Acceptance & Reflection: A New Year's Message #newyearseve #2022 #2023

We have come upon the culmination of year 2022 and for many it is a day of celebration and mirth, others a time of quiet meditation and reflection.  For myself, I find myself leaning towards the latter with perhaps a slight tidbit of the former coming through in moments.  For the most part today, I spent the day following the schedule of my own choosing, putting the necessities of work for the coming weeks aside until later in the day and only that which I felt must be done, such as this blog and the monthly newsletter.  Thus, I find myself struggling to adjust the words for this entry, desiring more than anything to run towards my room scrolling through YouTube searching for some a form of distraction.  

Perhaps for me there is a tinge of sadness as this year comes to a close, 2022 was a beautiful year for me, one of healing, growth, acknowledgment of past sins and amends made, immense heart-ache, but overall a year blessed and fruitful.  Increasingly, I found myself leaning further into the reality of acceptance of all parts of myself, my past, present, and desires for the future.  Acceptance for the ones of my past who caused some ill towards myself or others, for those who broke my heart and shattered my sense of being, yet I accept them now for the gifts they have given.  For not always was our time together full of pain, but also times of joy and laughter.  I accept both as spokes on the wheel that led me to my wholeness.

So many approach the New Year with the dedication of the resolution yet increasingly I find myself seeing this day as a time of quiet meditative pondering over the lessons learned throughout the passing year.  For me, a resolution or intention is not made at a singular point but hourly, daily, monthly meditated and focused upon as the years unfold.  As I ponder within this year fading, I celebrate the long held intentions achieved and recognize all that I still have to attain.  These intentions are not birthed into being by simply saying, then believing, nay, that is only the first step.  The subsequent steps are the daily actions taken reaching to a smaller goal towards the final achievement.  It's all the little steps each moment taken with mindfulness that lead to success.  What is success then is not the winning Oscar, the published novel, (of which all should be celebrated) but honoring all the mindful moments in movement that led to that achievement, finally reached, a sigh of relief and gratitude transpires.

This year, more than ever before, I have found peace in the knowing I am finally attaining wholeness within.  More and more, I do not feel any lack within or without, giving me both a seriousness upon my desires and intentions, but also the ability to be silly and child-like in the enjoyment of each life.  The true purpose of my life, then, is to continue the path towards healing for myself and those I encounter.  

So, as this year reaches its culmination heading towards the cemetery of time, let all be laid down in restful slumber, carried within as tokens of lessons of maturity deepening, and as the new year dawns, awakening with the splendor and freshness of birth, let your heart continue its focus on the intentions already set, not in wishful inaction, but in the allowance of daily steps taken.  For resolutions be damned, a year is a human construction of this life we spend and is somewhat meaningless in the grand scheme of all, but take with you a simple guidance to achieve with mindfulness that which you desire.  May you be provided all that you need and above as you continuously focus within on your set intentions.   Although there may be thousands of pathways you wish to walk down, becoming intentionally focused is the answer towards furthering your journey.

For my part, my desire in the coming year is to be more community centered and active, not where I am forced to do, but in where I feel led and comfortable.  I wish to continue my journey of healing and let that be the impetus for connection with others.  

Good Night, 2022! Welcome 2023! #happynewyear2023

As 2022 dawned, brighter and lighter feeling than years previous, our hearts united in always remembering to cherish each moment, holding the new lessons learned, through a time difficult for all, never failing to lift one another up, treasuring each other, making our way, honoring those we loved and lost, Good night 2022, Welcome 2023!

ACT's Moonlight Remarks On The "Passages" Of Life

In this post-pandemic world, we find ourselves slowling crawling back into some semblance of normalcy, although a now very different place we once knew from whence we left some two years ago.  In like fashion, live theatre is slowly beginning to once again find its footing, figuring out along the way how to create art in this 'brave new world' to connect, heal, and bring some meaning to the madness of which we all lived.

This weekend, Ashland Contemporary Theatre opens their first show after a long hiatus due to Covid19, with "Moonlighting 2022: Passages".  The show features the writings of John Yunker with his "SkipIntro", Teresa Peterson with her "Simple Treasures", Dori Appel with her "Shelf Life", Diane Nichols with her "Click", and Bob Valine with his "Gabe".  Bringing the writers' works to life are some of the most talented actors of the Rogue Valley; Trevor Pekas, Janna Mitchell, Lia Dugal, CJ Reid, Kristen Caron, Jeannine Grizzard, Alayha McNamara, and Noah Fitterer.   The pieces are directed by Jeannine Grizzard, Teresa Peterson, Dori Appel, and Kate Sullivan.

The theme of the show, with all its various short plays, is vital as we move forward in this post-Covid19 world besought with new fears, uncertainties, and divisiveness.  No longer can theatre alone be about entertainment or distraction (if it ever was), but as a means to find pure meaning and hope despite seemingly massive amount of troubling circumstances. 

From the start of the play with Yunker's "Skip Intro", the characters Max (Trevor Pekas) and Shel (Janna Mitchell) discover that running away from the difficult does not bring true happiness, then Peterson's "Simple Treasures" describes how trials and hardships in life can be overcome and true victory can be found as told by Diana (Lia Dugal), Appel's "Shelf Life" finds mother and daughter, Liz (CJ Reid) and Susan (Kristen Caron) seeking to find healing in the wake of the loss of a loved one, Nichols' "Click" deepens the struggle with the reminder of the local tragedy of the Almeda Fires of 2020, and finally, through the writings of Valine's "Gabe" resolves the show by showing that all of life's circumstances, both the highs and the lows, are made satisfying because of the growth of soul and purpose found in overcomng and thriving.

ACT's Moonlight 2022: Passages opens Saturday, March 26, 2022 at Grizzly Peak Winery and runs through April 3,2022.  The shows all commence at 4 pm, with a 15 minute intermission.  For more information, https://www.facebook.com/events/512645443750229/512645453750228?ref=newsfeed

All Is Well 2021 to 2022

 

The ending of a year brings both celebration and an intense pondering, even though in recent years the idea of resolutions are seen more as a mere joke than taken seriously.  For my part, I choose each month to create vision boards with the first one of the year a bit larger than the others.  The reality of it is that the ending of the year is a death, even as I write this out my office window swirls snowflakes falling on ground floor already covered with the cold white, that which was alive is now dormant preparing for the new life to come later in the year.  And so too, within we feel this ending, but such as in all aspects of life, with every ending, a new beginning.  The seasons of nature are also reflected within that of human nature.  

Way back to 2016, many chose to curse a year, waving their fists in the air in anger, even in recent times for me, where it became dark with the pain of losing a loved one felt too intense that I wanted to cry out in anger, I was met with the truth that birth and death, beginning and ending, are a part of life.  In every ending, there is a new beginning.  With the four beloved souls I have lost this year, Charlie Robinson from Night Court, Markie Post from Night Court, my dear childhood friend, Christina, and, of course, Cafe-Girl's queen forever, Catherine "The Rani" Hansen, I feel the message they sent from beyond not to berate a year for their passing, but to celebrate the love we shared together in our season.  With every death, there is a rebirth, for those that have departed as well as for us who see life beyond their passing.  Yet, even though they be absent in body, I feel them with me still, in a stronger, more poignant way, which leaves me to truly believe that 'death is not an ending, but a shift in the relationship.'  A new season of life is starting with the passing of the old.

That being said, I also want to touch on the inner reasoning behind the anger at the pitfalls that have come, seemingly so much, in the last few years.  Yes, so many curse the years and trending on twitter is the "FU" to the year while John Oliver blows it up on TV, and again, with all the tumult both politically, socially, physically, many seek to cling to some form of knowing, yet it is in these ever changing times that we cannot ever truly know, try as we might.  Thus, the fighting emerges with one another over what is correct and what is incorrect, yet there truly is no knowing.  Embrace the blessed uncertainty, my friends, for with this we find the ability to experience life in all its fullness, through the lens of a childlike sense, not getting bogged down by the horrors, but realizing into each season, tears will fall yet joy shall return.  I admit I do fall prey to the worry and anxiety of the heart, feel myself wanting to rail against that which I cannot control, yet I believe we are all here on this planet to transform, evolve, and to help others do so.  

With that meaning, as you travel into 2022, take with you, dear heart, that truly All Is Well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS3L2R8ugYI  

All is well that ends well
And in the end I'll be with You I know
All is well that ends well
And so all is well with my soul