Jellyfishing
I was out of sorts, which was to say my sorts and I were far from each other. While my body and mind were on a family vacation in Florida, soaking up the sun and fun our winter weary selves desperately needed, my spirit was not content to remain with us. It had important tasks to accomplish back on the home front, and was quite put out with the other parts not being where it felt we all needed to be.
Short of incapacitation, it made its requests known in the physical realm, which the other parts ignored, and pushed stubbornly passed. Did I mention I was desperate to feel sand under my bare feet, and be kissed by a warm breeze?
Our friend Darrell Kinder coined the phrase "being the mindless jellyfish in the ocean of life". To go with the flow, wherever the ocean tides deem to send you, no worries, attitude or deadlines. Non-resistance in all life's circumstances, riding the Mushen wave, mind-no-mind, just be. The only jellyfish I encountered were the dead and bloated kind on the beach. That was pretty much a telling clue my inner jellyfish needed some spiritual H2O.
Soon after rising the following morning, I let my guys fend for themselves as I went in search of inner nourishment. A place found in the phone book looked promising. Not knowing an area never deterred me before, so off I ventured, map in hand. Forty-five minutes and miles from point zero later, I abandoned the search. Still feeling that familiar persistent urge that spirit uses to guide me along the path, I set out again the next morning, in the opposite direction. Sometimes you just need to do that.
Naples, I had thought, was not a metaphysically minded community. Billionaires, movie stars, and mansions are the surface layer of this domain. As I passed shoppe after boutique, after fancy coffee house I was beginning to get discouraged. But, then my spidey-senses began tingling! Like a jewel among mere stones- The Lavender Rose. A sweet little metaphysical shop calling my name!
I drank in the welcoming essence as I walked through the door. Announcing my presence with a hearty "I'm home!", gave the house cat and the employee hearty laughs. They knew how I felt exactly, as we had instant connection at the soul level. It truly takes one to know one, doesn't it?
The visit lasted a swift hour. The owner and a few regulars dropped
in, and we easily communed. As I was preparing to leave, an embroidered pillow caught my eye. "Everything I do is profoundly fulfilling" was its timely message. For the first time in days, I felt in one piece, which is to say I had some peace. I felt refreshed, enlivened, renewed, as only good fellowship of like sorts can do.
On the return trip home, I learned my dear Aunt Arlene died. I missed saying goodbye in the physical. In some way, I believe my body and mind could not handle seeing her in such pain that the late stages of lung cancer causes, and got me far away. My spirit, however, was there with her the whole time, comforting and aiding her crossing. Trusting the intelligence of all my parts, I know it happened the best way it could. I am grateful for the gift of this lesson.
A week later my husband and I participated in the Race For The Cure Breast Cancer Walk in Detroit. Aunt Arlene and Grandpa Arleigh had cancer of a different kind, I wrote their names on a "in memory of" card anyway, and wore it on my back. They, along with Gramma Dorothy walked with us. I was overwhelmed by their love, joy, and happiness to take part, if only on the astral plane, in this great event. It was profoundly fulfilling.
I dug out my beanie baby jellyfish Goochie, who along with my pillow accompany me to work each day. Recently, my husband Art has taken Goochie to visit his work cube. Sometimes, we just need a physical reminder of how our inner selves should be, so we can reflect it outward in body and mind. Spirit, however, is there all the time, jellyfishin'.
