Rozie Wondered….

 

It sounded like things could be pretty normal, except for the “ show me your papers” Rozie wondered if it was all part of some creeping conditioning, she thought it was creepy conditioning. Lock down, lock up, lock step, locked out….so many locks…how was this anything to do with freedom.

What’s wrong?

 That’s the thing, so many things make us afraid, and when it’s common to be part of  “selfie” culture it’s easy for those two things to combine with devastating results. Makes it all the more important to practice love and compassion for self, for neighbours, for the big wide world….Where possible, step back from the drama… and lovingly and rationally question everything. “ perfect love casts out fear” Rozie wondered how much love she really had…as she found it so easy to be afraid.

When the going gets tough….

 

Rozie wondered about if the going gets tough, where the tough get going too…

And is it about being tough anyway…is it just a convenient phrase.

There are many convenient phrases that may sound positive, practical and kind of wise, like

“ we’re all in this together”

“ staying apart keeps us together”

“Do as I do not as I say”

But Rozie wondered ….what’s tough, at the moment…seems to be economics, mental health, general health, relationships of all varieties, communication and education.

Pretty much all areas of life seem to be under a long shadow and many see the gathering storm clouds.

If you want to be tough…thick skinned, able to fight forward despite the odds,fight for what’s right,get through the imminent disaster…if you want to get through what’s tough…

You’re going to have connection of some sort, fellow human or the higher power, something beyond yourself. Don’t think you have a hope of doing it alone….really.

Maybe for a symbolic moment…. Think shopping bag man in Tianenmin square…( does anyone know what happened to that man?….as in did he keep going? )

When the going gets tough….it’s  a case of standing your ground, standing up, just standing.

“ when you have done all else stand”

Rozie wondered how she’d stand… when the going got tough….if it came to a “ shopping bag moment”she wondered if it would be possible at all….with the dodgy knee.

To keep going you’re going to need a miracle or two….help from the unseen…(think Angels.)

Makes you wonder if being tough is really going to cut it.

I’ve got a swinging brick.....

 Just a reflection on the current events....

I once had a neighbour, who reflected on some negative male behaviour ....and allegedly announced...she had a model for some “ testosterone therapy “ ....( think responding to the ....big swinging dicks....)

She declared she had “ two swinging bricks”

Makes your eyes water.....however looking for an even playing field.

Consider marching on Monday ladies....

Enough is enough!

The moral compass ...

Rozie looked for direction, she wanted a compass, she decided it would be wonderful to have a moral compass that when you held it out it pointed your heart in the direction it should go.

What happened to the moral compass, how come so many people seemed to have lost their way when it came to looking after the interests of others?

It seemed that most people had a self interest compass which pointed to them, the "all about me compass".

And All The While Despite Storms...

Sleep in sweet repose with the soft and gentle
 protection
 of the great unseen

The Handy Elephant Badge...

You could print off two and stitch them together
 as a handy finger puppet..
or just make a badge,
either way they're sure to come in handy...

Remember...

Whenever you get the chance.
Whenever there's there's that little space
between what's happening and what's coming next...

Remember to breathe...

Breathe in love, peace, calm.

Remember that in this life, we're learning to live.
This is meant to be, that the things you need will come to you.

Let go of fear, control and negativity...
Find the balance in the present.

Remember to live in the moment...

People are more important than things...

Moments are all we ever have.

Look for good and believe that
good things are what it's all about in the end.

Also remember that it's never the end.

There's going to be so much to get on with...

We are all connected, we share now and forever
in some complicated, mysterious way.

Building Bridges, Crossing Bridges, Burning Bridges...

Which bridge am I willing to burn
in order to cross the one that leads to more connection and deeper meaning.
A bridge built on the foundations of freedom and trust,
where the constants are relax and enjoy
and the only rules are to aid and abet.

The bridge to burn has many names, like security, fear, self doubt, judgementalism,
expectation and whatever its called when you build
strong high walls of protection around yourself.

I long to cross over to a place where it's possible to experience
relationship/connection at a deeper level.

Where the connections are like strong invisible threads that hold lovely things close.
Where it's possible to share a comfortable space that's on one hand
close enough to be invasive, but feels like meant to be.

Where the distance is measured by a heartbeat or the space between
lips nuzzling your neck or hands and fingers that easily entwine,
which is no space at all.

Where being together is something that's headed somewhere in an
exciting and engaging way, which has a certain flow.

Where there's a sense that the journey is as important as the destination
yet there's still anticipation for those magic moments when
your universes collide and for a fleeting moment you have the deep sense
of having really been together.

Going Mad...

I'm wondering about going mad,
and I'm actually thinking at this moment that it's a beautiful thing.

I'm in the clouds...(Flying home)
I'm in-between two quiet men.
One's reading "man fiction" and one's reading about emotional intelligence,
how to get the best of things.

I'm thinking about life and quietly weeping.
I'm thinking about going mad.

It's your minds way of coping with the difficulties life sends you...
It's trying to make sense of things that don't make sense.

I'm thinking about people, about family and babies and how lovely and precious they are
I'm thinking about gratefulness.

This is all happening amid the roar of the engines, the thick blanket of cloud
and the cold air from the overhead duct.

It's funny, jammed in here its a very public/private space,
and we're all literally "up in the air".

I'm thinking it's ok to be old, funny incapable, unable, disabled, dependant,
incomplete...mad.
It's ok, and somehow you're still you...

When you love someone you don't need them to be capable, you just want them to be there,
you want to remember...you want to have a lot to remember.

You don't always know that you love people so much.
It takes something to open your eyes...
Your heart's been open all along.

These are some thoughts that I penned on the flight home from visiting mum earlier in the year.
She was in hospital as a result of being in the last stages of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
The situation at times was surreal, and she seemed to literally be between two worlds.
Thinking of endings is sometimes frightening we want to avoid it rather than embrace it. 
It all made me think...about life, death, love, loss and going mad.
In the end I thought it was ok...not easy but ok.

Rozie Ponders....

When it came to negotiating romantic relationships
and their potential outcomes...

Rozie wondered about the sizzle and the fizzle.

Did one always lead to the other?

The Blow Up Elephant...

The inflatable elephant...
it comes with a foot pump... so you can quietly inflate away
 when you want to highlight the "unmentionable".

For when you know the topic's going to be huge,
 and the pop up just won't cut it!.

More From BB.....

Big Bird...

It was something to do with waiting.
A kind of patience, or coming to a place where you can actually wait.
Not fussing, not edgy, just waiting,
When it's like that you get space to question
and evaluate what you want and what it means...what's really going on.
It takes a while...but that's what happens ultimately.

That's My Schtick....

Or what's my schtick...
For Rozie that was the big question.

What was she on about?
What were her defining qualities?
Was it action or opinion?.
She could often pick up on someone elses schtick...
but did she know her own schtick?

Saying Goodbye To Mum...

This is the way I remember her in my minds eye,
it's an older version of her "classic look".

She still holds that slightly cheeky playful side close to the surface,
 but at the same time having a way of seeing through to the heart of the matter.

It's only a few years since there was a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease,
which was later paired devastatingly with Alzheimer's.

 This photograph reminds me of the start of that journey,
A journey whos' final destination mum reached last week.

She didn't travel alone,
the journey overlapped into the life of family and friends.

Many were able to visit her over the last months
having time for quiet goodbye's.

Dad was ever by her side, giving love and encouragement,
his love never wavered, he always saw her beauty inside and out.

She took comfort in small simple things something soft to cuddle,
and a hand to hold.

Dad read stories from their past,
favourite hymns and scriptures, which brought her comfort.

These photos were taken in the hospital before she was moved to the high care facility.



Until she came peacefully to her final rest, in the presence of family ,
and it's suspected... visitors from the other side
to welcome and guide her home.

Surrounded by a wealth of family, she was carried by grandchildren to her earthly resting place.

Where prayers were offered and encouragements given,
and of course songs were sung.

Despite the sadness there were times of laughter, as we remembered and celebrated a life well lived.

Thanks mum, you were the best...
lots of memories to treasure as our journey continues
on the road  you showed us how to travel.

I decided to share this part of my life in this way and in this space

because as I experience  the passing of a parent I realise that it involves plenty of 

"tension in the negative spaces" .

It's been an emotional time, with both laughter and tears.

A time for connecting and re connecting with family and friends.

There have been so many things to be grateful for, thoughtfulness and kindness thats been shown in so many ways, big and small.  

Thank you to everyone.