May Your Day be Full of Nice Surprises!

Greetings!

Today is June 28, 2025.  

I happened to re-read my post Together We Can Change The World , and noticed it was originally published on June 28, 2012 which was 13 years ago.  That little girl who yelled at the robber to stop beating the woman is now a grandmother of three.  Time flies!

Today I went to a holistic fair.  I told my son about the fair, but had not asked him to go with me.  I had planned to go there early because I had a zoom meeting in the afternoon.  I felt very tired in the morning, and allowed myself to stay in bed.  While I was getting ready, my son told me he would go with me.  Since he insisted, I accepted.  Thank you, Son, for accompanying me.  Before we went, I wondered whom I would meet, and looked forward to the surprise.

When we entered, the woman near the entrance told us the first speaker would finish his talk in a few minutes; in other words, we could go to sit in the lecture room a few minutes later for a talk by a second speaker.  I was all smiles when I saw who the first speaker was.  It was Matthew!  (The Divine had its way of revealing to me )  Matthew owned therapeutic companies in this state and other state.  He had authored a few books.  We had not met each other for almost eight years!  

At one point before Matthew finished his talk, he looked beyond the lecture room.  He said, "Oh my god . . . ."  People looked back at whom he was looking at.  His wife was in the audience.  She looked back at me.  There was a young man by her side.  Matthew's son is now taller than the father.

I had not talked to Matthew about The Strange Dream .  In fact, we had never talked to each other privately.  Matthew knew things about me through the spiritual master who seemed to know more about me than I knew of myself.

Thank you, God, for this day!

May your days be full of nice surprises too!

Love and Blessings,

Q of D

      

He asked, "Why (do you tear up)? They are not related to you."

Greetings!

The TV was on.  On the left of the screen was a father whose son (and his team) had been qualified to play in the NCAA basketball tournament.  The father was answering the reporter's question from home.  On the right side of the screen was his son who sat on a bench in the locker room.  I did not watch from the beginning, but it seemed it was the young man's first time playing in a tournament.  I could sense both father and son were very emotional about making the tournament.  The father tried to say some words of encouragement and how proud he was of his son.  He was choked with emotions, and had a hard time saying what he wanted to say.  The young man became very emotional too.  He raised his hands over his face, and wiped his tears repeatedly.  My eyes teared up.

My son happened to walk past and saw what happened on the TV.   My son was into bodybuilding.  He was not interested in basketball or football.  He looked at his father who had been watching TV.  His father showed no emotion or reaction.  He turned to look at me.  

He asked, "Why did the father cry?"  

I said, "He is very proud of his son."  

My son said, "He should be happy.  I don't understand why he cried."  

I said, "It is a different expression of joy.  When people finally achieve what they want to accomplish, the feeling can be personal and not that easy to express.  Sometimes we have a hard time talking because we are choked with emotions.  Did you remember your voice choked when you made a toast on your brother's wedding?"  

He said, "Yes, I did."  For a brief second, he paused as if to look back at that moment.  He added, "I did not expect that to happen.  But, I did."  

I said, "Before the wedding, other people said I would cry.  I said I would not.  I was happy for your brother, and  thought that I would smile throughout the wedding.  When they said their vows, tears ran down my face because I was deeply touched.  Your brother's truthful words touched everybody, and XX (my daughter-in-law) cried too.  There is nothing wrong with crying."  I added, "You know, my eyes teared up too watching the father and son on TV."  

My son was surprised to hear that.  He asked, "Why?  They are not related to you."  

I said, "It is because I am empathetic."  

I went on to tell him a similar incident that happened some years ago.  A female TV host was leaving the morning show.  On her last day on the show, her co-hosts and coworkers had made some special arrangement to show their appreciation.  The camera followed her as she walked around to acknowledge and thank her friends / coworkers.  On her face was a bright, joyful smile.  This went on for quite a while.  Suddenly, I said, "Oh, no!  She is going to cry!"  His father (my husband) looked at me with that "what are you talking about" look.  On the TV, the woman was still smiling, but she soon broke down and cried.  I knew before it happened because I felt what she felt.  She was deeply moved by the love of her friends.

My son said, "Many times I do not understand why people cry.  I am glad I don't have that kind of emotion."

I looked at him.  I said, "You probably concluded crying was a sign of weakness when you were young.  We often react to situations in a certain way due to the view or conclusion we draw from our past experiences.  Sometimes the situations we are in may seem similar, yet nothing in life is ever exactly the same.  We can always adjust our views, and handle things differently.  You say you don't want to talk about emotions, but you have talked to me about emotions on some occasions."  I smiled and added, "You talk to me about bodybuilding all the time.  Though you say you do not want to hear anything spiritual, I am going to say that when you block your emotions, you are also blocking the flow of love in some ways.  And, we are beings of love."

My son listened and did not say anything.  On his face was an expression of peace.  The old him would have taken a strong stance against hearing anything about love or spirituality.  It did not necessary mean that he took in what I said this day.  However, it did show he was now more patient, tolerant or accepting of others than he was some years ago.

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

When my son asked, "Why (do you tear up)?  They are not related to you."

I said, "It is because I am empathetic."  

I never said "I am empathetic'' before.  As these words came out of my mouth, I was a little surprise.  At the same time, it was like a realization or a remembrance.  It was hard to describe.  There were past incidents that I went through wondering if they were merely coincidence.  Now, everything seemed to make sense.  I would share a few of the incidents in my next post.   

There are many people like me that tear up hearing other people's stories and experiences.  Why do we feel that way?  Is it only our simple emotional response?

We may not be related by blood, yet we are far more connected than we can imagine.  

Good Night!

Love and Blessings,

Q of D

A Chance Meeting at the Deli Counter

Greetings!

Last Tuesday I was in a store at the deli counter waiting for my turn.  After quite a while, the same ticket number remained on the visitor monitor.  The three deli workers were busy helping customers with that number and numbers before that.  Since there were six numbers ahead of my number, I waited patiently.

I saw a man walked toward the deli department.  He seemed to look at the display items around the counter, yet I saw him glanced over my direction a couple of times.  When he was a little bit closer (i.e. a few feet away), he looked at me and said, "I want to tell you that you can self-publish a book."  My immediate thought was I must have heard it wrong!  I looked at him.  He seemed to be a quiet gentleman (i.e. he was not someone who was openly friendly that would strike a conversation with anyone).  I asked, "What did you just say?"  He paused and did not answer right away.  Then he said, "I have self-published a book."  I was relieved that I had heard it wrong.  How unthinkable it would be if he, a total stranger, really said what I thought I heard.  

I said, "You have self-published a book!  That's great!"  He told me the title of his book, and said it was listed on 26 browsers globally.  He said his book was on demand, and sold in many countries.  He mentioned some countries.  He said his book could help people in many different ways.  Then he went on to tell me how he self-published his book in great detail.  

Since there were other people around, we talked in a soft voice.  I could not listen with my whole attention.  My focus was on the deli visitor monitor and the deli counter for I did not want to miss my turn.  As a result, sometimes I did not hear clearly of what he said.  Besides, we were talking with our masks on.  (In our state, we were required to wear masks.)  He told me about the publisher that helped people to self-publish books.  The publisher's name had a sound similar to a Chinese last name.  For a brief second, I thought "Oh, it is a Chinese company!"  As he mentioned the publisher again, I realized it was my misunderstanding.  I kind of laughed within realizing the cultural effect in my listening / understanding.  I asked if he had to pay any money up front.  He said he had to sign a contract and pay a down payment.  He related the fee in total.  I said, "It is a lot of money!"  He said he was not a writer, and used to work as an engineer.  He submitted what he wrote, and the publisher did the rest.  By self-publishing his book, he got to keep 80% of the sales while the publisher only got 20%.    

I asked him, "How long does it take for you to write the book?"  He said, "Five and a half years."  I said, "Wow, you spent that many years to write the book!  What cause you to write the book?"  He said, "I answer to the calling."  I did not expect to hear this answer.  He continued to give me some more details about his book, e.g. the size, number of pages and the color of the cover.  I observed it was almost my turn.  I asked, "May I know your name?"  Though he had repeated his name, I only kind of got his first name.  The deli worker called my number, and our conversation ended.  

He talked in length about his book and how he self published the book.  I did not hear the title of his book clearly.  I also did not remember his last name.  Without clear information, I was not successful in looking up his book online.

It was not that unusual that people wanted to start a conversation with another customer in a store.  Later at home, this chance meeting reminded me of other occasions that strangers suggested for me to write or keep writing.  

I was with the Thursday Circle when it happened for the first time.  The holistic center held classes and meetings throughout the week in the morning as well as at night.  On certain weekdays, there were on-site healers and psychics.  During the Thursday Circle, people sometimes walked in to join us.  I observed they might be new to me, but oftentimes most of them were familiar with the teacher of the circle.  It was probably because I did not attend other classes or meetings.  One day, we had a few new faces.  When the meeting was over, a woman stopped me while I was on my way out of the center.  If I recalled correctly, the teacher had introduced her as a known psychic who had her own radio talk show.  She talked about me writing.  Immediately, I said, "No, I don't write.  My English is not good."  She said, "You do write.  You write about your sons and other things that happened in life.  You think nobody is going to read them, but people are going to read what you write.  Keep writing."  I believed she also talked about using the computer or Internet.  At the time, I did not have an email address, and knew nothing about the Internet.  As I wrote, I was not into asking questions.  I walked out of the center feeling very unsettled.

Sometimes I looked back and questioned myself, "What is wrong with me?  Why didn't I ask questions.  I could have learned what to do or more about myself."   

For example, in A strange conversation with a professor , I could have asked to talk to the medium and the professor, but I did not.  There was one time in my experiences that I actually prayed to the divine for a second chance to talk to a woman.  (Re The Lesson of Importance )  

When people I did not know well talked to me, I seldom asked questions.  Many times I felt unsettled afterward.  

Writing this post made me realize I should change.  I have decided that I will ask questions if similar situations happen again.  As the Thursday Circle teacher used to say, "It was the you then.  What has it got to do with the you now?"

Was Tuesday's talk about self-publishing a book merely a chance meeting that bore no significance?  Had I ever thought of writing a book?  

Good Night!

Love and Blessings,

Q of D

 

    

I went there with an open heart and mind

Greetings!

I opened the door and walked in.  The host looked at me.  It was obvious the host did not know what to make of an outsider like me.  The host continued to put some print-outs here and there on the tables.  Other than the host, four people were there.  I greeted all with a smile.  There was not much response.  Peacefully, I sat down.

When I signed up, I perceived the gathering could be different from other spiritual meetings that I had gone to.  I did not know anything about the belief / culture.  I went there to hear a lecture on a subject matter that was totally new to me.

The day before the event, I had received an email that there would be five people.  Therefore, I thought I was the last one to walk in.  The host began to talk about their belief and nature.  Every now and then the host retrieved a picture from a phone.  The host walked forward to show the picture to each person, and subconsciously (or consciously) skipped walking to where I sat.  (It was a small place.  Small tables were put together in a U-shape and the one to my right was about two feet away.)  I observed with a smile, and did not say anything.  I got that the host was feeling uneasy of my presence.  In my heart, I said, "I do not judge you."

Unexpectedly, more people continued to walk in.  Later, the host said it was time for each one of us to introduce ourselves.  The host pointed at me and said, "Let's start with you!"  I did not expect that, but I was at ease.  I said, "I am (my name).  I do not know anything about (the subject matter).  I come here with an open heart and mind."  Immediately, I felt the heaviness or uneasiness seemed to have lifted off the host.  The host looked at me with a nod and an accepting smile. 

The one that gave the lecture was a humble, scholastic young man.  It was a good lecture.  After the lecture, I raised my hand to ask a couple of questions.  The host answered them truthfully.  I thanked the host and the young man before I left.

In August, I had wanted to go to a holistic expo, but did not go.  I was glad I went to the above event to begin the month of September.

Love and peace,
Q of D

A Walk in the Sun on Sunday

Greetings!

Yesterday I went for a walk in the late afternoon.  We had a rainy week.  Though the sun was up and shining this Sunday, the mud was still wet.  I walked on the running track of the school to avoid the wet mud.

After walking for a while, I decided to walk to the trees despite of the fact that the mud was wet.

There were some trees on the south side of the track.  In the summer, I often walked among the trees and touched the trees one by one.  I thanked them for sharing with us their beauty, peace, and healing energy.  A few of the trees had big holes and cracks.  As I walked past, I normally moved my hands over those areas and mentally surrounded them with white light.  Of course, I always tried to do it discreetly.

As I walked near the first tree, I was surprised** healing energy filled me.  My right hand began to work on the tree.  (I had noticed the big hollow in the center of the tree since I began taking walks by the school years ago.  Sometimes wild mushrooms grew on the mouth of the hollow.)  For quite a while, healing energy moved my hand to work on the middle part of the tree.  When the healing energy came to a stop, I gently patted the tree.  I sent love to the tree as well as Mother Earth.  (** Healing energy had come through to heal the trees when I walked in parks, but it rarely happened when I walked by the school.)

It was windy and somewhat chilly.  I was the only one taking a walk.  Some teenagers were playing soccer on a field farther away by another school.   When I was on my last round of walk, an elderly woman came to sit on the big piece of stone near the school.  She did not speak English, but we always greeted one another.  When I walked by, she stood up.  I understood she was going to walk a short distance with me.  (It had happened a few times before.)  She walked with a cane.  Slowly, we walked.  On the way, she tried to talk to me.  Then she remembered I did not speak her language.  We smiled at our inability to talk to one another.  We parted ways after walking for a quarter of the track.

After a few rainy days, I was glad to have a walk in the sun on this day.

Many blessings,
Q of D

A Day in Life

Greetings!

Recently I watched a video on YouTube about a young couple.  The wife was an American and the husband was a Japanese.  In the video, they talked about the small conflicts in their marriage due to their cultural and personality differences.  For instance, the wife saw someone cut in line.  She wanted to have a talk with that person.  The husband thought it did not matter that one person had cut in line, and asked his wife to let it go.  It reminded me of what happened the past Easter Sunday.

In the morning of Easter Sunday, we went to watch our grandchildren egg hunt in their backyard.  It was always a joy to see the excitement on their faces.

In the afternoon, my husband and I went to a Middle Eastern grocery store.

This store opened three years ago.  We went there quite often because it had a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.  Most of its customers were from the Middle East. They talked to each other in Middle Eastern languages.  Though I did not know their languages, I could sense their joy of coming to a market where they felt very much at home.

After we finished shopping, my husband, as he usually did, chose a checkout lane that had the least customers.  When I joined him in line, I was glad to see the cashier at this checkout lane was the woman that treated every customer with patience, kindness, and respect.  She was a Middle Eastern woman in her 40 s.  She wore a headscarf, and always had a gentle smile on her face.

Soon we were third in line.  An elderly Middle Eastern woman was before us.  A couple that lined up in another checkout lane talked to her.  Then they moved their shopping cart next to the elderly woman's cart.  It was obvious they wanted to cut in because their checkout lane had not moved along as smooth as ours.  Seeing no one had lined up behind us, I asked my husband to move back our shopping cart a little so that the couple could step into the line.

As this went on, the energy around my head vibrated.  I looked back to my left.  A tall Middle Eastern man at the end of a checkout lane had watched what happened.  He pointed at the couple and swayed his head to show his disapproval of their cutting in line.  In a soft voice, he said, "I am sorry."  I smiled and said, "It is okay.  We are not in a hurry."

Suddenly, the man rushed to a checkout lane that had just opened.  He signaled for us to go ahead of him.  We thanked him and told him to go ahead for we were now second in line (i.e. behind the couple).

The cashier and I greeted one another with a smile.  I decided to tell her how much I appreciated her way of treating everybody.  She let out a beautiful smile.  She said to my husband, "You have a wonderful wife!"  She wished us a happy Easter.

On our way out of the store, I nodded at the tall man who had treated us with kindness.  He waved at us and wished us a happy Easter.  Joyfully, I said, "You too!"

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On quite a few occasions, people had asked us to go ahead of them when they saw that we had only bought a few items while their shopping carts were full of groceries. Sometimes we did move ahead; at other times, we thanked them and told them we had plenty of time.  At the end, they (or we) always looked back at one another with good wishes.  We had also let other people go ahead of us when we observed they were in a hurry to leave the store.  On a couple of occasions, I had also stood my ground when someone intentionally and rudely cut before me.  I was not afraid to stand up when I felt it was something I should do.  Occasionally, we all needed someone to speak the truth and learn from it.  (Re A talk with a store manager and I was happy to stay in my comfort zone )

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April is almost over.  The weather has been nice.  In the late afternoon, I often go for a walk by the school.  Looking at the new leaves on the trees,  I feel renewed too.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Many blessings,
Q of D

Charlie is good looking

Greetings!

We invited our younger son and his family to come over to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

After we ate, our daughter-in-law suggested for us to play the Gossip Game.  She knew I had not heard of the name of the game.  She explained to me that one person would whisper a phrase to the person next to him, then that person would whisper what he heard to the next person, and the last person that heard the whispered phrase would say it out loud.  My daughter-in-law said, "A lot of times, it turns out that the phrase is completely distorted.  It is a good game to play in the school.  It is a fun game, and, it is educational.  Students will learn gossips do not equate to truth."

We stood in a circle.  My daughter-in-law said we could ask the one who related the phrase to repeat it if we were not sure of what we heard.  My oldest grandson volunteered to be the one that came up with a phrase.  He thought for a while.  He whispered the phrase to his sister.  My younger son leaned down to hear the words from his daughter.  My son told me the words.  I had doubts.  I asked him to repeat the phrase.

Right then, my older son came out of the bathroom.  When he learned we were playing the Gossip Game, he said he wanted to play too.  He went to stand at the end of the line of Gossip.  I told my daughter-in-law of what I thought I heard.  She in turn said it to my older son.

Confidently, my older son said it out loud, "Charlie is good looking!"

The rest of us exclaimed in surprise, "What?"

We heard something like "Charlie's good luck" or "Charlie is good luck".  We turned to the phrase originator, my grandson.  The boy looked at us.  He said, "That was not what I said!"

The phrase was "Chinese Year, Good Luck!"

Indeed, the phrase had almost been completely distorted, but the Good remained.  All of us had a good laugh.

Love,
Q of D

A Swan in the Sky and the Floating Angel Cloud

Greetings!

I got into the car.  My husband was already inside waiting for me.  After I buckled the seat belt, I looked up at the sky.  Excitedly, I said, "Look at that white cloud!  It looks exactly like a swan!"  My husband looked at the cloud.  He said, "It does look like a swan.  Its body, neck, head and beak ... but it is a cloud."  I said, "Do you see the small spot on its head where light is shining through?  It looks like light is shining from the swan's eye(s)!"  My husband said, "Yea ... light does seem to be coming out of its eye."  He began to drive out of the parking lot.  He said, "It is just a cloud, and clouds can look like anything."  With his personality, he would not have said that many words if the cloud only slightly resembled a swan.  I knew clouds could look like anything, but it was one beautiful swan (cloud) in the sky.

Interestingly, I later read online that one of the two spiritual masters (both had moved on) had a connection with swan.  She had drawn an outline of a swan after a dream / vision.  (Re my posts in recent months about the spiritual retreat)  

In a way, I was glad my husband saw the cloud swan too.  Not long ago, I had another experience with clouds.  I was by myself when I had that experience.  When I told my family, they did not know what to think of it.  I did not know what to think of it too.  It was one strange experience.  This was what happened.

One afternoon, I went for a walk by the school.  As I entered the football field, I saw a floaty** cloud above a corner on the other side of the field.  I said, "Oh, it is a big angel!"  The words just came out of my mouth because it looked like an angel.  **At first, I wanted to use the word 'light' to describe the cloud, i.e. the cloud was not dense.  In fact, it was flimsy as if it could disappear in a second.

When I walked to that corner of the football field, I examined the cloud from below.  I did not see a head, but next to the head area were two big round shapes (the energy around an angel that we thought were the angel's wings).  The angel seemed to be in a robe with one hand extended outward.  I smiled at my 'creative thinking'.  I continued on my walk.

As usual, I chanted (in my heart) while I walked.  On that side of the track, I had to walk with extra care because there were lots of geese feces.  Therefore, I did not look up at the sky.  Soon I was back to the side of the track that was close to the apts. or where I had entered.  I looked up.  Right above me was the floating angel cloud!  Had the cloud followed me all the way over to this side?  Then I thought the wind must have blown the cloud over to this side.

I began to walk again.  I was surprised the cloud was still above me.  As I reached the end of the track on our side, I decided to prove it was just a coincidence.  I quickly turned to walk in the other direction.  In my estimation, the tail part of the cloud should be above me; as I walked, the cloud should stay where it was, and would not turn around.  I was wrong.  The head of the cloud was above me.  The cloud followed me all the way to the other end.  I could not believe what happened.  To prove what I saw was not true, I walked from one end to another again and again.  No matter how I turned, the head part of the cloud was ahead of me!

After many tries, I decided it was time to go home.  On the last round, I walked past the end of the track and walked onto the grassy field.  When I walked fast, the cloud seemed to move fast too.  Standing on the grassy field, I found myself below the center of the cloud instead of the head.  I observed there were a few small, lighted spot here and there in the cloud.  As I turned to walk home, the cloud did not turn around.  I walked past the tail part.  I did not look up again.  I went straight home.

I had seen dense clouds disappeared without a trace the next second I looked at them.  How could a flimsy cloud retained its shape in a breezy evening?  Most of all, how could a cloud follow me around?  Was the cloud really an angel?  Could it be my heart recognized what the cloud was, but my human eyes saw it as a cloud?

Well, I have no answers to my questions.  It is quite alright.  I enjoy my walks, and that is what matters.

Many blessings,
Q of D

A Chance Meeting in a Restaurant

Greetings!

Recently my husband and a relative went to a restaurant for breakfast.  As they were leaving, they seemed to hear someone mentioned my husband's name.

There were some Chinese men sitting in a corner of the restaurant.  One of them said to another man, "You are wrong!  It can't be him (i.e. my husband).  He lives in the same city as my brother.  It is far from here."  My husband looked at all the men sitting there.  He did not recognize anyone of them.  He thought they could not be talking about him.  He continued to walk out of the restaurant.

The relative had worked in Chinese restaurants.  He opened his own restaurant some years ago.  He said to my husband, "I am sure they are talking about you.  I kind of recognize the one that may have said your name.  Some years ago, I went to a restaurant looking for a job.  He was in charge of the kitchen.  He knew you.  He said you and him had worked very well together for a busy restaurant."  My husband took another look at that man.  Three of the men also stood up to look at him.  They said, "Oh, it is really him!"

It turned out my husband knew most of the men that were there.  Decades had gone by.  Their hair were now gray or white.  Their physical appearances had changed quite a bit.  For instance, the one that called out my husband's name used to be slim and his face was narrow; now he was not slim and his face was round.  It was quite a moment when they looked at one another after so many years.  For the next hour and a half, my husband caught up with his friends about their lives.  The relative left because he had to attend to his restaurant business.

Like my husband, his friends were retirees.  They said they met at the restaurant regularly twice a week.  They asked my husband to join them from then on.

When I learned about what happened, I was very happy for my husband.  I also thanked the Divine for answering my prayer.

Since the restaurant years, my husband did not talk much.  He only showed some enthusiasm when I talked to him about his experiences long time ago.  I had heard most if not all of his stories, but that was a way to start a conversation with him.  His heart was closed.  Even with our dear ones, he seemed to be distant sometimes.  I had been praying for him to meet up with some of his friends.  With friends, I believed he might open up and feel less disconnected to the world around him.

For the last two weeks, my husband has joined his friends at the restaurant.  He says the meeting was just all right.  He has as yet shown gladness or eagerness in going to see his friends.  In time, I hope he will.

Many blessings,
Q of D

P. S.  After some time, my husband learned his friends actually met at the restaurant for a cup of coffee every morning during the week.  A few of them might leave around 10 or 11 am to go to work, but there were always others that stayed in the restaurant.  My husband had since joined his friends every morning, rain or snow.  Sometimes they talked until 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.  Eventually, my husband went there everyday, and was among the last ones that left the restaurant.

Gloves On Feet - Moment of Sweetness / Love

Gloves On Feet

On a cold, windy spring day

A family went to the zoo

The youngest in a stroller,

A boy and a girl walked alongside their parents

After a long walk on the trails

The boy told his daddy and mommy, "My feet hurt!"

They asked, "What part of your feet hurt?"

He had on a pair of boots

He pointed at the bottom of his feet

His daddy looked at him

Without saying another word

He bent down and signaled for the boy to climb onto his back

Content and happy on his daddy's back

His boots slipped off his feet

Immediately, his mommy took off her gloves

She placed them over his feet to keep them warm

It never crossed her mind

That her hands might now be cold

Gloves on feet

A strange and funny sight indeed

The family laughed

Joyfully, they continued on their walk in the zoo

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

Dear (Grandson), what is love?

It is in the small things that your daddy and mommy do for you.  It is in the food they cook.  It is in their eyes and in their smiles as they look at you.  It is in the gentle conversation that they try to explain what you should or should not do.  Sometimes, love is also in the hurried, loud admonishing words because they don't want you to get hurt.

As the oldest child, sometimes you may feel life is not that fair.  You may feel your mommy and daddy are easier on your siblings than you.  As the oldest one, you have watched how tenderly your mommy and daddy attend to your sister, and now your little brother.  Remember, you are their first born.  They had taken care of you lovingly and tenderly when you were small.  If you pay attention, they still love you and take care of you the best they can just as the day in the zoo.  They loved you then, they love you now, and they will always love you.

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

I wrote down the above words some months ago after going to the zoo with my loved ones.  I kept it as a draft in 'Loveshines', but I had not intended to publish it.  I wanted to create a book of love with pictures and comments on different occasions, and gave it to my grandson someday.

A couple of months ago, my grandson, with the help of his parents, created his first social media account.  One day, he posted this question to his family and friends - Is there something you want (to see) on my website.  I sent this request to his website.

I would love to see the picture of 'Gloves on your feet'.  Remember these moments of love, and you will always smile from your heart.

Afterward, I did not see any response on his website.  I let it go.  At his young age,  he was probably not that into his social media account as the adults.

Today I saw a loved one's comment above my request.

"Sadly, I don't remember them."  

I thought the family had taken some picture of 'gloves on feet'.  Now, I wondered if I was the only one who had taken some pictures of that moment.  Since I wrote "Remember these moments of love ... ", the loved one might not necessary mean this particular occasion.

As for me, I could still recall how relaxed and content my grandson was on his daddy's back.  The sweetness he felt in his heart was shown on his face.  Then his boot slipped off his feet.  His loving mommy immediately took off her gloves and placed them over his feet.  It was a cold spring day, but my heart was warm seeing the love among my loved ones.

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

The other day we were in a restaurant eating dim sum.  My oldest grandson took a sip of water.  Immediately, he alerted his mother that the water might be too hot for his little brother.  My grandson did not notice I was looking at him with a smile.  His natural display of loving concern for his little brother warmed my heart.

                                           ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

Many of us retained memories of loss, defeat, sadness, anger, feeling unloved, or that of traumatic events.  Meanwhile, we easily forgot these moments of sweetness / love that happened all the time in our daily life.

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

For love, I change my mind and choose to publish this post.

It is never too late to pay attention to the love and beauty around us.  Take them in* with love, appreciation, and gratitude.  As we do, we will see life in a different light, and know that Love Is All That Is.  (*Matter of speech only)

Many Blessings,
Q of D

She offers to let him go ahead of her, and he says "No ...."

Greetings!

After shopping, we line up to pay.  It is Friday.  There are lines behind every cash register for many people have come out to shop.  

Soon we are fourth or fifth in line.  A man is in front of us.  Before him is an old couple with many groceries.  The old woman looks back at the man behind them.  Seeing he has only two items in his shopping cart, she asks if he wants to go ahead of them*.

*It happens from time to time.  Many people are kind and considerate.  They understand some people may be in a hurry to leave the store and go somewhere.

The man says, "No, no ... thanks.  I have to learn patience."

I do not expect to hear this response at all.  In situation like this, people sometimes say "I am not in a hurry" or "I have plenty of time".  He does not want to go ahead of them for he wants to learn patience!  Hearing that, I cannot help but let out a heartfelt smile.  Since I hear it, I think I have to learn patience too.  I observe I have not been very patient with the people that I just come to know.  Thanks, Brother!

If I ever stand in a long line, I hope I will remember what happens today.  With patience, I know I will see beauty wherever I am.

Peace,
Q of D

Money On the Ground

Greetings!

In a news story some years ago, a mother and her daughter saw a dollar bill on their way to a store.  The girl picked it up and suggested for her mother to use the $1 to buy a lottery ticket.  As it turned out, they won the lottery jackpot.  If I recalled correctly, the mother said she had never bought any lottery ticket before that day!

When I heard the story, I was happy for the mother and daughter.  I marveled at the wonders of the divine plan.

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

Over the years, I had seen money ($5 and $20s) on the ground and inside the stores a few times.  It happened because people failed to notice money fell out of their pockets or handbags when they tried to get their wallets / phones.  If it happened in front of me, I let that person know.  If not, I took the money to the clerk working at the customer service desk.

Below are a couple of occasions that I saw money on the ground.

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

One day, my friend and I went for a walk.  My friend was in her 80s, and had a minor problem with one of her legs.  She told me she had fallen down twice while talking walks by herself.  Therefore, I always walked her back to her place to make sure she was safe.  (Re other posts There was something wrong with my cell phone and A conversation between two grandmothers)

On this day, we saw a few dollar bills on the sidewalk of the condo complex before we reached her unit.  I continued walking towards her condo.  My friend remained standing where the dollar bills were.

She said, "Don't you see the dollar bills?  Why don't you pick them up?"

I said, "No. I will not do that because they are not mine."

My friend said, "They are on the ground.  There is nothing wrong with taking them."

I said, "I will not (pick them up) for they are not mine.  They must have fallen out of someone's pocket while he or she was in a hurry to get back to the condo.  Let's go and leave the money where it is."

She looked at me.  I knew she thought differently about it.

I smiled and said,  "If you want to, you may."  I paused and added, "But, I think we should just go."

She said, "It is only a few dollars. Okay, let's go."

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~ 

Recently my husband and I went to an Asian grocery store with a relative.  There were many customers in the store.  My husband's relative walked a short distance ahead of us.  As we walked, the relative abruptly put his foot forward over something on the floor.  His sudden movement drew our attention.  Under his shoe was a $20 bill.  The relative quietly looked at the people next to him.  Then he bent down and quickly put the money into his pocket.  My husband tried to explain his relative's action in a low voice, "Most people regard the money they find on the ground as lucky money or a sign of good luck.  This is why he takes the money.  There is no way to verify who dropped the money anyway."  He did not need to explain to me.  I knew many people thought that way.  I understood my husband was trying to put in some good words for his relative.  I did not say anything to his relative who was in his 50 s.  He was responsible for his own action.  Besides, I did not know who lost the $20, and he / she might have left the store. 

                                            ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~

In life, we all conduct ourselves according to how our hearts feel we should do.  What I choose to do does not necessary mean I am right and another person is wrong.

Have a great week!

Many blessings,
Q of D

The day did not turn out as I had planned

Greetings!

A while back, I thought it was time to change my focus in life.  I chose a date.  I planned what to do and where to go on that day.

On that day, my husband got a call from his relatives in the morning.  After a big fight (argument), their daughter had locked herself in the room.  They tried to talk to her, but she did not respond.  The relatives had to go to work, yet they worried what their daughter might do.  (They had the reason to worry about her.)  After a long silence, the young woman expressed a willingness to talk to someone (i.e. me).  They asked if I could go over to their house.  My husband and I drove to their house.  After we arrived, our relatives went to work leaving their daughter with us.

I walked into the room.  With her hands over her face, the young woman sat on her bed crying.  Quietly, I sat down on the floor by the bed.  (There was no chair inside.  I had not thought of getting a chair from outside of the room.)  For a while, I pondered what to say.

At one point, she bent forward holding her head with her hands.  I could see she was in great pain.  I asked, "Do you have a headache?"  She nodded and said, "Yes. It hurt very, very much."  I said, "Would you want me to rub or massage your temples (the sides of the head)?  It may help to ease your pain."  She said, "Yes!"  I put my hands forward to massage her head.  (That was what I intended to do.)  Instead, powerful healing energy came through.  My right hand began to move vigorously around the space above and around her head.  (My hand never touched her head.) Seeing my sudden hand movement, the young woman was surprised.  I told her I had learned healing.  The healing session only lasted for about two minutes.  The young woman was no longer in pain.  I asked her to rest for a while.  I put a blanket over her and left the room.  A while later, we checked on her.  She was sleeping peacefully.

For the next couple of hours, we waited quietly in the family room.  Later in the afternoon, I had a long, honest talk with the young woman.  Sometimes we might think the whole world had wronged us; however, if we looked at the problems in our lives with all fairness, we might find we were partly at fault too.  The young woman seemed to take in some of what I said.  (In recent days, her parents said she had improved a lot.  Her parents needed to change too.  Favoritism was the cause of conflict, pain, and separation in many families.)

It had been nearly four years since we moved back to this state.  During these four years, I had not worked on anybody personally as a channel of healing energy.  On a few occasions, powerful energy flowed into me and through me as I sat among other people.  However, I had stopped going to any church or spiritual gathering since last summer.  Therefore, I did not expect healing energy to come through me to work on the young woman at all.  (That was why I offered to massage her head.)

Anyway, that day did not turn out as I had planned.  When we came back to our apartment, the day was almost over.  That was how life was, and I fully trusted everything was in divine order.  I had thought of changing my focus.  It might be I should think again.

Peace,
Q of D

CD & books by Deepak - gifts from my loved ones

Greetings!

Today must be my lucky day.  I receive four gifts from my loved ones.

The Secret of Healing - Meditations for Transformation & Higher Consciousness CD

The Book of Secrets - Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life

Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul  - How to Create a New You

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire - Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence

The CD and books are all by Deepak Chopra, a wonderful spiritual teacher.  Every now and then, Deepak Chopra and Oprah facilitate free 21-Day online meditations. Currently, there is a 21-Day meditation on Shedding the Weight : Mind, Body and Spirit.  However, today is the 20th day, the second last day.  If you are interested, please go to their website to check out their meditation CD and books.

Why do I recommend meditations facilitate by Oprah and Deepak?  I can feel energy. Every time I log in, wonderful energy begins to pulsate around my crown and my whole body.  I believe it has everything to do with the intention and energy of the loving brothers and sisters at the Deepak Center.

We can find many meditations and healing music online, but the energy of each may not be the same.  I often go online to listen to the messages channeled by a spiritual teacher from U.K.  The energy she channels through is very loving and powerful. There is another person who reads the transcript and repeats her message.  This person's voice was clear, yet the energy is not the same.

To my loved ones, thank you for the gifts.

To my friends, may all of us embrace life with ease and joy (the centering thought of today's meditation) !

Love,
Q of D    
   

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw ...

Greetings!

We lived next to two schools that had three huge grassy sports fields.  People in the neighborhood liked to take walks on the playground when the schools were not in session.

Yesterday evening I decided to take a walk by the school.  Though it was already past 8 p.m., the sun was still shining.  There were many people playing and walking on the fields.  As soon as I walked onto the field, something unexpected happened.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something with wings rapidly approaching my head.  I thought it was a butterfly with big wings.  (Yeah, I wished it were a big butterfly!)  Instantly, I raised my right hand above my head to catch it.  It was faster than my hand, and I never even touched it.

The next thing I knew a bird had landed on my head!  It was chirping loudly.  (I did not know if I should use chattering or chirping.  I could only describe it as loud.)  I had washed my hair three hours ago.  The movement of the bird made me think about the possibility of bird poo on my hair.  I tried to get the bird off my hair with my hand.  I did it gently.  I thought the bird that landed on my head could be a baby bird that just learned to fly.  I did not want to scare the bird.  In order to avoid my hands (I only used one hand at a time), the bird walked around my head swiftly.  I could feel its talons touching my head, but it did not hurt.  The bird moved so fast that I never touched any part of its body.  Meanwhile, the bird continued to chirp loudly.

I did not expect this to happen at all.  I was somewhat embarrassed because I knew there were a few people walking where I was.  I decided to stop trying to get the bird off my hair with my hands.  Instead, I stood still.  For some long seconds, the bird continued to flap its wings as it walked around my head.  All the while, it was chirping as loud as it could as if it was making its announcement.  Then it flew high up into the air and out of the field towards the apartments.  It was definitely not a baby bird.

I continued walking as if nothing had happened.  A while later, I could not help but laughed as I thought about the funny scene  - a bird landed on a woman's head and refused to leave.  I was also relieved that there was no 'you know what' on my hair.

Birds are very special in my life.  They are the confirmation, the messengers, and my link to the Divine.  I hope to share with you some wonderful experiences of birds in the future.

Love,
Q of D

A little girl's words on the spirit within us

Greetings!

We were at our younger son's house a few weeks ago.  I had an interesting, unexpected conversation with our 5-year-old granddaughter.

She was eating some snacks by the table.

She said, "Ah Ma (i.e. grandma), I want to tell you a secret."

Untainted by experiences from adulthood, children were wonderful storytellers because they had amazing imagination and were very intuitive.

Excitedly, I asked, "What is it?"

She put her right hand over her heart, and said in a low voice, "There is a spirit in here."

I was surprised.  I did not think my granddaughter heard this from her parents.  I did not talk to my grandchildren anything about spirituality.  I knew my son and daughter-in-law had their own plan of what to teach their children, and I respected their right.  

I said, "Oh, really?  Do I have a spirit in my heart too?"

She said, "Yes, of course.  Everyone has a spirit inside."

I asked, "How do you know that?"

She said, "I just know.  The spirit is very, very powerful."  After pausing for a second, she added, "And, it is very, very dangerous too."

I did not expect to hear the second part of her comment.  I asked, "Why is the spirit very dangerous?"

She answered with assuredness, "The spirit is very, very powerful and very, very dangerous."

Then our conversation was over.  My cute, beautiful granddaughter asked me to go to her toy kitchen.  She was going to be the chef, and I could order any food I liked.

I was surprised at her words that 'the spirit is very, very dangerous'.  When I had time to contemplate, I found what she said bore some truths.  As humans, we were born with the power to create.  The condition of the world we lived in was our creation.  With free will, selfish desires, and foolishness (or ignorance), some of us were our own worst enemies.  Millions had died in the hands of dictators, tyrannies, and terrorists.  Wars and violence became part of our lives.

                                             ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~    ~

Are we powerless towards what happens around us?  I think we should never underestimate our own power within.  Most of us want to live in peace.  Let us choose to stay in peace no matter what happens or where we are.  Let us focus on love, beauty, goodwill, and harmony around us.  We are making a difference when we let ourselves be the peace that we are.

Many blessings,
Q of D

A Splendid New Year To All

Greetings!

I wonder what I am going to write on my last post of 2014.

In the years past, I had fallen into the pressure of the day, which we called it either the last day of a year or the eve of a new year.  I had written down many wish lists and goals with full intention and expectation.

Today I have decided I will not make any new year's resolution.  My desires and wishes are already known to the universe (or my universe), and I know any new desire that arises will immediately be received too.  I will settle in and let them unfold. Every day is a new day, and every moment is a new moment.  All is well in the universe.  I always know what to do in the moment of now.  Right now, I am enjoying the peace of the day.

To all of you, a Joyful New Year's Eve and a Splendid New Year!

Love,
Q of D

 

My son said, "My Mom has a weird sense of humor."

Greetings!

The other night we invited our loved ones over for dinner.   We talked as we ate.  At one point, I foresaw what would be.  It unfolded as I had expected.  I found it to be very funny, and broke out laughing.  My daughter-in-law asked, "What is so funny?"  I tried to stop laughing, but I could not.  My son said, "Mom, why do you laugh? What's so funny?"  When I got a hold of myself, I tried to explain.  However, I knew it was almost impossible to convey the fun I felt.  Indeed, they could not understand.  In reconciliation, my son said to his wife, "My Mom has a weird sense of humor."

Our older son was not home that night.  He had used the word 'weird' to describe me too.  For instance, whenever he heard me said 'life is fun' or 'life is supposed to be fun', he always countered me with 'Mom, you are weird; life is not fun'.  I looked at him with a smile.  There was no need to convince him for it was not my job to change him, and life was not about who was right or wrong.  People liked to use the word 'weird' to describe something or a person that they did not understand.  I wasn't offended by my sons words.   That was their opinion.

The three men in my life, my husband and our sons, did not laugh half as much as I did, not to mention laughing openly and heartily.  I rarely allowed myself to laugh liked that in public because I knew it was regarded as inappropriate.  (It had happened on a few occasion.  Luckily, all is well.)  It was with my family that I felt the ease of being.

I usually had a good laugh reading light-hearted jokes on the newspaper or spiritual magazines.  It was puzzling to my husband for he had never found anything that was worth laughing while reading.  He asked me to read him the jokes.  He could not feel the humor at all.  Our older son said a joke or two when he was in the mood.  Our younger son had his own sense of humor.  However, most of the time, he allowed the serious side of him to be dominant.  (Now, that is my opinion.)

Despite of our differences, I know they love me just as I love them.  Some people wish to stay young forever, but there are blessings in every stage of life.  Growing in age is but a natural stage of a physical life.  I am more relaxed than when I was young.  I learn from my experiences, and know to look at life happenings objectively.   I know I am in control of how I feel.  I am happy where I am at.

Love and Peace,
Q of D

She called to cancel a healing session

Greetings!

One morning, a friend called to cancel a healing session.  She told me she had to go to a company for a meeting.  However, she wanted to drop by and talk to me for a little while since the Center was on her way of getting there.  She planned to stay for about ten minutes.   She said she must leave before 11 am because that company was in a city quite a distance away.

I was not a professional healer.  A friend had talked to me about promoting myself (as a healer) such as placing an ad on holistic magazines, but I had not done that.  On the day I stayed in the Center, I worked on people who happened to walk in and want to receive healing.  I did not charge money for healing sessions.  If no one came, I listened to music and meditated.  I went home around 12:30 pm for lunch.  Then I came back and stayed until about 5 pm.

My friend was a long time spiritual seeker.  She had learned Reiki and other healing arts.  She was a spiritual teacher who facilitated metaphysical circles.  She had a doctorate degree, and was quite successful in the business world.  She wanted to keep her spiritual side private because she did not want that to jeopardize her career.

My friend arrived.  She began to tell me a personal experience that had deeply troubled her.  Coincidentally, I had a similar experience years ago.  I told her how I had handled the situation, and what I learned from that experience.  Soon it was 11 am. I reminded her of her appointment with that company.  She said she wanted to talk some more.  She continued to talk.  As usual, I listened to her experiences, and spoke only when I felt I had something to say.  Around noon, I reminded her of the time.  She said everything could wait, and that she could reschedule the meeting.

It was almost 2 o'clock when she stood up from her chair.  She said, "I am so glad we talk. I know now why I felt I should come to talk to you even though I called to cancel the session. I have been looking for answers for a long time. You have answered all the questions that had bothered me. Thank you!"  We hugged before we parted ways.

When I arrived home, my husband had put away the food.  He thought I had gone out for lunch with a friend.  Well, the food tasted better when one (i.e. me) was hungry.

All Is Well in the divine plan.

Wherever you are, may your day be filled with peace and joy!

Many blessings,

Q of D

On this Angels Day and Veterans Day, I give thanks to..........

Greetings!

I had cataract surgery on my right eye over a month ago.  I was quite near-sighted and had worn eyeglasses since I was in 4th grade.  The surgery was a success.  I only experienced a little bit of discomfort.

My right eye was blurry for the first few days.  It began to improve on the fourth day. With the basic monofocal len, I could see things in a distance.  If I wanted to read a book, I had to cover the eye that had surgery.  I also found using the computer was somewhat challenging.  Despite of the minor inconvenience, I could not stop smiling.  Now, I could watch the television without any eyeglasses, see things far away clearly, and the colors were amazing!  For a while, everything looked super bright.  I had to turn down the setting of brightness on the computer and the television.

My left eye, which used to see better than the right eye, was scheduled for surgery four weeks later.  Originally, I wanted to cancel the surgery because I could read with that eye.  However, after not wearing the eyeglasses for a couple of weeks, the brain must have automatically used the right eye.  When I put on my eyeglasses (with the right side covered), I found the eyesight of my left eye had deteriorated a lot.  I could no longer see with my left eye even with the eyeglasses on.

Therefore, I had surgery on my left eye last week.  It went very well.  It was painless.

The left eye is getting better every day.  The right eye is doing well.  I buy a pair of reading glass from the Dollar Store so that I can read the newspaper and use the computer.   It will be some days before the doctor can give me a prescription for a new pair of eyeglasses.  I want to take this opportunity to thank the eye doctor and all the nurses who have treated me with kindness.

I have withdrawn my recent post on the gray cat.  It will be a while before I can finish the story on the cat.  It makes no sense to publish part 1 and 2 (or 3) with many days apart.

Today is Angels Day* (Nov. 11, 1111 day) and Veterans Day.  I honor the presence of the loving angels in our lives, and the veterans who serve and protect USA - the Land of the Free.  Thank you!

Love,
Q of D

*I honor the love of the angels on Jan. 11, Nov. 1, 10 & 11.  These are 111 or 1111 days.  111 is a number symbolic to the presence of angels.   You can celebrate each day and every day with or without any reason.   Life is supposed to be fun, and Life Is.