OctPoWriMo Day#2 - Poems and Notes to you.

Dear Friends,

Day 2 of this new challenge dawns with a hint of Fall in the air here in Duluth, GA and I found myself with a little of Fall fever and just wanting to hang out of my front porch and drink tea.



I saw a meme last week on FB that said,  "All the women inside of me are tired."  I sure do relate to that right now.  I am filled with such gratitude for the amazing life I lead and yet the times we live in are trying to my soul.

Grateful for poetry and the "To Do" on my ever growing list to stop and take a break and write some poetry and create at least once a day.











So here is today's offering:

Poems and Notes to You

I wrote them in rhyme
and snuck them into your locker.

A secret admirer
in high school
still so young and naive 
in those days.

You were the class musician.
Writing our class song,
singing in a band.
My teenage heart was smitten.

I was so shy.
Red would overtake
my face in a whole
body flush if you even
looked my way.

So notes were written
poems composed.
Little ditties to express
appreciation and admiration.

I don't remember the actual
reveal.
I'm sure you thought the
admirer was one of the popular girls.

I remember it being awkward
and if someone could have died
from embarrassment I wouldn't
be here today. 

One of the things InterPlay has taught me is about being present in the moment and using Improv in life.  So fun to revisit that memory due to today's prompt.  Thank goodness I survived adolescence and I grew up in a world without social media!

I hope you're having an awesome Tuesday.

In Peace & Play,

Christine

Check it out my new book at www.stillpointselfcareplaybook.com 

or head over and buy it on Amazon Here. 

OctPoW Day #1 - Surrender

Dear friends,

It's been a while since I've given attention to this blog and at the encouragement of my friend Willow I am participating in OctPoWriMo where we write a poem a day from prompts.

Here is the link if you would like to join me:

http://www.octpowrimo.com/2018/10/octpowrimo-day-1-surrender.html

Life has been incredibly full lately so the first prompt and Oct. 1st caught me after a full weekend of teaching the Secrets of InterPlay so a quick Haiku was produced from the prompt Surrender.  I had also been participating in the Daily Creative Practice's 10-day challenge of Vessels of Transformation and making art daily so I combined the two prompts and this was created:

I look forward to carving out more time this fall to write and create and to let you know what I've been up to.  The big thing was the launch of a book!

Check it out at www.stillpointselfcareplaybook.com 

or head over and buy it on Amazon Here. 

In Peace & Play,

Christine 

As The Storm Rolls In....

Dear friends,

A poem from yesterday:

The storm
CG 5/21/18

As the storm rolls in

In this hot, almost summer, day

It matches my mood.

Grumbling with thunder

Pressure pressing down on the chest 

Oppressive stillness

Knowing that the damn is about to burst

Be it with an air cleansing rain

Or a mighty downpour of tears

Bursting forth

Like mad lighting,

Righteous anger, 

In response to more children dying,

False friends and vision without the vote.

The wind whips the rain

Sideways

Like my hormones 

Pushing my emotions.

People want to think

it's an over reaction.

A hysterical, dramatic response.

Truth tells

It's the everyday build up

of little indignities

that accumulate in a catastrophic

explosion of emotion.

Wishing you a Stillpoint,

Christine

Like the newly emerging buds of Spring

Dear friends,

It's been way too long since I've written from this platform.  The past year I have been writing poetry, being active in my community and processing all of the chaos that is currently in our world.

I visited this blog this weekend and it welcomed me like an old, dear friend.

So today I decided to get back on the bicycle of blogging and pedal around for a gentle ride.

On Friday, I co-facilitated Spirit Play, a monthly InterPlay Atlanta gathering that combines InterPlay, Meditation and Poetry.  It is one of my favorite offerings.  We played with the poem Poet's Obligation by Pablo Neruda.  Then we wrote our own poems.  Here is what bubbled up inside of me:


by Christine Gautreaux 2/23/17

On stone I sit
facing the thunderous waterfall,
with the tree roots cradling me
as the spray gently mists my face.

In this moment
I am one with the sea
thousands of miles away,
yet calling my name.

Drawn on by my destiny,
I stop.
Listen
and expand.

Is that the voice of a thousand mothers
crying "Enough!"
as they thunder through the streets
to protect our children and our children's children.

Or Mother Nature's power transferring to us
ions unseen.

It is time for action
the tumbling water sings.

It is time to be grounded in our practices
the giant rocks whisper.

The time to weep
the mists reminds.

And a time to ROAR
like the wind.




In Peace & Play,

Christine

Creating Peace with the dawn

Dear friends,

This morning before dawn

I entered the Labyrinth

and as I slowly circled towards the center my gaze

caught the eye of a buck grazing across the forest

in the East with the colors of the pink dawn as his beautiful backdrop.

If you look really close you can see him...

I tried to take a picture and he gave me a nod as if to say

I see you, move along, as he continued to graze and in an unhurried manner walked out of site.

I looked at the picture and at first he is nowhere to be seen.

Was he a spirit coming to remind me of my quest?

Or the 6 point buck I saw in real time but a master of camouflage so experienced that even the camera could not capture him?

To me he was a blessing.

A gift as precious as the sun rising every morning.

The reminder of my deer totem.  Grace, peace, gentleness and so much more.

Dawn this morning

About the same time two 

squirrels were awakening 

one fussing at the other  as if to say,

“Joe, I thought I heard 

something….go check!”

A big thud and I thought, Did 

she push him out of the nest?

Arriving at the center of the circle I 

took a moment to give 

thanks for the beauty of this day

As the sky lit up with soft vibrant 

pinks and yellow in the 

Venus at the entrance

forefront of the blue.

Venus, the sacred Labyrinth kitty, 

was sitting at the entrance 

watching patiently.  Earlier she had 

been running and 

jumping high up onto the tree 

trunks as if to say to the 

squirrels, “If I really wanted to I 

could come get you.”

On the walk out of the center I sang 

my prayers for family 

"Screech Owl" branch close to the trunk

and friends and the world.

As I sang the birds joined in to 

welcome the sun and begin 

singing their song for the day.

The squirrel drew my attention 

to a tree in the West that 

appeared to have a screech owl 

sitting in it.  It turned out to 

be the stub of a branch, a reminder of the gift I was given on 

Thanksgiving.

Walking back towards the 

Sister Moon shining down

house for my first and most 

holy cup of tea I looked up to see the moon shining down from 

above the trees.

What a delicious morning.

Wrapping you around with infinite love and wisdom,

Christine

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower."  - Albert Camus

Creating From the Labyrinth

Dear Friends,

After more than a week (due to weather and travel) 



I was finally able to start my morning in the Labyrinth.  In the early morning light before the sun rose I walked back to my sacred space and had to pause to wonder, 

"Where did it go?"

Where oh where did my Labyrinth go? 

The recent storms, rain and wind had helped to cover the Labyrinth in a carpet of leaves.

This brought up several wonderful metaphors for me this morning. 

As I began the clearly marked path I had to pay attention.  For one of the first times since it's birth I had to slow down and really pay attention to the path or I could have easily gotten "lost." 

I decided to take off my shoes to enjoy the feel of the leaves.  I meandered.  I put rocks back in place where a raccoon(?) had moved them looking for food.

I noticed the maintenance that was needed and acknowledged the importance of doing the "work."

Love wins - especially when you uncover it!

I made it to the center after clearing off a few alters, gave gratitude for my amazing life and sang my morning prayers. 

This morning I heard crow, had a sacred Labyrinth kitty Venus with me on the journey and heard several other birds too.  

What are things that you need to give some special attention too this week?  Any maintenance that is calling your name?

Wrapping you around with infinite love and peace,

A view from the plane on the way home last night

Christine

P.S. A few pictures from a recent adventure:

A beautiful mural in the LAX airport

Creating Bravery

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I was asked what is the bravest thing I've ever done?

I was standing in Smith's Gallery  in downtown Duluth, GA talking to Larry the artist and co-owner about painting and how I've always wanted to learn how to paint but it scares me.


He asked, "What is the bravest thing you've ever done?"  
I gave the answer that I usually do: "I jumped out of an airplane at 12,500 ft!"


We laughed and he gave me the upcoming workshop brochure and said be here on the 14th!

I was thinking about our conversation throughout the day and I realized that even though I had answered a true and funny statement it really was not the bravest thing I've ever done.  

You see my Aunt Joan was the Master Jump Master who drilled me for 2 days on the how to's of skydiving (when everyone else got less than 2 hours) and statistics show that skydiving is MUCH safer than driving a car.  So I asked my self again, 

"What is the bravest thing you've ever done?"

The answer:  Having children and parenting them.

Yep. Truth. 

This is so tender for me right now.  Alex turns 18 this year.  She's making plans to leave the nest.  She is blooming, she is growing and I am...


 Scared, excited sometimes even downright terrified!  Did I do enough?  Does she know enough? Is she ready?  Am I ready? 

Brave? You bet it was brave.  I recently read an article about the crazy stuff that is spouted at working moms from the parody and perspective as if it was said to dads.  It was both funny and sad.  I've been there - if you're a mom I bet you've been there.  If we're a full time stay at home mom we hear about it (been there), if we're full-time working moms we hear about it (been there) and if we do a combo of both we hear about it (currently doing it).  Geez.  Not only do we question ourselves and our choices about parenting but we have what feels like the whole world questioning them too from family to acquaintances.  


I've always felt like my job as a parent has been to love my children and to protect them to the best of my ability. 



Have I done that? Yes.  

Have I made mistakes?
Yes.

Have I done a whole bunch of things right?
Yes.




I love Brene Brown's work and when I read my kids the following Parenting manifesto they said, "Mom, that sounds like you!"  

The Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto

Above all else, I want you to know that you are loved and lovable. You will learn this from my words and actions--the lessons on love are in how I treat you and how I treat myself.

I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness. You will learn that you are worthy of love, belonging, and joy every time you see me practice self-compassion and embrace my own imperfections.

We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honoring vulnerability. We will share our stories of struggle and strength. There will always be room in our home for both.

Picture by C. Gautreaux "Wish"

We will teach you compassion by practicing compassion with ourselves first; then with each other. We will set and respect boundaries; we will honor hard work, hope, and perseverance. Rest and play will be family values, as well as family practices.

You will learn accountability and respect by watching me make mistakes and make amends, and by watching how I ask for what I need and talk about how I feel.

I want you to know joy, so together we will practice gratitude.

I want you to feel joy, so together we will learn how to be vulnerable.

When uncertainty and scarcity visit, you will be able to draw from the spirit that is a part of our everyday life.

Together we will cry and face fear and grief. I will want to take away your pain, but instead I will sit with you and teach you how to feel it.

We will laugh and sing and dance and create. We will always have permission to be ourselves with each other. No matter what, you will always belong here.

As you begin your Wholehearted journey, the greatest gift that I can give to you is to live and love with my whole heart and to dare greatly.

I will not teach or love or show you anything perfectly, but I will let you see me, and I will always hold sacred the gift of seeing you. Truly, deeply, seeing you.

It made my heart warm and made me realize that I have dared greatly in this lifetime in many little ways and many big ways.

I'm also thinking about the upcoming painting classes that I want to take since I can't be there on the 14th (because I'll be teaching survival skills in the woods to my Cadette girl scout troop).  Watercolors? Oils? Acrylics?  So many choices and so much fun stuff to find my courage as an artist and learn a new medium.

Wrapping you around with infinite love, courage and gratitude,

Christine