Gratitude.

Yesterday, January 15th, was a very special day: twas the birth day of one of the most amazing people I have ever met in this life and quite possibly many other previous existences! My dear friend, Gailen, who is my confidant, house-mate, spiritual council-member, teacher, and cosmic-sister, has proven time and time again to sparkle and shine through her thoughtful, intellectual feedback, unconditional love and respect, giving freely her guidance and support. I have learned so much from this woman about being a strong, powerful female and in embracing life. It seems only fitting to share with you all here in blog-land, in my very first blog post ever, a little about my life and those that mean a great deal to me and how it is possible that I have found myself here....living this amazingly beautiful, blessed life. I feel absolutely honored to be given so many gifts, so many opportunities, so many blessings. This is my little way of sharing with you, my little way of saying thank you. I'm gonna tell ya a little story.

Gailen sings to herself crazily. This photo captures her perfectly! <3

This is dedicated to Gailen. Happy Birthday, my beauteous-friend, you! I hope this year brings you all blessings you deserve: happiness, health, joy, deeper listening and understanding, inspiration, lots of laughter, finding your hidden treasures, uncovering the Universe's secrets, magic, beauty! IT'S ALL YOURS! I hope you know you have made a profound impact in my life, my heart. I love you Miss Gailen. For ever and for always.

 

Gailen making a top-secret, super-sacred birthday wish.

We met a little over a year ago. We worked together at a local restaurant. A little ball of pure energy, I was so intrigued. We fell in love pretty much instantly. Her gregarious disposition was refreshing, exciting, exhilarating. She was spirited and ambitious like no one else I had ever seen. We laughed A LOT. We exchanged our tales of our experiences and found that we held similar dreams for our futures. We were, and still are, very different individuals but found common golden, glittery threads interwoven throughout the things in life that mattered, the fundamentals. We both believed in the beauty and the magic of life and were open to life's giving so graciously of endless opportunity. So, we decided to take life up on it: she moved into my one bedroom apartment only TWO MONTHS later. Why the hell not? It felt right.

Then...oh man...THEN...the final piece to our puzzle walked right in under our noses. We had no clue. She was hired at the restaurant we worked at. She was, at first, seemingly shy, timid and kept to herself. She was resistant to breaking from her shell. It took us awhile to get her to go out with us after work. With some persistence, we all started hanging out a bit. We all started making our paper mache masks for a Make-Your-Own-Masquerade party I hosted in honor of my birthday and a fellow Aquarian-friend. We got to know each other over bowls of flour and water and glue. As we applied layer after layer of our paper mache, I had the intuitive feeling that we had found someone and we found her for a reason. We found Amandy.

Amanda, uh-hum I mean Gary, and I at the Masquerade Party. 

It was THIS VERY MOMENT, that I saw magic in her.

The three of us began spending a lot of time together. Amandy had similar interests and felt strongly about certain things in life just as we did. It was a done deal. She, too, moved in. It was amazing. Our connection, our honesty with each other, our bond was beautiful. It seemed fateful that we all met when we did, such precise timing in each of our lives and so the three of us rode fate's beautifully vibrant coat-tails together! We began looking for a house. We found an incredible place tucked on the other side of town on a dead-end, quiet, little street that fit all of our requirements. It was nestled up against an Old Growth Redwood ravine and blocking the ENTIRE house from the street sat a majestic 140 year old redwood tree that seemed to welcome us. The Redwood Tent. (A reference to Anita Diamant's book, The Red Tent, that had been significant to each of our growth and understanding of the female perspective and capacity, the thirst, to be fierce and accomplished women.)

 

The Redwood that lives in our front yard although this picture does it absolutely no justice. 

We shared with each other our dreams and goals and hopes for the future. We worked together. We partied together. We caused trouble, stomping through the streets on insanely rainy nights yelling and screaming together. We made a raucous together, broke shit together, drank buckets of gin together. We sang and danced and laughed together. We lived together.

Living with the Redwood Giants. View from our breakfast nook/over the deck. 

Looking back now, as this was all going on at this time a year ago it is amazing how effortless it all was. It all happened with such an ease, like nothing else I had experienced in my life. It didn't feel like going against the grain for what I wanted or needed or felt in my bones and my blood was right. It was handed to me. It was, and still is, unfathomable. Unimaginable. BUT, it was definitely not dumb luck. I am a firm believer in setting intentions and in ASKING the Universe, or your spirit guides, your angels, your God or whomever you speak to for guidance, for help in finding what it is your soul truly needs to be alive, to flourish. We had each asked in our own ways for answers to our questions, for truth and for beauty, and to find the people that we needed to help us accomplish our soul's purposes, to dive deeper into ourselves and to find our truths. We asked to find support, motivation needed to move forth in the world having found direction. We asked to find other like-minded women. And...we found each other. We built something unique together: a collaborative space that encouraged growth in any direction without expectation or dependency on each other. We allowed each other the freedom we needed to be, to blossom. We built a communal home, where we grocery shop together, cook together, eat together around our dinner table where we over breakfast talk about our dreams, or over dinner talk about our experiences of that day. We share. We laugh. We dance. We sing.

And so I am filled with such an overwhelming appreciation for being given CHOICES to make that have allowed me to direct my own life. I am incredibly REVERENT toward the earth, the cosmos, my guides, my family, my friends, my messages, my omens, my dreams, my treasures, my life, MYSELF. I feel sincere reverence for this beautifully sacred life that I have been given.

 

Dinner tonight with my lovely house-mates, Gailen and Rosemary.

Centerpiece at dinner tonight. 

'Behind the Reverent Curtain' is a space for me to express that gratitude. Reverence is defined as: a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration. The title is a play on words referring to the region that I live in, which is often referred to as being tucked "behind the redwood curtain." This is a place that I have lived for nearly ten years. This is place that called to me when I was a young babe of only 18. I was so drawn to this place and was unsure of why for quite a few years after moving here. But, now....I understand. This place has shown me such love, such compassion, such grace. This place has opened up to me and offered me a mirror to see myself as I truly am, with all my flaws and faults, but also all my potential, my gifts, my talents, my ability to affect those around me. I feel the need to give back. THIS is a space for me to do so.

Thank you. Thank you for this opportunity. Thank you for giving what you have given. Thank you for allowing me to be myself, to find myself, to revel in myself. Thank you for my time here.