Category Archives: Stuff that Makes You Feel Good

House of Angels

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There is life and there is death. This is somewhere in between.

The energy one feels upon walking in the Hacienda de Los Angeles is both heavy with circumstance, yet unashamedly light with hope. Ninety three individuals range in age from young children to older adults; ninety three suffer from some type of medical, physical or intellectual impairments, ninety three whose care needs have been too much for other facilities to endure, ninety three souls spending the rest of their days at the Hacienda de Los Angeles.

The majority of the residents suffer from severe brain trauma caused by a number of things, could be near drownings, born of drug addicted mothers, or victims of a violent crime. The ability to communicate, if any, is limited among the patients. Some blink an eye to confirm, some just smile, some nothing at all. Attempting to connect with a resident, whose only response is a blinking stare, is a profound moment of understanding how deeply we desire to communicate as humans.

There’s an emotional reaction that comes with the response unmet, and you suddenly find yourself wanting so badly to know they hear you, know you’re there, and that you care. You’re suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to let them know their life matters; while simultaneously being hit with the realization of just how much everyone’s does. Their life, in a body and mind almost completely shut down, still has the power to influence people’s days, outlook, energy and perspective. The magnitude of this experience is understood when one realizes how any breathing, living individual still encompasses the ability to change people’s lives.

Then, there’s your angel. Anyone who’s visited the house will tell you their name, because they each met them. It’s the one who catches your eye as soon as you walk into the room. It’s automatic, as if you’ve been preassigned to them before you even walk through the front door. It’s the one you stay with the longest. It’s the one you don’t want to leave, and your heart hurts when you finally do. They stay with you long after you’re gone; and the emotion of your time with them you recall as quickly as you can their face. In those brief moments you spent with them, they taught you something about life and death. They taught you something about yourself. They reminded you of how much you matter to this world, how much everyone does. They did it all without saying a word. They are your angel and they stay with you, guiding you through the dark days, long after your visit.

…what a befitting gift to receive upon a visit to the House of Angels.

Hacienda de Los Angeles is located at 1402 East South Mountain Ave, Phoenix AZ 85042

Change

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One of the simple beauties of life is that there are no constants.  We move through a kaleidoscope of events that allow us to see an end, and in turn, thrust us forward to a new beginning. Like tiny little bookmarks the events that shape our lives allow us time to pause, breath and truly feel. Sometimes the excitement of the new beginning carries us in its buoyancy, and sometimes the end of an era overwhelms our joy as  it’s ragged last few breaths rip through us in its separation.

But sooner or later, like spring after a long winter, the smell of hope, and joy in anticipation start to give us reason to believe…believe that what lies ahead will be greater than what we have left, or what’s left us.  It’s the ambiguity of not knowing the way the road will go is what gives us solace and eventually we start driving again – taking life’s hands back off the wheel and again putting on our own- as we set out with eyes focused and heart determined to seek a brighter day. One that will lend us the light to see our way through the next transition.

The importance of this process lies in our understanding that what lies behind us, the people, the events, are always with us- because they have become a part of us.  We carry them on our journey and instead of losing energy in our separation, these past experiences instead provide us fortitude and grace, making us stronger with each new twist and turn the road takes.

The Giving Tree ~Perspective

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The book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, is about a relationship between a tree and a young boy. The tree has a love for the boy that knows no end and gives the boy whatever he wants; apples to eat, shade to sit under and a swing to play on. Ultimately, out of his endless love for him, the tree allows the boy to chop down the tree entirely so he can use the wood to build a boat and sail away, leaving the tree just a stump. Years later the boy returns as an old man, and the tree says to him ‘I have nothing left to give’. The old man replies that a quiet place to sit was all he needed.

It’s a story of the undying love the tree has for the man the entirety of his life. Over the years there have been many interpretations of whether the boy was too selfish, the tree too giving and whether either of those led to an ending that should have been happier.

There are an abundance of lessons and controversies within The Giving Tree, just as there seemingly is within most acts of goodwill and service in everyday life. The Dali Lama is criticized for being politically driven, leaders of non-profits are seen as too needy, companies incorporating Green practices are seen as doing it only for marketing purposes, and those that choose to quit their life here in the US to go work for children in Africa are criticized for not staying in the US and taking care of our children here. It’s almost as we’ve become so cynical, that every good deed must have an ill-intended motivation behind it. Why do we seek out every possible negative result born of every good intention? I.e., if the tree hadn’t given so much the boy wouldn’t have become so selfish.

We must do what we can, with what we have, to do the best we can for the people around us. Maybe that’s for our children, maybe it’s for our community or maybe it’s for the world. There is a grace and gratitude one must maintain when receiving, let us also hold the same in our hearts towards the giver. Though certainly not perfect it’s because of them we have a cool shade to sit under, apples to eat and swings to play on- and for that the world is a much, much better place.