Miracles Happen

A number of years ago my niece gave me a t-shirt that read: "Embrace life, Live your dreams, Create a miracle, Magic happens." I received the shirt at a time of transition and struggle; a time when I needed to trust each slogan. I wore that shirt often. I repeated the slogans, at times over and over like mantras. The shirt and its messages put life in perspective. It reminded me to focus on living instead of on staying safe and stagnant.

I did create a miracle by following that shirt's simple statements. My life shifted and transformed, blossomed if you will. I returned to graduate school, drastically changed careers, started a private practice, and married my high-school sweetheart. Poorer by occupation but happier. Older but definitely wiser, the miracle of change has led me to envision greater and even greater possibilities. The greatest to date is to develop and run Lotus Rising: Center for Healing and the Arts. A city oasis for people who seek relaxation, solace and community. A welcoming space with holistic services, yoga, counseling, and the arts all under one roof. This new undertaking, well beyond my wildest imagination even five years ago, is now becoming a reality. A reality that feeds my soul, makes me alive and giddy with excitement. But also a reality presently caught in bureaucratic red-tape.

So now with Lotus Rising threatened by bureaucracy, I need the inspiration that old shirt and its slogans provide. I need that daily or even hourly reminder that magic and miracles do happen. With delays upon delays. With the possibility of exorbitant and unexpected costs, some days Lotus Rising feels beyond my reach. Sometimes I pause to question the sanity of this huge undertaking. Some moments I wish that I had let life stay simple. But then I remember my vision. And I remember the people I want to help. And I remember the shirt and its slogans. And I recall how much I have grown from just trusting in life and its possibilities.

I think I will wear that old shirt again. And I will repeat the slogans like mantras. So that whatever happens, I will continue to embrace life, live my dreams, create miracles and allow magic to happen. I wish the same for you.