I’m not a spring chicken; however, I think of myself as a cute, plump chicky with lots of flavor and tenderness cooked into her, so even better.
Every hour on the hour the church bells ring across from my office, and if there is a wedding they chime. They mark time, but in a way, time stands still for me. When I was growing up, there was a church behind our backyard and I heard them all the time just like this. I liked the sound, as I do now.
I lived on streets with cul-de-sacs, and live on one here. There was a creek in the backyard of my second childhood home, similar to oak creek flowing behind my office, soothing to hear, flowing gently down the stream, merrily.. life is but a dream.
There is one dream in particular that I remember from long ago, and in it I was looking out from my backyard onto a vast desert area. Well look at me now, in the high desert of Arizona, feeling so at home.
Though it’s been 22 years since my mother passed on, several years ago I took the train to see my uncle, her fraternal twin brother, whom I hadn’t seen in years. To my utter surprise and delight, he looked like her identical twin and it truly seemed that my mother had returned to my life, like a dream come true. To me that was a miraculous gift and still am in awe at that. He is still thriving, so I still feel like I have a living and loving parent.
On the return train trip while sleeping, I had a vivid dream that I was sitting on my father’s lap on that very train seat. I believe that was really my dad, because ‘they’ say that when deceased loved ones come to us in our dreams, if they seem about the age 35, it’s really them. Well he had passed at 80 and surely looked 35. That made me feel like a nurtured little girl again and the memory still does.
But I’ve got to tell you, my older brother has always looked out for me and been a sturdy advisor when needed, so his love is like a parent too, in a sense. Though only a few years younger, I remain feeling that way, even at my flavorful, seasoned, tenderized age.
It’s funny how when we’re children we can’t wait to grow up, leave our parents and their home, to make our own decisions. It usually takes years into mature adulthood to truly appreciate our parents. Then they’re gone too soon, and the opposite of kids wanting to be free of parents, we hunger for them.
The story seems to be shades different if there were deep emotional challenges regarding one parent or both. If they’re not around or behaving badly, love and craving to have a normal relationship grows bigger and more emotional even in our early years and beyond. Re-unifications are meaningful, to say the least and we hold on tightly.
Yet I’ve done countless readings where people held on to anger at parents and said they didn’t care about them, but the reading generally tells another story and deep healings are had, even if the parents had passed on. Just like my dream, they are there.
What’s my point? Don’t miss your children’s childhood or take your parents for granted. Appreciate those who nurture you like a mothering parent, or desire your nurturing.
Why did this come to mind to write about this week? Maybe because we’re under our once-a-year full moon in Cancer. Full moons put full emotion and full light on whatever zodiac sign’s characteristics it is in, and cancer rules childhood and memories from our past, mother, nurturing, family, those who feel like family, home and more…like comfort food and old photographs. So get the family together, or those who feel like family, and have your favorite foods. Don’t limit the hugging, kissing, nurturing, and remember to take some more photos now, for memories we’ll refer to as the past, soon enough.
I just interrupted writing this blog to speak with a dear friend for two hours, who is five years older than me, and consider like an older sister, lives in another state I used to call home, whom I haven’t had a long conversation with in years. She told me about her sister and sister’s daughter who hadn’t spoken for years due to what turned out to be simple misunderstandings and assumptions. Sometimes it takes a third person to moderate as she did, so that people can really hear, instead of being so busy preparing what they will say defensively in response. Ultimately they stayed up all night reuniting in love that had only gone astray by not talking things out and LISTENING previously. Love nourishes and feeds the soul.
Then she told me that a few years ago she shed a lot of weight she had been holding onto for decades. I know she reconciled differences with several family members throughout these years, and she attributes all of the weight lifted, physically and emotionally, by listening to God. Now she has new comfort foods and promised to send me a photo.
There’s no doubt we are under a full moon focusing its light on family, the past, home and food. May you speak your peace, listen, really hear, and love. It might keep your tummy from being upset or getting bigger like a full moon. Go church bells; what a way to ring in the new year.
May Your dreams come true.
Love from Rachel Star of Sedona
Reach interfaith minister Rachel Star of Sedona at 928-282-3444, 850-566-6698 or rachelspirit@earthlink.net. Follow her on facebook and twitter as Rachelspirit. Her website is www.goddesstheway.com. She is available for a positive, empowering Reading at either of her locations in Sedona, or by phone and skype. Each consultation includes angelic channeling, tarot, cards of destiny, numerology, past life insight and astrology (with or without time and location of birth; horoscopes are available). Classes and individual or couples counseling is also available, as well as physical and emotional relief with Reiki or Young Living medicine-grade essential oils.
