| Stories |
CROSSES OF LAFAYETTE For further information, please email naturesdiva@comcast.net Or call 925-787-7117. Lafayette, California, 94549. Thank you. Presenting Artist: Connie English June 17th, Father's Day Cross Installed After Baika and I installed the cross, we met Fred, a Vietman vet from Sacramento. He said he loved the crosses and thanked us. He had been to the war memorial in Washington DC and this was just as moving for him. His nephew Johnny is now in this war, just left. We promised to keep him safe in our hearts for Fred. Later in the day I was interviewed for a documentary at the crosses. And elderly man showed up with a speaker and music and played taps while silently standing there. After it was over, he saluted, picked up his gear, and quietly drove off. It was very moving.June, 3rd, 2007 "Daughter" Cross Installed A few weeks ago I had a conversation with Nadia McCaffrey, about her 6 year old grandaughter, Janessa, who lost her father Patrick (3 years ago) in this war. This cross is therefore dedicated to Janessa, as her story inspired me to create a cross to represent "all" daughters; the parents of women soldiers, the women themselves and the daughters of soldiers killed in War. More Women Soldiers Dying in Iraq |
| Dear Nadia, I share my story with you as a means of encouragement, love, and support through the building and development of your center for the terminally ill. You build it and they will come! In 1980 I had a rather severe auto accident and as this car was approching mine, I had those few seconds, right before the crash, knowingI had a choice at that moment, and I chose life in the blink of an eye. I sensed a sigh which translated as 'good!' While recovering, and in great pain, I awoke one night to a voice message which spoke in a genderless pitch "Your work with the dying is not yet finished. "Center for Awakening." I always slept with paper and pencil by my side as I had thoughts during the night which I did not want to forget in the morning light. I sat up, wrote this message on a legal pad, and returned to sleep. The next morning I wondered what this writing meant/would mean. My plan was to move to North Carolina, however, being in a half body cast, I had doubts. Of strong will and absolutly sure my plan for a center where the dying could live out life, without charge, and served by an all volunteer staff, was my life work. The thought was first introduced when Elisabeth Kubler Ross gave me a loving swat on my lush back in 76 and said: "Your work is to start a Hospice." My reply was: "How do you spell that?" I started packing. I spent one year focusing only on the development of this center which was named: Center for Awakening. I lived in a small mountain house in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, an ideal setting for contemplation and exploration. One day I casually mentioned to one of the natives that I was looking for a piece of land. As nothing is coincidence, he had land to sell, off the mountain. They put me in the back of a pickup truck (still had the cast on) and off we went. The first area of this 66 acre tract was on a high rise surrounded by seven oak trees. As I stood there surveying the land in front of me, a "white rainbow"encercle it and I got all shivery and the eyes welled up. I asked how much he wanted and his price was exactly what the insurance company was paying me as a settlement for the accident. Being a city gal, I never thought to ask if there was electricity or water on the land. I knew there wasn't a road! No problem...I'll get all the "help"I need both financially and physically. The second voice message came months later when the well digger ask me to drill. I excused myself and went up to the hill with seven trees and asked for guidance. I received a clear picture...rocks and water gushing over them with the location clearly etched. Went back to the well driller and showed them where to start and they just smiled and in their North Carolina drawl said: "OK lady, if you say so." They had gone down two hundred feet and wanted to quit when I ask them to go a few more feet. Talk about a geyser! We hit a vein and had enough water for the whole community! i then applied for tax exempt status and wsa denied once because of a technicallity. The day we got our 501(c)(3) documents I came home from the post office sceetching and crying and vocalizing...happiness was getting recognized as a place that would serve humanity. Having never written a grant, I decided to call the Reynolds Foundation and ask for a grant application. Filling it out was a lesson in detail and a few weeks later I was invited for an interview. The man who interviewed me asked: "Is this your first grant writing? "Yes, I answered while I saw a smile come over his face. "Pretty bad?" "I can see and feel your passion for this project. We will get back to you by mail in the next two weeks." A month after that interview the Center was granted $66,000 (this was 1981-1982) for two guest rooms. At CFA we never referred to guests as patients...they were guests in my home. We then built onto my existing mobile home two large guest rooms. People came from near and far to offer their talents. Next another mobile home was brought in and this would be for the live-in volunteers. We then started refurbishing the old farm house where they housed cattle and pigs before the land was sold to us. This was an amazing project and when complited instead of flying a flag from the roof top, we hung a six foot butterfly on the front of the "Old house." As volunteers were coming and guests referrals were picking up (the next two years, I did all the care, twenty four hours a day) it became necessary for me to move out of "The Center" We then added our third mobile home. In 1984 someone came along and offered a "partenership"...we were looking for a spiritual base and I thought that "he"could provide just that. I turned the project to a group of volunteers. In hindsight, that is my only regret as the people and concept changed dramatically. Also, what was a country-based project now became city-based. The dying taught me how to live. I am greateful to each one I held and rocked through transition. Those I served served me in a way that cannot be described through language. The love you will feel, Nadia, will be greater then any passionate love based relationship. It is as though you have been given boundless energy and everytime you clean someone's bottom or brush someone's dentures or cradle a family member who finds it to difficult to let go, you will be given more blessings and more energy...thy cup will runneth over! Nadia , my dear one, keep focused, avoid all distractions, be absolutely sure how you wish to serve, and most of all, if you wish to be successful, listen to your guides and Angels as they will clear the path to you! With great love. Elizabeth Callari RN |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Motherinblack.org
| How Poor Are You? One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to a farm with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip? "It was great, Dad." "Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son. "So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them." The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are." Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have. Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends! "Life is too short and friends are too few." |