerville, I passed right through town and sit now at my laptop, creatively-charged and delightfully doing a report for you on my fieldtrip to Slackerville.
Loving you,
Robert, aka Bob
I’m driving north on Lamar, crossing the bridge over Lady Bird Lake.
The traffic is moving slowly . . . very slowly.
Directly in front of me I observe a white van.
Between Cuppa Joe sips and several stop and goes, I read again and again the message on the back of the van, “I’LL DO IT!”
The “I’LL DO IT!” message I fully receive, and it begins to percolate in my heart.
I wonder to myself . . . What is it that’s nudging me into saying, “I’ll do it!”
And without missing a beat, I follow the beat of a pondering thought and take out my camera, snapping a picture of life’s road sign being presented to Cuppa Joe and me.
Throughout my drive home, the message I’ll do it! and I do a dance.
The I’ll do it! message is definitely taking the lead. Me? I’m simply following its beat.
Our dance continues all the way home.
And now . . . as I sit at my laptop, tapping upon the keyboard, the message from life’s road sign I read earlier on the van, I begin to understand more deeply its message to me:
Shift gears with my blogging and share with you the delight I experience with my Cuppa Joe mug shots and the road signs that great us along life’s journey.
The Cuppa Joe Mug Shot I posted above . . . simply happened so gracefully and effortlessly.
Ah yes, my good friend, Cuppa Joe just seems to know where to pose, providing me with a perfect road sign message awakening me more deeply to the magnificence of life.
And you, my friend, what’s the I’ll do it! message nudging at you?
Loving you,
Robert, aka Bob
Kindku
Living in the now . . .
Say Peace to mind chatter, then
Be-do-be like child.
Loving you,
Robert, aka Bob
Play Joy card right now.
How? Smile. Just beam smile brightly,
Percolating joy.
I sit on the patio at Austin’s Christopher House, taking in the beautiful March day.
The sky is clear blue; and there is a soft breeze that gently caresses the wind chimes.
Yes, there is music playing in the air, naturally encouraging the spirit of joy to dance freely upon the stage of my heart.
With spirits lifted, I look up into the sky and see a hawk.
Together the hawk and I soar upon the Spirited-wings of loving.
My heart so naturally responds, beaming a smile and percolating joy.
Loving you,
Robert, aka Bob
Kindku
Flower power now!
Peace, kindness, smiles, laughter, too.
Cheer: Glad you are here!
A brief conversation with the Whole Foods cashier triggers an idea.
I find a table.
I sip on my morning cup o’ joe.
The sketching idea is percolating so very strongly within my heart.
I take a 3″ X 5″ index card and my pen and simply begin to draw,
Building upon the flower presented to me by the cashier.
Little did she know that saying the word flower to me would create such an amazing spark of inspiration.
You might even say that by responding to the flower’s inspiration I’m building my flower-power muscles.
Within a few minutes, the drawing is done;
And
The Kindku is written.
The time arrives to share the flower blossom card with the source of the idea.
I look up . . . and there she is, practically standing by my side.
I hand her the ticket with the drawing.
Her face lights up with a beaming smile, clearly being generated from her heart.
She breathes in the essence of the flower-power drawing.
Our eyes meet.
She says with a voice resonating with the heart’s pure joy, “You just made my day.”
Loving you,
Robert, aka Bob
Meet the Come-Back Kids!
Yeah, that’s them up above.
I first met them about 21 years ago.
One cold Chicago January night, a friend presented me with a sketchbook and a box of colored markers.
Initially my sketches were stick figures; however, day after day, I was drawn to the markers and to the sketching.
Day by day, year after year, I sketched and sketched.
I even painted characters on boxer shorts.
I even painted baby furniture.
I must admit I kept thinking this is it; however, this was not it.
I kept on keepin’ on drawing and sketching and sharing the drawings with myself and at times the world.
I realized along the way that the daily-sketching-from-my-heart ritual was taking me on a marvelous journey.
As the years passed and my confidence as an artist grew, I took bolder and bolder actions with the sharing of the art.
Ah, there were those days that as an artist I would become discouraged; especially when other people didn’t see the drawing as I was seeing it.
And yet in those moments of discouragement, I would find myself time and again drawn back to the drawing and to the sketching.
The characters I observed emerge upon the paper lifted my spirits and encouraged me to keep on growing as an artist and believe in myself.
The characters you see above I cherish; they truly are the Come-Back Kids. I know that for a fact.
And so here I am with the Come-Kids in my life’s Act 3. A time that some people might feel is a time to slow down and coast to the finishing line of life.
I remember in January 1993 watching a playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers. The Bills came back from being 32 points down in the first half to win the game in overtime.
People who were not ordinarily Bills fans started cheering enthusiastically for the Bills once they started coming back.
And so today, you might say people like me in Act 3 of life are on a comeback journey.
For whatever reason, I find myself without a substantial retirement nest egg; one that would enable me to continue the lifestyle I’ve grown use to living through the years.
Where has the money gone?
Well, I’ve tended to invest in myself and in my education . . . in particular, educating my heart.
I’ve learned through my relating to the Come-Back Kids to believe in Something bigger than life . . . Something encouraging and inspiring me to step into and draw upon my heART.
And so today I officially introduce you to the Come-Back Kids. I’m taking the Come-Back Kids Show on the road.
This morning at a Starbucks, Whole Foods, and Miller Blueprint, I drew Come-Back Kids’ pictures and gave them away to a responsive audience. The pictures were percolating with the Come-Back Kid spirit for the recipient to draw upon through the work day.
Stay tuned . . . as I share the Come-Back Kids stories with you; for the Come-Back Kids and me are taking the show on the road and sharing with a world in need of tapping into believing and cheering for the come back to occur!
Loving you,
Robert, aka Bob and the Come-Back Kids
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