Thank you, Mary’s Pence

Three months ago, I wrote Mary’s Pence for a grant. I entitled my project Compassionate Touch for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse. Essentially, massage as sacred work, healing the wounds and releasing bodies from the trauma they’ve been holding.  Last week, I received a warm, congratulatory letter letting me know Mary’s Pence will be awarding me $2000 after I sign a contract.

You can imagine what wonderful news this was. But even moreso: F and I have been trying to figure out how he can begin a solar energy course.  It’s online, offered through a school in Spain, and 1.5 year long program.  It would add a specialty to his engineering background: solar engineering. His dream is to offer poor folks affordable alternative energy to offset crippling electricity bills which are abysmally high here in Mexico. Someday, we hope to bring solar energy solutions to those who would readily welcome this, but have no resources to implement it.

The course is $2000. I find myself deeply grateful and smiling how, once again, money is simply energy moving to where it needs to be.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

 

Prayerathon

Fourteen hours into the prayerathon, Rafa was the only supplicator who remained seated upright.

Blue combo

Familiar Strangers

As a cookie jar, Tommy lived and interacted across a wildly diverse set of other ceramic pieces. Everyone formulated their own personal meaning of place using cues such as public-private, large-small, daytime-nighttime, loud-quiet, and crowded-empty. Not surprisingly, it was with the people that Tommy shared his spaces that dominated his perception of place (friendly, close social proximity, imitation, stillness on stage). Sometimes these people were friends, family and colleagues, such as the cookie jar family he shared a shelf with. More often, and particularly during the daytime, the individuals who affected him most were the ones that he repeatedly observed and yet did not directly interact with – Tommy’s Familiar Strangers.

Annoyed

Alone with the animals, Guerlyne pretended to ride the bull rodeo style on his mild mannered heifer which irritated her bullfriend to no end.

Standard

Botox, bleached teeth, and boobs out to here… they all looked the same.

Yesterday

I had a wonderful day at Buen Pastor yesterday.  More of the madres are requesting massage. Fortunately, it’s helping. We do arm rotation exercises and massage around the shoulder to keep this ball and socket joint limber. It’s great to see them loosening up and healthier these days. Another interesting experiencing was working with nerve pain. Using visualization and reiki, I worked with one of the madres to clear her chest and arm of radiating pain.  It was an eye opening experience for both of us.

I need to invest in a stool.  Some of the madres can’t get on the table.  So I place a filled suitcase for them to step on while I hold them to balance them as they maneuver the table. 

At one point, I went with Madre Lourdes for a walk downtown to buy some things. She’s one of those uplifting people who raise spirits simply by her presence. I truly admire her and cherish any time I get to spend with her.

In the afternoon, I listened to boy troubles, dried tears, and played Connect 4 and Jenga with the girls.  They love Connect 4 and are seriously improving their game as they learn strategy. I also got a chance to see Sara’s report card and congratulated her on raising all her grades since last year. It’s pretty amazing the effect that having a sponsor does to a girl’s grades.

Finally, I ended the day by giving Madre Patty her English lesson.  The sun had gone down and Fernando was still working on finishing up a numbers project.  So while he wrapped things up, I conversed with Madre Patty. She’s at the point where we can hold a conversation in English. She told me about Buen Pastor 30 years ago. Apparently, there were three times as many nuns, and they spent three times more time in prayer. Today, they “only” have time for 3 hours of prayer everyday. They pray in Latin. Madre Patty told me that when she first became a nun, she and the others were all given prayer books with Latin on the left and Spanish on the right, so that when they prayed, they would know what they were saying.  I found all of this fascinating.

We also talked about the differences between the words old, vintage, and antique. This lead to a conversation about the nun habit. Apparently, all the madres have vintage habits with long capes, flowing sleeves, and heavy material.  She explained them to me and they sound fantastic.  I’m hoping that one of these days, I can see a full outfit.  They don’t wear them anymore — but the madres do have them preserved in their closets.

One Alligator’s Story

The highlight of Alan’s everyday was morning Zumba® class at San Javiar Ceramics. He got out of bed for Zumba®.  He dressed for Zumba®. Alan lived for Zumba®. Morning Zumba® with friends calibrated Alan’s general satisfaction with life at a higher level than the majority of the population.

Deviled

All the men in Esther’s life seemed to be offering her a big plate of empty promises. She resorted to taking refuge in chocolate.

Gloria

Gloria felt suffocated by some of the people in her life. She knew she could fly if only she could get out of her plastic bag. She could feel her Uranus Opposition coming on and she was poised for change and liberation.

Swoon

The crowd went wild when Dante Duckley took the stage. He held tightly to all their hearts in the palm of his web and suspended their admiration with his distinguished carriage and poise. Dante promised each and everyone he would love her forever. No crush could ever match this one.

One of those days

Superman is constipated. Hello Kitty has lost her head.