A Time to Just Be

On May 22, 2020 By Moments with MillieIn Essay1 Comment

A friend contacted me today. We hadn’t spoken since February. She’s an amazing writer, artist and creator of so many things. She explained that she hasn’t been able to create anything since the virus took over our lives.

Zilch. Not a painting. Not a poem. Not a post. No photographs. Nada.

I listened while a herd of children were being menaces in the background. I heard her. I felt her disappointment and frustration. She said that to have been gifted all this time and not create feels like she’s failed the Universe in some way. Somehow she’s got shame.

I suggested that perhaps this time was not about being creative for her. But, it was about just being. Not keeping busy. It was about allowing healing to come through. And the healing didn’t want to transpire into creativity.

There was silence on her end. Even my children were quiet and I found myself breathing the space in between here and there. I found myself channeling that energy of just being. Exactly what I was expressing to her.

I feel that so many have felt disappointed because they didn’t create music, wrote a novel, painted oil on canvas or anything else that was expressed as “if I just had a month off I would do this and that….”

The collective has been so chaotic energetically. Trauma has been a huge theme and many have had to purge old programming. Creativity arrives from a place of divine guidance and if we have been bathed and consumed in heaviness there is little that would come through. The creative process needs sparks of positivity. It needs to rise from ease.

There is time for creativity. There is time for prayers and contemplation. I have had very little energy to create so I get it. But I have been able to do other things. We cannot push what’s not here at this time. We cannot feel guilty for ego scolding us for not doing more. We cannot do what we cannot do while merely living through the most radical times of our lives.

Please forgive yourself for your muses not helping you create. Forgive yourself in thinking you have slacked off on some precious chunk of time; For coming out of quarantine with nothing to show except long gray hair and extra body weight. You don’t have to feel bad about anything because you are still here on this world. You are one of the lucky ones.

Let’s honor ourselves for all that we’ve done or not done the last few months. There may be time tomorrow, or whenever. Love yourself enough to just let go of all expectations. Take this time to manifest a new beginning. May you accept what is and let go of what isn’t.

I love you. And, for those who have done magical things during this time my hat goes off to you. Bravo!

A Divine Present

On January 18, 2017January 17, 2017 By Moments with MillieIn Poetry15 Comments

It comes,
unexpectedly,
like a tornado
with words crashing
against
my brain.

There is no safety.
No net.
No prelude.
No warning.

Every aspect of my spirit
gets poured
onto a page with
a surprise of knowledge,
a magical gift —

from somewhere else,
some mystical wisdom.

And I let it flow,
taking forward everything in its path,
with dry rain
of words,
of me,
of an incomplete life…

wrapped in divinity.

Ageless Soul

On March 17, 2016March 17, 2016 By Moments with MillieIn Essay8 Comments

I have in my possession a few things older than me: my grandmother’s Italian espresso maker, her wedding dishes from Germany, an original Geisha Japanese doll from a century ago, and photo slides of times before I was even conceived. I am sure there are other items in my care that are older than my human 47 years. But, the oldest thing that I have is my soul. It is ageless. It has arrived here willingly accepting the ignorant, stubborn, difficult, and silliness of my humanness to travel in this incarnation. This soul has decided to witness the manipulations, rejections, and lessons of my personality while sitting back and waiting for me to acknowledge truth. This soul has guided me in moments that I felt were my last, and in other moments that have birthed me with new knowledge and awareness. Because of this I know my soul is ageless, timeless and priceless.

Whenever I look at my hands they feel like the oldest things I own because of the wear and tear they have endured. They have touched, caressed, and loved deeply. But, still they aren’t the oldest things in me. My soul knows secrets that go beyond my age and experiences. When I allow the openness to lead the way, magic is created. That’s intuition! It happens through synchronicity and serendipity…or is it a prearranged destiny that I am finally aligning to it?

We arrive into this world with amnesia. We forget the reason we are here and what needs to be done. We travel unconscious and erratic while waiting for someone to explain the meaning of our lives. When we begin to honor the authenticity of spirit the soul starts to show us truth. We begin to meet the teachers along the way. Events, circumstances and the depth of life proceed to show us the reason for our existence. It doesn’t happen quickly. It arrives through small moments, conversations, listening and tasting the simple things around us. It comes through the whispers of prayer, meditation and creativity.

Whether you believe in past lives, reincarnation, or other metaphysical subjects, there is an understanding that our souls are much older than our bodies. I know things that make no sense to me. I have no clue where the information has arrived into my brain. And, because I sometimes have little filtering the words shoot out before I can analyze and retrieve them. This is when I witness firsthand the vastness of my soul, the ageless miracle of spirit. The unknown makes its presence known and connects to another soul. It is mystical!

Have you thought about the age of your soul: the weight of its knowledge; the size of its information; the connections to those around you; the lessons it wants to teach you? They are beautiful and awed-stricken thoughts. If, and when, we let go of the idea that we have control, the soul flourishes. It blossoms and appreciates the awareness of ego finally letting go. It teaches you faith, belief, hope, and grace. Your soul, my soul, every soul, is here to learn, love, and experience life to the fullest. It comes in with obliviousness and slowly starts to remember its purpose through the whispers of the heart. We begin to remember what we were programmed to forget through society. Surrender to your yearning. Listen closely. Be present. Follow your intuition. It is there that the soul smiles and claims its presence while guiding you to the greatness of your evolution.
“Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard.” ~ Anne Sexton

Plan to be Surprised

On December 3, 2014 By Moments with MillieIn Poetry6 Comments

Accept me into you

as a random act

of the universe

picking us

to meet again,

magnetically connecting

this time around.

Let me in

and plan to be surprised

by what is and isn’t explained

because it goes beyond this place,

this dimension,

that expects answers

when there aren’t any.

This is the mystery of souls gathering

returning to their homes,

without avoidance, rejection,

or judgment.

Don’t question the excitement,

the giddiness via serendipity,

and embrace the miracle.

Take me to that place

you came and went

without hesitation

through the mysticism

of finding me,

once more,

in love with you.

The Nature of Patience

On November 1, 2014 By Moments with MillieIn Essay18 Comments

There are mornings I wake hearing the earth stretching and yawning. I sit on my sofa staring out the glass doors onto the pond, the backdrop of mountains and valley hearing a slight reaching and adjusting of nature. It doesn’t happen every day. But, when I witness this softness, endless gratitude of earth, sky and water I find a sense of serenity beyond anything else in my life. I find Spirit sitting with me and allowing me to reach a place of awareness that is unlike anything else.

This morning we woke to snow and the purity of a landscape exhaling the colors of fall. I don’t know why snow always reminds me of patience. I guess it’s the whiteness, the serenity of it all waiting on the surface to be melted. I am reminded again of slowing down. We are constantly rushing, moving, in a chaos that from the Heavens must look like an ant farm. The earth doesn’t ask permission to sit, rest and enjoy the breeze…it just does it. Nature doesn’t question unworthiness, loneliness, isolation or anger. It loves her presence in her space. Nature is compassion and patience and love all embodied in Spirit.

Storms come and go. The snow pours and melts. Autumn changes and falls. It is all an easy willingness and an acceptance of nature. Nothing happens without a reason, and the earth welcomes each movement with respect and patience. There is so much there to be admired and learned from each particle of existence. And, today is a beautiful reminder, with the first snow fall, that it’s time to let go and appreciate the softness of it all. It’s time to move through the unknown and allow things to fall as they must just like the snow. There’s no need to push, pull or resist.

It is so easy to forget where we are and where we are going while traveling in our lives. It is impossible at times to embrace the moment and breathe in. Even if you don’t live by the ocean, or the countryside, or even the mountains, you have to find a balance in a place to make room for nature. Whether it is walking to a park, or sitting outside for a little bit, you have to sit in the vastness of this world. Once you are centered with it you can see the perspective of your own existence and dwelling. Things start to slow down, shift and make ground for the next chapter. Have a moment to witness God’s magnificent creativity in our world.

Welcome your day with gratitude, a prayer, a cup of java and the presence of your amazing soul. “Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Re-creation of Self

On January 25, 2013March 10, 2013 By Moments with MillieIn Poetry20 Comments

I heard a voice through

the walls of night ask,

“What is your

contribution in this life…

today, tomorrow, always?”
So I went out
into the rain,
meeting Spirit,
in the middle
of a field,
embracing droplets
from the sky,
allowing the

clarifying,

washing,

diluting of
ideas, demands, and perception.
We met there in all of life,
in the joyous drenches,
releasing the past
and transporting me

back to childhood,
to what was momentous
in retrieving my innocence.
I heard once again,

“I will hold your hand

as you free all restraints

of ego and self-doubt.”

Then I realized…

we’ve met here before
in every moment of letting go,

accepting,

forgiving,

and loving.

And now, we engage in

the rain to erase

all adjectives,

prepositions,

and verbs

while only affirming

the pronoun-creation

of “I am.”

I See Love Everywhere

On November 29, 2012 By Moments with MillieIn Essay9 Comments

I have a fascination with anything heart-shaped created in nature. I collect heart-shaped rocks and pebbles. I marvel at their simple beauty. I am also a hopeless romantic. I believe that there is a genuine amount of love still available in this world. I love inspiring quotes and words that make my heart sing, laugh and stop a second to take in. Because of this I created a facebook page called I See Love Everywhere: http://www.facebook.com/ISeeLoveEverywhere.

This page is for all of you, for anyone who cares to post pictures of heart-shaped things in nature such as leaves, clouds, rocks, trees, etc. If you want to share inspirational quotes regarding these things, it is also welcomed. For all you wonderful photographers, copyright your work and post it here as well.

We all need a little inspiration during our days. Life can be chaotic. Anything that can make us step back and smile is delightful. I hope you will join me in this community of hearts and love…(I sound like a 1960’s hippie don’t I?). Nonetheless, the page is there for everyone.

Much love to you and I look forward to enjoying the amount of creativity out there. I am inspired daily by the awed-stricken gifts from our world. May you find a little magic as well!

Millie

Trailing to the Future

On March 26, 2012 By Moments with MillieIn EssayLeave a comment

I now live my life with a simple basis of letting go. Those who live in the past seem to limit their future by trying to control it. Whenever I have a moment or circumstances and situations where something from the past comes up, I ask myself what did I not learn back there? That’s about the only time nowadays that I allow myself to live in the past. I try to be conscious of repeating patterns so I can get the lesson and move on.

My future is beautiful. I have little control of what will happen but I do work on visualization and intentions and all those techniques that so many teachers talk about. I have a journal that I paste things in: pictures, quotes, drawings, and anything that inspires me to get to my dream or goal. I write in that book my intentions as if they are already in the present. All the future has to do is try to align with them.

It takes way too much energy to live in the past when there is absolutely nothing that can be done in order to change it. Remorse, anger, disappointment, sorrow, pain, and any other emotion that is being piggy-backed does no good. Unless you find a genie in a bottle or a time machine I truly believe your best option is to let it go and live in the now. Start creating the dreams for the future. And, always remember that you can do anything you want when your thoughts and belief are aligned.

The Natives are Here

On March 15, 2012 By Moments with MillieIn Essay2 Comments

As I write this I sit comfortably on a seat in a corner table inside of Starbucks near Downtown Asheville. Jazz music is playing on the store speakers and the wonderful people of this town parade in and out with complacent self-esteem. There is a peaceful quality to the natives here. They aren’t in any rush to get anywhere. The way they aspire through their fashion flair speaks volumes of their grounding energy. This place exudes a sense of self and individuality I haven’t witness in many places. Even the workers – “baristas” take their time with passing eloquence as they prepare each cup of java or tea. It seems it is all in the art of allowing the moment to take its course, rather than pushing and shoving it with resistance. The people are just like the brewing of coffee or tea…they take their time in the “now” without truly rushing the process. It’s all in the comfort of ease. The rhythm seems to move to the jazz music – a melody that dances throughout the streets of Asheville.

I can’t remember the exact moment I felt at home in this little gem of a town. The first time we came was May 3, 2010. Two months later we were living up here. I think it was immediate. We came into downtown to eat while staying at the motel we now own. I never seem to fit anywhere other than the country side of Ireland. Here I felt that sense of finding my ground again. I now joke that I am a high-class hippie: I like showers, perfume, heels and indoor comfort. But a part of me has acquired that demeanor of “whatever ” (on most days). It’s difficult for family and friends to understand since they knew me before I became a native to this magical land. I have been countryfied.

Asheville is composed of people who have come to visit and found themselves being called to move here. It’s magnetic. There is a sense of belonging, loving, and nurturing in this earthly civilization. These natives know that this is the real world. Everything out there is not! But then again Western North Carolina is mystical with all the natural elements of mountains and waterfalls.

I hope you come here, if you haven’t already, and witness firsthand the love from this deeply rooted community I get to call home. It’s not just the arts or nature. It is the people that draw you in with their welcoming smiles. Asheville is definitely a happy place!