UBC Day 13 - Strangers in the Night

Written for: Ultimate Blogging Challenge,  Write Tribe,  BlogaddaWOW

Write Tribe - 
Strangers in the Night (my prompt) - to be written in 100 words

Blogadda WOW -  
Your post must contain the word Love and you have just 5 sentences to complete your story

Update - this is now a WOW post 

In times of sorrow you comfort me, in times of joy it's your face I see.

When I stumble and fall or when life sails by smoothly, it's your hands that lift and carry me safely.

When I am weary it's your shoulder I rest on and that gives me strength to keep moving on.

You are the Light of this world, the earth, the sky, the love that touches my heart and makes my soul fly.

If perchance we meet here you'll be a stranger in the night, for I only know you when you are out of sight.

image source: google images

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Postscript:
The Strangers In The Night prompt is taken from Frank Sinatra's song that just happens to be one of my favourites. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHuko5BCFzA

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Drop by my facebook page Suzy's Ilation and if any of your posts needs some tlc, add it to the goodwill thread there and I'll drop by and give it some love.


Warm Regards

   

Unexpected Priceless Treasure

Updated - It is a WOW post - check out others here

Written for:
The Write Tribe Treasure prompt
The letter U at ABC Wednesday
Blogadda WOW - Surprised

I'm not much of a gardener, but today the garden patch beckons. It is a brilliant day. Warm, not a cloud in the sky, a gentle breeze is blowing.  So gloves and spade in hand, ipod clipped to my shirt, I skip out to dig up that little corner and plant those seeds.

There seems to be a rhythm to my digging and for the first time I am actually enjoying the notion of gardening. There is heightened anticipation, as if I am onto something marvellous and a song in my heart, as if I am in flow with the Universe.

Then my spade strikes something hard. It won't budge. So I drop down on my knees and begin loosening up the dirt with my hands.  Quickly moving it aside, I find a little box, a little treasure chest.

I gently prise it out of the dirt and look at it in wonder. A part of me eager to open it a part of me hesitant at what I might find. Surprisingly for a treasure chest, there is no latch.  For an instance I think that's pretty odd but then shrug my shoulders and slowly lift the lid.

Wonder turns to astonishment as I am surprised to see a parcel with my name on it. It looks old like it had been buried in the chest for thousands of years. I untie the string and carefully remove the wrapping. Inside I find a piece of paper with a few lines scrawled across it.

For a fraction of a moment disappointment sinks in and then a thought comes into my head. Maybe these are clues to something and I love a puzzle! So I start to read:

"Forgiveness is not an action, it is a state of being"

"Happiness is not a pursuit, it is a state of being"

"Love is not something one gives or an emotion one feels, it is a state of being"

"Perfection is not something you strive for, you are already in a state of perfection"

"Peace cannot be found, it comes from total surrender"

"Total surrender cannot be piecemeal, it must be complete, all together, in every aspect of your life, in every moment of your life"

"And when you understand and know all of these, and when you dwell in them with every breath you take,
Then, and only then, you are Sat-Chit-Ananda 

(absolute truth, all pervading consciousness, bliss)

At first I frown, deep in thought and then my eyes light up for this is the message of the Universe and the essence of Spirit. And I read them again and again and again, and the meaning of each line takes shape at last. 

Oh what a treasure I have found. What a gift; unexpected, unimaginable, and infinitely priceless.

~x~

A few days ago I met up, over Christmas dinner, with some friends I hadn't met for years. Somehow I found myself sitting next to G and through our chit chat found that we are both on a similar spiritual path. The two of us got talking about the Universe and Spirit and G remarked that I looked different from the last time we met, like I was at complete peace with myself. We talked of forgiveness and love, of peace and joy, and many other things.

Over the next few days I pondered over our discussion and her remarks. And then one night, at that point when one is about to fall asleep, the words, written on that piece of paper in my story, came into my head. I've been analysing them these last few days, but that's for another day and other posts.

Then the "Treasure" prompt turns up at the Write Tribe, the letter U for ABC Wednesday, the Surprise prompt at Blogadda WOW and finally Jairam's guest post on Spirituality and Religion at Everyday Gyaan. And all of these collectively brought together my post today.

I am constantly amazed how the Universe brings together people who help each other on their spiritual paths, how it communicates with us and how it finds a way for us to spread its message. I am truly blessed. 

Wish you all a day when you find your treasure - the thing you desire the most.

Drop by and like my facebook page Suzy's Ilation and if one of your posts needs some tlc, add it to the goodwill thread there so I can drop by and give it some love.

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Warm Regards and many blessings


This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.

Write Tribe prompt - Imagine you were digging to the ground in the backyard of your new home to create a vegetable patch and  found a treasure chest.

 

Reticent Retinue

My 400th post ...

It was a cool Autumn day and Suzy stepped out of her office with a spring in her step. It had been a while since she had taken time off, but now her holidays had begun.

She breezed along the road lost in her thoughts of the upcoming trip and didn't notice that she came to the edge of the busy intersection where the pedestrian lights were clearly indicating that it was unsafe to cross. But her mind was on the holiday and like sheep she was ready to step out along with some other daring pedestrians.

But one thing she didn't know was that they were being watched.  

Somewhere behind her she heard the sound of voices "We must stop" rang out loud and clear. Her brain jerked back into the present, into reality and her foot stopped in mid air. Suzy took the step back onto the curb just as the car came hurtling down the road. Her heart was pounding, as if she had stepped forward, the car would have knocked her and sent her flying. She looked heavenward gratefully and sent a silent thank you to the ladies.

~x~

The above is a true story. I might not have been alive today if my loving and divine guides had not been watching over me. I am convinced that my ever watchful guardians made those ladies voice out the words that then jolted me back to the present. 

Every moment of our lives we are being watched by our guardians from the other side. They gently take care of us and guide us through life and when we inadvertently put our lives in danger, they swiftly step in and protect us.

Guidance comes to us in so many ways - through music, through the written words, through the spoken word, as thoughts, as visions. And undoubtedly the guidance comes in the most appropriate way as it did that day when all I suddenly heard was "stop" and luckily I did.

I am so grateful for my "reticent retinue" of guardians who watch over and take care of me. 

"On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone."  

~ Psalm 91:12

Also linking to the letter R at ABC Wednesday - I wrote this post with the letter R in mind only forgot that Q comes before R - had to hold out before I posted. Sigh - one of those days!

Warm Regards


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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda. We give out creative writing topics each weekend for Indian bloggers.

Rhymed Confusions Change Destinies

She said "Stay". He mistook it to be "Go away".

Suzy was waiting for the pressure cooker to whistle. And as she waited, her thoughts drifted back in time to a moment that perhaps changed her destiny.

Her first high school dance was coming up. There was so much excitement everywhere. She was a shy, quiet girl, chubby, awkward and timid. She wanted to go but didn't want to be the one who no one danced with. Tickets were selling fast and she still hadn't bought hers.

They were lining up for assembly, supervised by school prefects. Each class had 2 allocated. They were both standing near her. All was quiet, then she heard the dreaded, "Suzy, I hope you bought a ticket 'cos I've sold all of mine." Relief, tickets were sold out, she had an excuse not to go. Suzy shook her head. "Oh, he'll be sad if you don't come," she said, looking at him cheekily. Suzy glanced at him quickly and caught his eye. "I've kept one for you," he said quietly. Then a ticket shot out at her. How could she refuse? She took it slowly and muttered that she would pay for it the next day. He wouldn't take the money.

There they were, in the school hall, nervous 13 year olds, excited and scared. Suzy hid behind the girls in her class hoping no one would see her. And then she saw him, making his way towards them. She slowly inched behind the pillar praying, "Not me, please not me". He wove his way through the throng of classmates and then he stood in front of her. "Would you like to dance with me?" he asked softly.

They danced quietly, not a word was said. And then a slow number came on. They stood looking at each other for a few minutes. She had no idea what to do, but here he was, the boy of her dreams and she wished with all her heart they would keep dancing.

Her eyes held his. "Stay, please stay" she whispered silently in her head. He was confused. Was that excitement or fear he saw. Did she want him to stay or go? The questions went around in his head. He didn't want to scare her nor did he want to do anything that she didn't.

He didn't make a move. Suzy panicked. She looked around to gauge what the others were doing. His heart sank. That movement sent a signal to his brain. "She wants me to go", he thought. So quietly he backed off and moved away.

He never asked her to dance again. She watched him dance with one girl after another. Her heart sinking and wave after wave of sadness washing over her.

The cooker let off a shrill whistle and jolted her back to the present. But the sadness in her heart made it ache with renewed intensity. "I wanted him to stay, why did he go away", she thought despairingly.

Moments change destinies or do they?

The tragedy begins, not when there is misunderstanding about words, but when silence is not understood. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Do share some of your moments that seemed to alter the course of your destiny.

Warm Regards


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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda
The prompt
She said ____. He mistook it to be ____.
The words used in the blanks have to rhyme and your post should revolve around the confusion thus created as a result of the miscommunication.

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A Life Changing Moment

And before I knew it I had hit "send".

Sometimes life takes you on a journey you had never expected or even imagined.

About 10 years ago I worked for an organisation that prided itself that its staff were its biggest asset and often sponsored courses that were more life oriented rather than work oriented.

So I joined in one of these courses. I can't quite remember the name but it's objective was to align our lives to a path that would bring us the greatest joy.

Day 1: We all came into the class not knowing what to expect. JB stood in front of us and we had a nice easy first half hour introducing ourselves, not with the usual what's your name etc, but to share 1 unique thing that none of us knew about the other. That set the scene for a very unique and interesting course.

Crayons and paper were passed around that amused us greatly. It was like being back at kindergarten. Then JB asked us to draw a picture of the life we would like to have in 20 years time. Much like a free write, this was to be done without conscious thought, drawing from the heart. I was surprised at what I drew.

It wasn't a life of luxury or travelling or relaxing at a beach-front home, it was making a difference in the lives of people, bringing them joy and giving them an opportunity to live a great life. I was taken aback. My job was certainly not aligned to that and still isn't but I do believe that somehow I am on the path to get there.

Day 2: JB asked us to write one thing that we so wanted to do but for some reason never got around to doing. We had about 15 seconds to write that down - no time to think - it had to be spontaneous.

"Sponsor a child" were the words I wrote. I've been wanting to do this for many years but somehow that battle between mind and heart took place constantly and eventually the mind triumphed. But obviously the heart does not let go.

We were then asked to write the reasons why we hadn't done that 1 thing. So I wrote down my list and ended it with "What if circumstances change and I can't sponsor any more. Wouldn't that be detrimental to the child?".

JB smiled at me and asked me a profound question. "Can you help now?".

That one question has changed the course of my life. Being in the now - letting go of the past - going with the flow and with my heart, having faith and moving forward without fear, is now my blueprint for living.

Back at my desk I opened up the World Vision page for sponsoring a child. I typed up all the information. My heart was beating fast but I felt ecstatic, and strangely at peace, as if this was what I was meant to do all along.

And before I knew it, I had hit "send".

some of my sponsored kids

Have you got a moment that changed the course of your life? Please share.

Warn Regards


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This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

check out some other WOW posts here