Life itself.

Having been more of a mountains person than a beach person most of my life…my God Children “bullied” me, years ago, into starting “Beach Week” with them each summer. At first I grumbled and groaned…hate the sand…don’t like the ocean…yadda, yadda…the first evening of our first beach week, I stood with them watching the sun sink into the ocean…and I saw it through THEIR EYES…it was an almost religious experience. Now, when I do beach week with them, we do it on Hilton Head Island, where I take my own children…and I find the moment I step on to “our” beach, my soul is renewed. I stand there, breathe deep, and wonder how I lived without this sensation for so long. Seeing anything through the eyes of a child is an “ah-hah” moment and a blessing, a gift.

Horses have always captivated me: their strength, intelligence, playfulness, dedication and tenderness. I’ll never forget galloping through the California hills on my beautiful Arabian, both our manes, flowing in the wind.

God awes me above and beyond any and everything! Everything beautiful we as humans so partake of……Comes from the one who created all things good and beautiful. He has given to me two beautiful children, one Amazing husband and our wonderful animals. Not to mention all the riches I have enjoyed in this life!!!

I’ve swam with dolphins in the Amazon; had close encounters with penguins in Antartica, saw levitating bhuddist monks in the Himalayas, shared space with saddhus on the Ganges but the experience of love is the biggest & most misterious gift of my human existence.

I have enjoyed the posts on this subject. We have expressed many ways to see the beauty in the world when our mature minds are painfully aware of its ugliness. There are so many splendors in nature to appreciate. I was in awe of the Rocky Mountains during an August trip to Estes Park several years ago. My husband and I drove the scenic winding road through Rocky Mountain Park to the top of one of the mountains. We parked at the visitors’ center and walked further up to the altitude of 12,000 feet in elevation. It was so cold, many degrees lower than the valley. And so still- the only sound was the wind. We arrived at sunset- what a miraculous vision. Standing there, I felt something very special in that moment. It was a connection to earth that I had never experienced before, very different than adoring the ocean-ethereal. I was even rewarded with a buzz of Rocky Mountain High.

It has been truly wonderful and utterly moving, reading these posts, especially those expressing the awesome beauty in nature, the majesty of God/spirituality, the miracle of birth, the abundance and vitality of life; the inspiration found in humility, grace, mercy, and love. How can I possibly add to what has already been said? I would only add the awe and wonder I’ve found in the genius of man to create such glorious splendor through art, music, dance, literature, architecture, and theater. Sometimes, I’ve found myself speechless as I experience a symphony, which penetrates my soul; or, when I see a work of art which speaks to my personal experiences, or captures my broken spirit; or, when I read a book, which literally takes me to a far distant world. In essence, I’m astounded by man’s imagination to create such glory and magnificence - so powerful, so brilliant and exquisite, that his creations can stir the inner-most emotions of all who are blessed to enjoy it. Yet, the greatest mystery of all is when I meet someone truly wonderful for the first time, and I can feel that person’s goodness emitting through every molecule of their spirit - whether they simply smile, never saying a word, and you know right away that you’ve met someone really special, and full of love. And … on the flip side, it is a mystery when you meet someone for the first time - whether standing next to them, or whether introduced, and you know immediately to be cautious, because you instinctively sense that the person is wicked or evil. How, I wonder, does one explain this dynamic in human nature? I don’t know. I don’t know. But, I don’t want to end here. Because, best of all, I am in awe of the innocence on the face of a small child when they look at you with their eyes full of wonder, and you know that you own the responsibility of nurturing that innocence in order for that child to relish those brief and tender moments, of their childhood, which you know will disappear in a flash. As a mother and a grandmother, the age of innocence in the face of a child is truly remarkable … and, beautiful to behold.

Thank you N P for your answer. Obviously the red tomato made a big inpact for me as I still remember it and “see” it. That incident was in April of 1970 !!! We made it work and stayed in Spain for 4 years.

This week an amazing thing happened to me. Walking to my car in a parking lot, I was feeling grief over the loss of my dog and noticed something on the pavement right next to my drivers side door. I bent down and pick up a tiny rubber dog statue in a sitting position, lost by a child perhaps. Can you imagine the awareness, the emotional lightness that came over me as I realised my dog was telling me he was okay and that he loved me. A coincidence? Right next to my car door? I think not.

The creativity of the human mind. How inspired we all are went we come to the aid of someone that needs a lift… or a simple act of kindness for one another.

People give me a sense of awe and mystery (probably why I am a psychologist) for both the good and the bad. I am often struck by the ignorance, prejudice and self-centeredness of people. Those who think they are the most important person on the planet or those who think we should all believe and act they way they want us to. On the flip side the sheer resilience and good in people amazes me daily. The most common of acts - watching a child walk their dog and rewarding their good behavior or watching a parent nurture their child - gives me pause and reminds me that there are good people in the world.

Just would like to recommend a new play which is being presented by The NY International Fringe Festival. It is entitled “Prayer” written by Jonathan Kravetz. It will challenge your ideas about the nature of morality through one man’s search for justice and redemption. I found it to be a very powerful and riveting play. The actors’ performances were phenomenal. Tickets can be purchased online at Fringenyc. The theatre is located at 41 Park Row just opposite City Hall.

LOVE The love poem, “True Love” is making its way across the internet, and women and men are downloading the poem and keeping it in their pocket to attract true love. Place this poem into your pocket and find true love.. TRUE LOVE True Love is Unconditional. True Love is Found in the Deed. True Love is Found in the We. True Love Joins the Heart, Mind, and Body as One. By Sharon Esther Lampert http://www.worldfamouspoems.com

I’m in awe and have goose bumps, as I read your heartfelt comments. What a community! I was introduced to neuroscience, as an educator, before others started to bring all the wonders of our brain to our attention. I was failing my middle school students, who had significant learning disabilities. After taking course work to learn that there are many doorways and neural circuits, which can be kicked into gear to change the way we learn and think; I applied this wisdom shared by Dr. Reuben Feurstein in my special ed. Classroom. That year, I had the tools to rewire the brains of my students by teaching them to write in a totally different manner. The day that I had the incredible task of telling them that they all passed the writing proficiency test was one of the most rewarding days of my life and career. Their faces reflected that they discovered the new joy of experiencing success in school. It was so awesome to tell them that they had always been winners. They had incredible minds, but teachers had to learn the right way to teach them. I am now a life coach and apply neuroscience to my practice. I do a lot of pro bono work to free my clients from the massive prisons of thoughts that have held them captive in the wrong life. Kudo’s to Byron Katie for sharing “The Work” with the world. As clients slowly find the reasons to explain why a toxic thought was “NOT TRUE”, their faces literally light up as they express a thought to which slowly removes the shackles keeping them in a state of emotional pain. I’m totally awed by the look of radiance as their faces light up and their eyes sparkle. Their faces reflect how this freedom allows the spirit of God to flow through them. It is such a privilege to be a part of freeing a soul from so much pain and torment due to so many toxic thoughts taking root in their minds. The human mind is really one to two thoughts away from joy and bliss. It’s a matter of rewiring the human brain so the transformation can take place. Sorry to go on and on, but to see the evaporation of human emotional suffering is similiar to a mountain top high with the sun breaking through the clouds. God created our minds to be open to transformation. His creations continue to inspire me.