Father Earth, Daughter Sky
Transcription
Father Earth, Daughter Sky
Father Earth, Daughter Sky Listening to Spirit in the Heart of Nature Becky Gail Copyright © 2012 Becky Gail All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher. DreamSculpt Media Inc., Petaluma, CA. USA ISBN 978-1-937504-22-9 paperback 978-1-937504-23-6 ebook DSP103 Library of Congress Control Number 2012941934 For more information, visit www.DreamSculpt.com [email protected] Cover Illustration by Turtle Heart Interior Design by Darlene Swanson Produced and distributed for DreamSculpt Media, Inc. by BackOffice Publisher Services, Worthy Shorts, Inc. In Memory and Honor of Lloyd Evans Dedicated to Austin, Jack and Grant May your inner light guide you to a path of truth, wisdom, awe, wonder and love. Contents Chapter 1 Wood Thrush / Legacy . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Chapter 2 Earth Standing Bird / Out of the Nest . . 13 Chapter 3 Towhee / Taking Risks . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Chapter 4 Crow / You are With Friends Now . . . . 47 Chapter 5 Quetzal / Flying to Sacred Sites . . . . . . 61 Chapter 6 Chickadee / Synchronicity . . . . . . . . . 79 Chapter 7 Raven Spirit / Affirming Life . . . . . . . . 91 Chapter 8 Bluebird / Creating Sanctuary . . . . . . 109 Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Acknowledgments I thank my mother, Gail Evans, and sisters Julie Wilkinson, Susan Murray and Keryn DeRubis and their families for always being there for me. I cannot imagine a more genuine source of constant support and love. Aunt Diane Vernon, I thank you for cheering me on with your love! I am in deep gratitude to my dear friend, Beth Frazee, a fellow bird and nature lover. You have been there through all of it! Thank you to Jared Rosen. You encouraged and coached me to write this book years ago. I have much gratitude for your guidance, support, kindness and wisdom. I know it required a great deal of patience on your part to allow the story to unfold. To Judith Larson, my editor. Thank you for taking this manuscript to a whole new level. The polishing and refining contribute to the flow and clarity that I imagined from the beginning. I have deep respect and gratitude for your work. vii Father Earth, Daughter Sky I would like to acknowledge the light workers, and healers who inspired me to tap into awareness more fully: Turtle Heart, Silvia Santi, Erla Heyns, Thomas Steffen, Jennifer Vasilakos, Christine Allyson, Deb Foggio, Marjolaine Arsenault, Doug Hubbell, Salome, Ed Bastian, Sobyl Bunis, Eddie Ellner, Vijaya Stern, Frank Stainetti, Ella Joy Foster, Sharon Mehdi, Julia Gonzalez, Lama Dawa Tarchin Phillips and Olivia Vicky Lee. Heart felt gratitude to David Palermo for my photos and for taking the time to give me honest feedback on the manuscript. I appreciate Derek Stettler for filming and editing the videos. You are a gem! Big thanks to Tom Dain, Donna Jean Carolan, Tom Boyes and Karl Kras for turning my nature sanctuary dreams into a reality. Thank you Marie Larkin. What a blessing you have been to me! I cannot even list all of the ways. Thanks to Jim Downard for pointing me in the right direction when I first approached you for ideas. That first edit made quite an impression and I am grateful. I thank Kelly O’brien for being a great teacher and welcoming me into a new neighborhood! Much thanks to Alicia St. John for your expertise and feedback! Your generosity and creativity inspire me. viii Acknowledgments Carole Klingbeil . . . you are always there for me! I appreciate your thoughtfulness and support. Thank you to all of my friends and relatives who have supported me on my life journey. My life feels charmed for having you there! ix Chapter 1 Wood Thrush / Legacy W hen I close my eyes and picture him now, I see him walking. In his suit and tie, walking through the woods and countryside on his commute to work, my father, Lloyd, kept his daily ritual. I believe his commitment to walking in nature made him more aware, patient, mindful, and compassionate with others. For the president of a southeastern Ohio small-town bank and father of four girls, this was his way of clearing his mind to prepare for each day. During the last few hours of his life, I held his hand and watched him breathe. He was the best father I could possibly imagine, and I couldn’t believe this was it. This was the last time I would see him. Exhausted from crushing despair, I did my best to stay calm and supportive while he lay unconscious in his bed. My mother, Gail, my sisters Julie, Susan, and Keryn, and I gathered 1 Father Earth, Daughter Sky around him during the week, grateful that he seemed peaceful and free of pain. What would happen to all of us? Would I see a white cloud emerge from his body as he took his last breath? Was his spirit already somewhere else? Would he send me a message? Would he communicate something to me so that I could be certain he was still “here” with me? All day, I kept the vigil of holding his hand. I didn’t want to let go of the father who made me feel loved, supported, and nurtured all of my life. I thought that since he had taken such great care of himself physically, mentally, and spiritually, he would outlive all of us. I memorized the shape of his hand as if I could use that as a keepsake image the rest of my life. I reflected on our special moments together. From all the memories that surfaced, the times in nature were the most meaningful and memorable: the time he carried me half way down Mt. Washington in the rain when I was six years old; the winter day when I was sixteen, the schools were closed, and we drove to a state park to hike in the snow and icy wonderland of Cedar Falls; and the time I woke him before daybreak for a hike along a wooded ridge top just to watch a sunrise together. I’m certain it was how he would want to be remembered, because those were his dearest and most treasured times . . . in nature. His breathing didn’t stop until I left his room. That 2 Wood Thrush / Legacy night, I stepped outdoors and took a deep breath in the frosty air, and I spoke to the stars as if the sky was where he resided now. I cried out, desperate for him to give me a sign: perhaps a shooting star, a voice, a bird, something! It was the first time I fully realized the impermanence of everything. I didn’t like feeling out of control. It was agonizing to know that he wanted to live and had many dreams and goals still lingering. I felt his torment of leaving family behind. I was determined to find answers and explore possibilities of re-connecting with him so that I could cope. Even though I believed he was in a beautiful place, I couldn’t accept that he would not be involved with my life anymore. As a mother of three grown boys, I knew that I wanted to be an example of directing my energy toward healing and taking responsibility for wellness. In the following months, I prayed, meditated, read books on metaphysics, examined dreams, kept journals, and gathered an enormous amount of information on recovering from grief and understanding how to communicate with his spirit. I became a seeker of truth; I wanted to explore my true purpose and learn how to become the most authentic person I could be. I wanted to connect with Dad, but I also wanted to understand what brought him peace. While spending a few days in a guided imagery and breathing class, I met another participant, Tricia, who sparked my curiosity. 3 Father Earth, Daughter Sky “You are able to see and communicate with people that have passed on?” I asked. I hoped she would volunteer to “tune in” to see if my father had anything he wanted to say to me. “What was his name?” Tricia asked. “You tell ME!” I teased. She took a deep breath, and a few seconds later asked, “Does his name start with L?” “Oh my, you are good!” I said, “His name is Lloyd Evans.” Tricia left the room and focused on his name for a while, and I took a break for tea. When we came back to our mats, ready for the workshop discussion, she handed me a piece of paper. With tears in her eyes, she said Dad was right behind me. She felt that he was a gentle soul and was near me often. The note read: Blockages are not necessary. Clear them my dear. Live in love and joy. We are one and the same you and I. Big sky You are all love. Your path has many branches ~ feel into all of them and you’ll know what to do. 4 Wood Thrush / Legacy Tricia said Dad showed her images of a top hat (perhaps as an entertainer or spotlight), a fork (silverware), a sailboat on a lake, and an old-fashioned skeleton key. I thanked her. I felt she was genuinely receiving messages from Dad. And, of course, I wept! I wanted to know more. What did those images mean? Why couldn’t I be gifted with the same ability to communicate with him? I realized I needed to tune in more on my own. It was Father’s Day when I returned home. I decided the best way to honor Dad was to drive to my childhood home. Dad’s possessions, books, and journals were still there in the den. I found a spiral notebook with KEEP written in his handwriting on the first page. It was titled “Morning Pages.” I also found the journal he kept when he hiked the Appalachian Trail and a few other trails. A book called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron inspired Dad’s journals. Ms. Cameron suggests writing three pages longhand each morning strictly off the top of your head - whatever floods into your mind, including complaints, dreams, observations, reflections, or whatever! Dad disciplined himself for a year and kept morning pages. I was excited, but a little apprehensive, about reading his journal because these were his personal, intimate, private thoughts. I opened the notebook somewhere near the beginning and read: 5 Father Earth, Daughter Sky 6/8/95 I wish Becky could/would talk about something other than her boys or self. L.P.E. The following day he entered: Becky really is a beautiful soul. I would just like to see her stay more in touch with that part of herself. L.P.E. Stunned and heartbroken after reading this passage, I could barely see to drive home through all of the tears. Even though it was written six years before his death, I didn’t have a clue he felt that way about me at any point in my life. I couldn’t face the thought that I had displeased or disappointed him in any way. So many other times in life, I could improve a situation or do it over! “I lost my chance,” I thought. I also began to defend myself against what he wrote; my thoughts went something like this: I was busy raising three boys, taking care of all their needs. I was involved with all of their activities and projects, and my husband’s needs and activities. I thought that 6 Wood Thrush / Legacy since I was perfecting my way of being the best mom and wife I could be that no one would be disappointed. What was it about me that he detected I wasn’t in touch with? Why didn’t he tell me? Was I overly involved with my three sons? Did he feel that I could have listened better? I knew Dad loved me, and after a few days, I decided to gather his journals and read them so that I would have more insight into how he felt about nature and his family. I realized how lucky I was that he recorded his thoughts and left them behind. If no one read them, what purpose would they serve? In time, I was able to start reading more passages from his journals, and I was surprised to find that my thoughts were similar to his thoughts. Reading his words began to give me the comfort I was looking for and to feel connected with him again. There is a wonderful thunderstorm overhead. One clap of thunder rumbles and echoes as it bounces around the heavens. Then, stillness for a while when suddenly the thunder, remembering, cracks the sky wide open, followed by more 7 Father Earth, Daughter Sky echoes as the energy spent dissipates with a gentle rain. Earlier, I discovered a wood thrush, dead by my window. Only yesterday I had heard its heart song. Such a beautiful creature, even in death. I buried him/her under a hickory tree where I will continue to feel the song. L.P.E. Dad gave me all I need to know about handling any kind of death in his paragraph about the wood thrush. I recall the time he took me into the woods and helped me identify their ethereal flute-like call. It’s a sound that melts the heart. I had no doubt that I would come to appreciate nature as he did and continue to feel my father’s song. I decided from that day forward, I was meant to go deeper into understanding nature and communing on a regular basis. Dad resonated to the works by Emerson and Thoreau, and I found passages in his journals where he quoted them. This Thoreau quote reminds me of how Dad spoke of the wood thrush: The thrush alone declares the immortal wealth and vigor that is 8 Wood Thrush / Legacy in the forest. Here is a bird in whose strain the story is told . . . Whenever a man hears it he is young, and Nature is in her spring; whenever he hears it, it is a new world and a free country, and the gates of heaven are not shut against him. I realized Dad’s recorded dreams and journey were his gift to me. My gift back to him was to carry his dreams with me and share them with others. With this gift, I began to feel what it was like to be truly passionate about something in life. I realized that the passage he wrote about me was his hope that I would discover authenticity and passion. He probably recognized that I had become distracted with children and family, and had moved off center or out of balance. He was observing the potential in me, and I’m grateful now that he wrote this in his journal. It served as a catalyst to my seeking and my desire to understand myself on a deeper level. I knew it would be a process, but I was impatient to feel whole. I initiated a routine of walking around a hometown state park, Lake Alma, every chance I could. The spring after Dad died, I bundled up to walk the twomile bike path around the lake. The cold wind deterred most people, but I found that by wearing a down coat 9 Father Earth, Daughter Sky and wool hat, I was quite warm and could actually enjoy the walk. I loved having the place to myself for a change! Wrapped up in my own thoughts, I noticed a man walking toward me with a large Rottweiler. I did not feel threatened in any way, but he did look unusual, almost like a mystical Merlin with a long white beard. His fast pace with wide steps and his sweet smile reminded me of Dad as he passed by and commented on the unseasonable weather we were having. It crossed my mind that he was the type of persona Dad would reincarnate if given the choice. A few minutes later, when this man was at least a hundred yards away, I heard him call out to me to look up in the sky toward the island: “There’s an eagle . . . an osprey!” I scanned the sky hoping to spot the bird, and sure enough, I caught full sight of the magnificent soaring osprey just in time to witness his dive and plunge into the water for his morning meal. My heart nearly stopped! What an incredible sight! Grateful that this man took the time to share this with me, I looked across the lake to see if he was still there, but he disappeared from my view before I could shout back across the lake to thank him. How was it timed so perfectly? How did this man know to engage me? Not everyone appreciates birds, I thought. Most people might see the osprey, keep it to themselves, and probably not yell across a lake just so 10 Wood Thrush / Legacy someone else could see it. But, this man did! I couldn’t help but think that Dad’s spirit was around, reminding me to be aware so that I wouldn’t miss out on this exquisitely orchestrated event. Dad was passionate about nature, and it was becoming more evident how important nature was to me. Carole King sings about the stars at night putting on a show for free in her song, “Up on a Roof.” For free - imagine that! Not many things in life are free. How many times in a year do people actually take the time to look at the stars for even five minutes? A friend of mine had never stood still long enough to watch the sun slip below the horizon until I invited him to watch with me. I had assumed everyone had done that! Later that spring, I hiked on a trail at the same park. With the place to myself, I savored the warm sunshine after a long, gloomy winter. I decided to sit on the hillside in a pile of leaves and listen. I had the image in my mind that I was the only person in the entire county, sitting in the middle of the woods on the ground, and thrilled to be there. I tuned into the sounds of the forest and felt a soft breeze across my face. I was completely dumbfounded when I heard the sound of rainfall. How could that be? I kept staring at the incredibly blue, cloudless sky, perplexed by the sound of rain. Suddenly, a drop splattered on a brown leaf beside my feet, and I imme11 Father Earth, Daughter Sky diately had the urge to taste it. I placed the dried leaf on my tongue; it was as sweet as maple syrup. Of course! It was raining sap! How privileged I felt to experience this for the very first time! It was as if the tree was anointing me to a new experience. I’ve walked in the woods in the spring before but have never witnessed this phenomenon. I wondered if anyone else in the world knew it was raining sap! As I drove home in this impassioned state, I thought about the people passing me by in their cars, wondering if they were noticing the wind in the trees or the delicate scent of the woods lingering along the roadside. It’s funny how we wish other people could share in the experiences we feel are meaningful. I thought about how much Dad’s journals reflected his appreciation of life: I love life as it is—every bit of it, and wouldn’t dare the audacity to even think of how it could be improved— and yet I yearn—only that others would appreciate life as it was presented to them! L.P.E. 12 Chapter 2 Earth Standing Bird / Out of the Nest All wrongdoing arises from the mind. When the mind is purified, what trace of wrong is left? After repentance, my heart is light like the white clouds that have always floated over the ancient forest in freedom. – Thich Nhat Hanh O ne year after the death of my father, my husband collapsed from a seizure at work. After a series of grueling tests and opposing opinions from renowned physicians, it was determined he would undergo brain surgery at the Mayo Clinic to resect a tumor. As if that 13 Becky Gail B ecky Gail is both healer and artist. For the past ten years, she studied with healers around the globe. She is certified in Reiki, InterSpiritual Meditation, and sound healing. As an artist, Becky photographs the far corners of the earth, paints on canvas, and performs sacred ceremonies and labyrinth walks at her home in Montecito, California. Proceeds from this book will be contributed to the GATE Foundation, Audubon Society, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Native American School of Sacred Ceremonies, and Ojai Raptor Center. To find out about retreats, journeys and private consultation with Becky Gail: www.FatherEarthDaughterSky.com 125