Guest guest Posted January 8, 2003 Report Share Posted January 8, 2003 Thank you Prainbow for this beautiful story. paulie-rainbow : > Once upon a time there was a devoted woman who wished to serve the > Goddess with her life. As a young woman, in addition to her regular > studies and family needs she would study books on the Goddess and > take time out to go on retreats and meditation. Some times she was > very serious, but her love for the Goddess seemed to strengthen her > in times of need. > > "You don't always need to be so serious," her mother said, stroking > her daughters hair as they sat together. "You're only young once, > there's a lot to see and do. Make sure that you enjoy all the > goodness that's laid out before you." > > Taking her good mother's advice the young woman spent time with her > friends and balanced her spiritual studies and her educational > studies with time spent playfully. She was well loved by her friends > for her sharp wit and high energy. > > Love will break a teenagers heart time and time again. Many times > she felt both the pull of the spiritual realm and the desire to > retreat from the rough and tumble of life's emotions and > disappointments. > > "Don't give up so soon," her mother counseled. "You never know > what's around the corner. And don't make life decisions out of hurt, > it never turns out right that way." > > Her mother's advice seemed both optimistic and courageous and so the > young woman followed this. After a time she met someone wonderful > and they fell in love, married and began a family. > > Everyone knows that a young mother, even with a very helpful spouse, > has little time for herself. The woman found that the years melted > away like dust under a wet rag, like clothes quickly outgrown and > passed down, like sunsets she barely had time to notice. She > panicked and chaffed under the demands on her life, over the time > that she missed. "How can this happen to me?" she cried to her > mother. "My life is disappearing before me with no time to devote to > the Goddess I love!" > > "I don't know," said her mother, thoughtfully and she looked in the > desperate eyes of the daughter she loved. "You have such strong > desires, it's true and you should have time for them, make time for > them…but don't regret your life. Look at your children, they're > lovely! I'm a grandmother now and my heart is so filled by having > had you and loving and raising you….I'm glad that you didn't miss > that experience. If you had really not wanted it, that would be > different." She paused "that something is difficult or time > consuming, doesn't make it unworthy. Maybe you can work something > out" The older woman spread out her hands in a questioning gesture > and the younger woman fell quiet to think. > > But little changed. She loved her children with all her heart, > teaching them how to read, watching them grow, guiding them and yet > letting them each find their way. And she loved their little home, > the light shining through the windows, the flowers and herbs in the > rich earth of the garden, the delicious dishes she cooked. She loved > the holidays and decorating the house, lighting the candles and > laughing with friends. She loved her husband, in the ways that they > were completely one and in the ways in which they were bafflingly > different. She loved her friends and the time they could spend > together, shopping or catching a film, sometimes just talking on the > phone. > > She had sadness, too, and frustration, in rightful measure. She had > moments of great doubt and of anger. There was news of the world > that troubled her and tragedy close to home that seemed terribly > unfair. > > It seemed that barely a moment had passed when she found herself at > her own daughter's wedding, and less than a moment more attending > her own mother's death. > > Her love for the Goddess stayed constant and in her older age there > was much more time for meditation and study, yet less than she would > have given were her life different. She had grandchildren of her > own, and a huge lovely garden. Years of cooking magic had made her a > master, friends and family gained much satisfaction from her company > and her culinary skills. > > And finally she reached the end of her life. "What have I done?" she > wondered. "Was it enough? My life is over now and the devotion I > wanted to give is left ungiven." But she left this life with a > strange feeling of contentment as she moved to the other side to > join her own mother there. > > And there it was, in the arms of the Goddess, looking back on the > life she had left that she learned. > > She had loved her family, which was a part of the Goddess > > She had loved the earth, which is the body of the Goddess > > She had loved her children, in the manner of the Goddess > > She had loved and appreciated her home and her food; the gifts of > the Goddess > > She had loved her friends, who never failed to speak of her > inspiration, her devotion to the Goddess that they so easily > witnessed in her life. > > All things had passed through her, experienced fully, fulfilling the > desire of her Goddess to experience this world consciously. > > Is there more? There is so much more. This is just one way, but it > was done well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 9, 2003 Report Share Posted January 9, 2003 You're quite welcome! Bright Blessings, prainbow , "Nora <ashwini_puralasamy>" <ashwini_puralasamy> wrote: > Thank you Prainbow for this beautiful story. > > > paulie-rainbow : > > Once upon a time there was a devoted woman who wished to serve the > > Goddess with her life. As a young woman, in addition to her regular > > studies and family needs she would study books on the Goddess and > > take time out to go on retreats and meditation. Some times she was > > very serious, but her love for the Goddess seemed to strengthen her > > in times of need. > > > > "You don't always need to be so serious," her mother said, stroking > > her daughters hair as they sat together. "You're only young once, > > there's a lot to see and do. Make sure that you enjoy all the > > goodness that's laid out before you." > > > > Taking her good mother's advice the young woman spent time with her > > friends and balanced her spiritual studies and her educational > > studies with time spent playfully. She was well loved by her > friends > > for her sharp wit and high energy. > > > > Love will break a teenagers heart time and time again. Many times > > she felt both the pull of the spiritual realm and the desire to > > retreat from the rough and tumble of life's emotions and > > disappointments. > > > > "Don't give up so soon," her mother counseled. "You never know > > what's around the corner. And don't make life decisions out of > hurt, > > it never turns out right that way." > > > > Her mother's advice seemed both optimistic and courageous and so > the > > young woman followed this. After a time she met someone wonderful > > and they fell in love, married and began a family. > > > > Everyone knows that a young mother, even with a very helpful > spouse, > > has little time for herself. The woman found that the years melted > > away like dust under a wet rag, like clothes quickly outgrown and > > passed down, like sunsets she barely had time to notice. She > > panicked and chaffed under the demands on her life, over the time > > that she missed. "How can this happen to me?" she cried to her > > mother. "My life is disappearing before me with no time to devote > to > > the Goddess I love!" > > > > "I don't know," said her mother, thoughtfully and she looked in the > > desperate eyes of the daughter she loved. "You have such strong > > desires, it's true and you should have time for them, make time for > > them…but don't regret your life. Look at your children, they're > > lovely! I'm a grandmother now and my heart is so filled by having > > had you and loving and raising you….I'm glad that you didn't miss > > that experience. If you had really not wanted it, that would be > > different." She paused "that something is difficult or time > > consuming, doesn't make it unworthy. Maybe you can work something > > out" The older woman spread out her hands in a questioning gesture > > and the younger woman fell quiet to think. > > > > But little changed. She loved her children with all her heart, > > teaching them how to read, watching them grow, guiding them and yet > > letting them each find their way. And she loved their little home, > > the light shining through the windows, the flowers and herbs in the > > rich earth of the garden, the delicious dishes she cooked. She > loved > > the holidays and decorating the house, lighting the candles and > > laughing with friends. She loved her husband, in the ways that they > > were completely one and in the ways in which they were bafflingly > > different. She loved her friends and the time they could spend > > together, shopping or catching a film, sometimes just talking on > the > > phone. > > > > She had sadness, too, and frustration, in rightful measure. She had > > moments of great doubt and of anger. There was news of the world > > that troubled her and tragedy close to home that seemed terribly > > unfair. > > > > It seemed that barely a moment had passed when she found herself at > > her own daughter's wedding, and less than a moment more attending > > her own mother's death. > > > > Her love for the Goddess stayed constant and in her older age there > > was much more time for meditation and study, yet less than she > would > > have given were her life different. She had grandchildren of her > > own, and a huge lovely garden. Years of cooking magic had made her > a > > master, friends and family gained much satisfaction from her > company > > and her culinary skills. > > > > And finally she reached the end of her life. "What have I done?" > she > > wondered. "Was it enough? My life is over now and the devotion I > > wanted to give is left ungiven." But she left this life with a > > strange feeling of contentment as she moved to the other side to > > join her own mother there. > > > > And there it was, in the arms of the Goddess, looking back on the > > life she had left that she learned. > > > > She had loved her family, which was a part of the Goddess > > > > She had loved the earth, which is the body of the Goddess > > > > She had loved her children, in the manner of the Goddess > > > > She had loved and appreciated her home and her food; the gifts of > > the Goddess > > > > She had loved her friends, who never failed to speak of her > > inspiration, her devotion to the Goddess that they so easily > > witnessed in her life. > > > > All things had passed through her, experienced fully, fulfilling > the > > desire of her Goddess to experience this world consciously. > > > > Is there more? There is so much more. This is just one way, but it > > was done well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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