Following Your Heart
by Miracle Chasers on 02/14/12
Messages of love that are tied to beauty and art once intimidated me. It seems my art ability peaked with stick figures and my musical competence with pounding out chopsticks on the piano. Still, I know we are expected to bring love into the world. Jesus commands us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The Jewish tradition treats love as an obligation, a duty – no waffling allowed. I can’t imagine a way to practice Mahayana Buddhism and follow the Noble Eightfold Path without loving others along the way to enlightenment. And the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” illustrates an expectation that in being part of a community sharing a piece of your own self-value is essential in the formation of the next generation.
This notion of self-value is hard for me, and I suspect for many of us. Acknowledging our own value requires that we focus on our unique gifts, the recognition of what each of us does well, rather than obsess over our shortcomings. The reality is that our gifts change over time; they mature and are refined as we become more confident and less afraid. This doesn’t mean that it’s easy. It takes time, effort and intention. I am lucky; the love that I experience, the love I know and cherish each day, the love I am searching for takes the form of offering myself and service to others. And even though some days I falter - I don’t want to get up before the crack of dawn for an early east coast meeting or drive to east elsewhere to deliver food or clothes; I don’t even want to fly across the country to talk about miracles. Then I remind myself it’s about showing up, the saying ‘Yes’ that changes the reality in someone else’s life. I think of the prayer group I am part of and how it connects me with a group of people I’ve never met, but for whom the experience of knowing that others are concerned for their welfare is healing.
What we do and how we do it, is important to me; I draw inspiration from those around me. Meb recently discovered that it was her “Donahue” interview 20 years ago – the one she knew she alone had to do though she was exhausted - that resulted in researchers at SUNY initiating their landmark study on safety in child care. Katie’s chance meeting with Rose Mapendo in November connected Rose’s mission to establish a women’s training and empowerment center in Rwanda with Katie’s organizational and fundraising expertise. These connections would never have been made had conversation not occurred. As a miracle chaser, I have been privy to many of you sharing your stories of sadness and of joy, creating our own village through reaching out and holding on to the connection that makes us feel special, feel loved– and I have taken it to heart. Understanding and respecting my own abilities to network and bring people and ideas together helps me to recognize my passion for creating opportunities to share this love and connection.
Given my background in health care and my propensity for action, it’s not a big surprise I am fascinated with translational medicine – the concept of fast tracking bench to bedside research. What I didn’t expect when I got involved with the Center for Vaccine and Immunotherapy at Mass General few years ago was it would lead to an investigation about the relationship between medicine and miracles. It’s a conversation in early stages about spirituality and about science, but at its core it is about connection. Connection with the Almighty, connection with each other and a respect and understanding of the whole person, I think this is what I bring to the table…my gift…a willingness to look outside the box for answers, for expanding relationships, and for making someone’s life a little more comfortable whether it is through the simple act of listening, advancing education or health care, or even offering a prayer.
This spark of interest, of enthusiasm, and of the dedication we all aspire to, has ignited commitments creating new connections with others and is not only a labor of love, it has become the intersection of art and beauty in my life. For my 50th birthday my in-laws presented me with a silver serving tray engraved with the words of Joy Golliver, “The meaning of life is to find your gift, the purpose of life is to give it away.” I think this is how we love one another. Finally admitting and appreciating this, has allowed me to expand my journey and live the beautiful words of St. Augustine, “Since love grows within you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.”
Re-soul-utions
by Miracle Chasers on 01/23/12
2012 is destined in the stars to be a year of celebration and a time of hope! On the winter solstice, 12/21/12, at 11:11 Universal Time, the sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in about 26,000 years. This is also the end of a 5,125 year era according to the Mayan Long Count calendar, which was discontinued under Spanish colonization. Some say the Mayans planned to reset the calendar again at zero, predicting the end of humanity. Others believe that the Mayans simply recognized that there would be “energy disruption” when the stars aligned causing an unknown effect on the planet. More likely, according to scholars such as Sandra Noble, the Mayans, indigenous people who were in tune with the natural world, considered it a marvelous wonder to make it through an entire calendar cycle.
Whether or not the Mayans have it right about what will happen on December 21, they did understand the importance of beginnings and endings. As the new year begins, Meb reflects on her personal Long Count Calendar of 365 days in 2011 and thinks, "Wow, I made it through another crazy year - amazing." Here's wishing that all of you share Meb's anticipation of a glorious future in this special leap year.
Joan, Meb and Katie
Like many of you, at the start of every year, I make a list of resolutions - goals and plans for a better year. I heard on the radio that most people break their New Year's resolutions by January 10 and on average, may make those same resolutions five separate times. I know that I could make these resolutions at any point in time, but for some reason I wait until the end of the year to reflect, and to the first of the year to set my sights on something better. It's like waiting for January 1 to say, "New Year, new me." It's a reset of my personal resolution calendar.
This year, I spent some time alone to really ask myself these questions:
1. What was the "defining moment" of the year? What knocked my socks off? What happened last year that really, really made my day, week, month and/or had the most impact on my life?
2. What did I really love about last year? What was good about 2011 that added more love and joy to my life? And finally,
3. What do I want to change? What do I have control over that I want to be different this upcoming year?
There is nothing magical about personal reflection and setting one's intentions to live more authentically and more fully. Like Katie says, it's getting the boat out of the dock that is the hardest for some; while for others, like me, it's more like turning the Titanic around. In both cases, change is more successful when the goal is clear and the steps are strategic, but small. I also think that we need to ground our resolutions in what matters most in our hearts: re-soul-utions.
So this year, I am planting a garden again. I am going back to working the earth and living with cycles and seasons. Just like the Mayans, I want to pay close attention to the natural world. Right now, there is just earth and seeds and rain, but soon I will have vegetables and flowers. Marina Schinz, a photographer and contributor to House and Garden has inspired me. She says, "To create a garden is to search for a better world. In our efffort to improve on nature, we are guided by a vision of paradise. Whether the result is a horticultural masterpiece or only a modest vegetable patch, it is based on the expectation of a glorious future. This hope for the future is at the heart of all gardening."
As we look ahead to the rest of 2012, let's anticipate a glorious future. Personally, I think it is going to be a very good year for tomatoes. I'd love to know what you think. --Meb
Magic in the Air
by Miracle Chasers on 01/13/12
This was it – the maiden voyage of an expert exchange on Strategies for Successful Transitions and Second Acts – we knew it was interactive – but would participants do it? After all, it was the last session of an incredibly full day. Would people have any energy left or would they stare at us vacantly, causing us to wonder whether this was really such a good idea? With the moment of truth upon us, we explained the process, “You have 1 minute to tell the person next to you a defining moment in your life, ‘Go!’” The cacophony was deafening, the cadence intense - there was laughter and tears, new friendships were forged and old ones were deepened. No one in any of the three states wanted to change partners for the next two exercises. Instant bonding materialized, emails exchanged, mentors were found and dreams were shared – fearlessness – that elusive feeling of power and connection that had been discussed all day was understood, internalized, and practiced. People came in from the halls to see what the buzz was about…there was magic in the air. Share your story of conference connection with us – we’d love to know… www.themiraclechase.com
Shopping for Joy
by Miracle Chasers on 12/14/11
There is a man in a sport jacket and tie who sits on the bench outside my grocery store each afternoon holding a well worn brown paper bag and a 12-inch stack of index cards. He politely asks each customer if they would like to hear a joke. I am sad to admit that when I first moved to my new neighborhood a couple of years ago, I would rush past him in my harried manner to get the onerous task of shopping over with as quickly as possible. Over time, this kind soul has worn me down. He smiles whether I stop or not; he requires nothing of me, but trusts in the manner of one who believes in the good of the human spirit. A while back, I started stopping. He reads me a joke, I smile, sometimes laugh and for ten seconds we share a human connection. As a breast cancer survivor, people often come to me for advice for a friend or family member coping with this dread disease; my response is always the same: they can take away your hair, various body parts and your sense of control, but they can never take away your sense of humor, unless you let them. A sense of humor saves us - with illness, with our children, and certainly with the snarly and cynical. I think laughter changes chemistry just like those endorphins from exercise. And, you can't be afraid or angry and be thinking of something funny at the same time. Our sense of humor keeps us human; it costs nothing, is something everyone is born with, and brings joy to ourselves and to others. So, like those random acts of kindness we read about, the beauty of a sunrise or sunset, the smell after a cleansing rain, the intricacy of a snowflake or autumn maple leaf, join me in finding joy in the simple, the free, and the unexpected. Maybe today I’ll give myself a gift and ask for a second joke…
Katie's Summer Recommendation - The Alchemist
by Miracle Chasers on 06/11/11A dear and long time friend gave me The Alchemist by Paul Coelho as a gift upon the publication of The Miracle Chase. What a gift it was! Her inscription to me quoted Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates’ wisdom is especially poignant in the context of the journey taken by Santiago, the shepherd boy at the heart of Paul Coelho’s book. In the pursuit of his life treasure, his “Personal Legend”, he discovers the universe as a place where all things are connected, with a universal language and soul, where our dreams come true if we follow the “omens.” The journey is not easy. Santiago meets seemingly insurmountable challenges that require persistence, courage and patience to overcome. Yet, “…when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” That’s when miracles can happen. More than a book, The Alchemist is a guide for living and a perfect summer read from under the shade of a tree or an Oceanside umbrella or wherever the mystery and vibrancy of the universe can be most appreciated. Katie
