the dreaming Press.

stoke the fires of your *atlas* heart

A couple, {heck a few!} urgent things. I'll get to them most hurriedly, so you don't waste a single precious moment that you could be using to sign on for grand explorations and juicy adventures {that you so deserve}.

First, my friend Debbie wants to extend an invitation for you to go to INDIA.

Second,my beautiful blogging friend Lisa has a deadline to meet, so that she can go to MEXICO.

Third, my friend Tara is hostessing the best life-changing trip {trust me, I've done it}, to JORDAN.

Last,but certainly not least, I am taking a group of women through the Women's Travel Network to MOROCCO.

So, now with all of these updates your way...it's all up to you. Maybe it's time to pay it forward and give a little to see another realize the work of her dreams...or maybe it's that time to pack a suitcase with your camera, your journal and a couple of pairs of undies, sunscreen...and hit the road to realize your own sweeping and vast dreams.

I've prioritized the list according to time deadlines. Lisa will need your help within the next ten days. Debbie has room for you up until tomorrow only.

The other two are very important, but can be discussed in another upcoming post real soon. If I were you I'd head over to see the INDIA and MEXICO links first. Thanks friends, fellow adventurers and loving hearts. You are all cherished, deeply, each of you. xo

p.s. photo of the lovely blue doorway taken from a bumbling yet speeding van in the Middle East while driving along sharing cups of hot nuts and listening to this or something like it...in March 2010

reach for new heights~

 

 Christine Mason Miller's bejewelled wrist & graceful hand. Photo taken earlier this year in Petra, as part of Tara Bradford's Journey To Jordan photography trip.

These last couple of days my heart strings have been tugged on quite a bit.  I've welled up.  I've teared up.  I've sniffled a few times.  A few people have really cracked me open.  Wide open. I wish to thank them for that. They make me long to reach for new heights, stretch myself further, go the distance with my life. Read and see if you agree with me, I'm sure you will.

First, Relyn.  Relyn blogs at Come Sit By My Fire.  She posted a list of prudent advice for her daughter Sloane.  Go read it, you'll want to print it out and share it with your daughters, your sons, and your best friends.  Relyn has a warm heart and always blogs her personal truths.  She has been one of my biggest inspirations.

Second, a woman I don't even know.  At all.  But my mother knew her.  My friend Maithri knew her.  Here is her blog.  She recently passed on but left such a glowing legacy I had to share her with you.  She will gobsmack you with how richly she lived her life.  Go read, go cry.  Go be envious like I was.  Leave her space wanting to reach a little higher.  Thank you Tessa, for your inspirations.  I know your words will continue to ignite a living passion in others like wildfire.

Thirdly, and I say this with a lump in my throat.  Life is fleeting.  Life is beautiful.  Cherish those you love and hold them dear.  For it is but a blink in the twinkly night sky.  Blessed are we who have known the love of a most wonderful mother.  If you still have yours close, make sure you tell her how much she means to you today.

Okay, had to get that out there.  Life isn't always bowls of cherries ya know! If anyone has extra, or is feeling inspired to help, please check out my friend Maithri's organization to see where you fit in.  Who knows, I may bump into you in Swaziland one of these days.  Tessa donated proceeds from her art to PDI, it was a cause that touched her heart.

xoxo

Gillian

p.s. i love you :)

{an avocado, hot mustard, field greens, prosciutto} go where you are needed

 
The crushed Coke can.

The half-eaten PopTart.

What do these two things have in common? {Besides not being very poetic?}

Both of those aforementioned items grace my vehicle at this very moment.

The funny thing is, upon putting the van in park tonight in my driveway at 9:25pm, after having been up since 6:37am, the funny thing is I gave them a sideways look and then totally ignored them to come in the house and pour a glass of red wine.

My inner critic shrieking, "Go back! Get the can! The tart! Don't leave that trash in the car!"

Now I'm not sure what it is- is it more symptomatic of my life these days or just plain old disgusting-the fact that I even have Coke and Pop Tarts in my home?

Surely there is no flock of starlings alighting on my Coke can.  There is no deep sigh for the Pop Tart.

What there is however, is authenticity. 

I dig that so much. 

***

This evening, whilst shopping at 9pm for my supper {an avocado, hot mustard, field greens, prosciutto} a man wandered about the store (one of many solo males, no kidding! what is that? and me! ha ha!) in paint-stained dungarees, and a painters cap (love those).

He browsed as long as I did.  He picked things up.  He put things down.  He sighed.  He hummed, he thought deeply. 

I whipped around the store, thinking of this to buy, or that to get, or I really want this....

When I found my attention being inexplicably drawn back to this man every so often.  It was like he was a beacon, a lesson, a choice-point in my life.  This man, was put here specifically as a message for me. 

He was put here for me to learn how to exercise generosity; because you see he left without buying anything. 

There may be any number of reasons why he did that.

He could have lost his appetite.

He could be sad for a phone call he had with his wife earlier, that ended in a fight.

Or...

He could be broke.

Unable to afford even a small meal.

My wish this Thanksgiving (Happy Thanksgiving to my beautiful American friends) is for generosity to extend beyond donating money, or even food. My wish is for all of us to give, of ourselves. To simply go where you are needed and do what is needed for you to do, or say, or act upon...etc.

What should have occured was this: I should have had the wherewithall to approach this man and just ask him straight up.

What is wrong?

Do you need money?

Food?

A listening ear?

Every cell in my being told me something was wrong with this man.  Something needed fixing.  And yet. I ignored the feeling.  Kind of like I ignore the things I don't have the patience for or the time to deal with {uh...Coke can? Pop tart?}

And after all, are we not all just human? Yes.  But so are so many others who suffer.  What if your power to alleviate the suffering of another led that one to alleviate the suffering of just one more.  And so on.  Do you think that you could change the world? You could.  Indeed.  One good turn....you know the saying.

So think of your basic needs.  Are they met? Great! If not, would it thrill you to have a total stranger read your mind based on your demeanor and offer you a way out of that void? Methinks the answer is unequivocally YES.

Can I issue an informal challenge of sorts? Would you do me the favour next time the urge strikes you to help someone, would you do it? Then blog about it? I will too. xo

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Gandhi. {One heck of an amazing guy.}