Happy Friday, House of Shine!
This isn't our normal course of action but I just decided this could not wait for a morning post so I'm writing it over lunch and I'm posting mid-afternoon.
Earlier this year, in my quest for finding love, I was guided to author, Arielle Ford, and her book The Soulmate Secret. After I read her book, I saw that she was going to be in the DFW area and I went to hear her speak. Then, she was co-host of The Soulmate Summit where 20 plus relationship experts shared an hour of their time passing on wisdom of relationships.
I credit her with giving me the inner peace and confidence that I needed to help my Year of Love be a successful one. I signed up for emails and this video is what I received today.
In light of Claudia's low this week, this gives me even more hope that our teen girl has a life of success in front of her. There is failure and success in all of us.
And, while I'm chatting about Arielle Ford, I'll just share with anyone that is interested that she is hosting another free online teleseminar starting next Tuesday, November 1st. It's called the Love Summit: The Art of Love. Discover the Keys to Deep Connection, Souful Passion & Lasting Love. It can be cumbersome to try to listen to all of it so if you choose to particpate just know that you'll benefit from as little or as much as you are able to listen to. Try to listen to Pat Allen though. She's a hoot!
Okay. Happy Friday! Happy Halloween! Happy October! Happy Fall! I love ya!
Signing off until...
I was walking home from a park one afternoon and by the time I spotted the letter (wedged behind a telephone poll) I was already passed it. Briefly I did a double take, but decided it was probably garbage and kept on walking.
Later in the week I took another walk and remembered the notebook paper I had seen days earlier. I made a deal with myself that if the letter was still there I would pick it up - that I must be seeing it for a reason. A fated meeting of sorts.
And, it was still there. All fourteen handwritten pages.
But, this post is not about Shine.
In fact, this post is a sad, sad post about what happens when people - parents and kids alike - do not understand the importance of Shine; when parents do not cultivate in their children a belief that each of us is uniquely good at something and when kids do not feel driven to discover what that contribution is.
The letter, written to her boyfriend, is the story of a teenage girl who sadly enough could be living in any one of our neighborhoods.
It tells of drugs
illicit sex being had in the homes of she and her boyfriend.
Pregnancy
Cutting
Thoughts of suicide
Appointments with her counselor
Rage, and
Self loathing.
By the time I got home I was overcome with sadness and the only thing I could do was sit at my kitchen table wondering...
Who was this young girl and how was it possible that she was so far adrift? Wouldn't it have been just five or six years earlier that she was collecting stickers and begging her mom for enough money to buy something at Claire's?
How at 16 or 17 years old is this girl already so bored (or jaded) that sex, drugs, and a knowingly unhealthy relationship can seem like viable ways to spend time?
And, selfishly, how in the world do I instill in my boys a sense of purpose that is strong enough to protect them from the complexities and angst of being a young person in today's world?
Maybe now you understand why finding this letter was my "low" for the month.
I have no answers. But, in an attempt to makes sense of the senseless and to restore some sense of control over my children's future, I choose to believe in the power of Shine.
I choose to believe, by helping my boys discover and cultivate their talents (shine), that I can replace a sense of hopelessness with a sense of purpose. And by introducing my boys to the joys of spreading shine, that they will have enough to live for that they will be spared of such sadness and desperation.
Today I feel sad all over again for the young woman who wrote the letter and for the mother and father who 17 years ago imagined it would all be so different.
That's my low.
If it makes you feel any better, I still have tubs of Halloween decorations sitting on the floor of my garage waiting...
hoping...
praying...
to see the light of day before Halloween has completely come and gone.
Maybe next year.
The Halloween "season" has not happened in full Beeny-form this year. Nonetheless, we still managed to:
Boo houses
bake
and visit the pumpkin patch a couple of times.
All is not lost.
The same is true of our websites monthly ritual - High, Low, and Aha.
It might be 8 days late, but all is not lost.
And, despite the fact that we are running late, we will still make newcomers feel comfortable by taking a second to explain what we are doing.
On the 18th day of each month, members of our community share highlights from the past month. It is our way of staying plugged into one another's lives.
To keep it simple, we ask that you use our framework. I'll demonstrate and then you head over to the Comment Section and jump right in. Here it is:
Highs: Fun trips; reconnecting with friends in Louisville (and elsewhere); progress on my website; giving lots of treats; new work opportunities; cooler weather; and watching my boys grow up.
Lows: My biggest low came by way of a letter I found on a walk home one afternoon. Tune in tomorrow to hear more.
Aha: My son told me the other day that Alaska is considered a desert, because of the minimal rainfall it receives each year. I haven't made time to verify wether he is correct, but if he is... Aha! I didn't know that. I have always associated deserts with hot climates. Silly, I know.
Your turn.
Shining off until...