Angelic Art

With my granddaughter happily seated in her stroller, the two of us headed out to explore the neighbourhood yesterday morning.  We shared a muffin at a café, stopped at the library, chatted with shopkeepers, and played at the park.  We then returned to my home for lunch, after which, it was time for her nap.  I knew she was tired but instead of resting, she cried in bed for quite some time.  I finally went in, picked her up, and took her into my living room so that we could quietly cuddle together.  We settled into an easy chair and observed the backyard scene of birds and squirrels going about their day.  Within minutes, she was sound asleep.  
She would need at least half an hour, if not longer, to refresh herself for the second half of her day so I decided I would remain seated for as long as she needed, holding her comfortably on my lap.  Since there were no distractions within reach, I embraced the opportunity to just be.  Taking in the perfection of this little being, breathing in her essence, feeling our hearts beat together, I was well aware of how precious this time was.  The sun streaming through the glass wall behind us served to heighten the experience, warming us both, and casting a glow on her fine, blond curls.  
While marvelling at the beauty surrounding me, I noticed a bright, colourful spot on the end of one of her strands of hair.  I gently ran my fingers along it, thinking perhaps I would find a loose thread or a fleck of who knew what.  After repeated attempts to remove it, the spot remained.  Perplexed, I picked up my reading glasses and found myself staring at a magnificent image rivalling the splendour of stained glass windows found in grand cathedrals.  Right at the tip of this strand of hair was a round, highly detailed, miniature work of art -  as if an angel, using the finest tools, had drawn intricate lines of design within design, then filled in the spaces with jewel tones.  There were tiny circles, triangles, and squares, overlapping in places, embellished with various designs and patterns.  The vision before me defied explanation but nevertheless, there it was.  I did not need to know how or why in order to treasure the magic of this moment.  Forty minutes later my granddaughter awoke with a smile on her face - she had had a much needed nap, and I had been blessed with another exquisite experience.

It's Just Hair

I often get comments on my very short hair and the most common one from women is, "I wish I could wear mine like that." Usually I just smile and say thank you. I may add something to the effect of, "Why not just try it, what have you got to loose? It's just hair and it'll grow back if you don't like it." Occasionally I will tell the person the story of how mine came to be. One September morning in 1995 I awoke with a very strong sense that I should get my shoulder length hair cut short. I had not been contemplating that nor did I have any idea of what that might look like. The feeling was so strong that I called my mother's friend, a hairstylist in my neighbourhood who had very short hair herself and asked if I could come to her salon that very morning. When I arrived she asked what the cut should look like and I replied, "Just short." She pressed, asking if I had any pictures or photos to show her. I didn't. Well, she cut away and I left with very short hair indeed. I felt great about it but because I hadn't told my husband or three children about it, it was a bit of a shock to them. Well, as it turned out, two months later I was diagnosed with cancer, stage three Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and two months after that, my hair was falling out due to the chemo treatments. By following through on my intuition, I had a tiny bit of preparation for what was ahead of me, and once again I had verification that it's a powerful tool that helps me navigate my life in ways that I may not understand in the moment, but will most often be revealed to me later on. So, if your intuition is telling you something today, listen closely, and act. After all, it's just hair!