unsent letters (part 3)

Dear Craig -

I have known this letter needed to be written for a long time, perhaps since laying on of hands. It's been quite a while since I knew we were on very different vibrational planes (weightless, the truth shall set you free, and walking tree ... new or old roots) but truth be told, I had hope that like James and Helen of Sliding Doors (22), our paths would converge regardless of the choices we had made over the years.

A recent encounter (synchronicity (part 3)) had me, very unexpectedly, believe in the magic that you first had shown me was possible (11:11 (part 6)), choosing to believe that my grandmother's spirit had a hand in it (in loving memory). The empath from 22 helped me be compassionate with myself, understanding that there is divine timing in unions, which led me down the path of twin flames, guiding me to focus more on working on my self and my healing journey.

As I no longer believe in coincidences (11:11 (part 1)), I do find it ironic that I will soon be making your childhood home, my home, and just as ironic, where my oocyte cryopreservation resides (resfeber). I thank you for fulfilling a soul contract with me. I will never quite know who I was to you nor the impact I may or may not have had in your life, but while the words were never exchanged, you were pivotal in me learning about the depths of love ... loving another soul unconditionally and loving my self. Rarely hearing those words as a child, if at all, it is my wish not to hold back from it with anyone with shoshin as a testament. I do not know if you have ever received the random key in an otherwise empty envelope, but it is to the lock 'tlc' on a small bridge in Machu Picchu (bubble of bliss).

While it has only been about a handful of times over the last 20 years, I am very thankful for the first in Bangkok where I learned that I could be comfortable with touch and a weekend that seemed to fly in Koh Samui (face of a girl (part 3) and bubble of bliss) where I was able to truly discover my body under your kind ministrations. What I had thought could only be achieved with connection with you, I have learned during my sexploration that it was connection with my self. You represented someone I could trust, relax and feel confident in myself with until I was able to learn that for my self.

You somehow always magically showed up when I needed to be grounded and to believe in magic again. For that, I am truly grateful. 

I see so many attributes of you in synchronicity (part 3), and unlike what happened with you, I am learning not to attach that to an individual but to believe that the universe has imagined it even better than I have. I know we have shared many lifetimes together and will share many more to come. Hopefully, I have been or will have been the catalyst in your journey(s) like you have been for me in this life.

You appeal to me in countless ways and I'm going to draw the essence of you to me and thank you for being here for me to observe, for me to sniff out vibrationally, for me to think about and dream about and visualize around. Thank you for being a focal point that I will use to align my energy and then I trust that Law of Attraction will bring me an exact replica of which I believe you are.

While the empath helped guide me to follow the path of self healing, I'm learning that there isn't really a 'right person at the wrong time', not in the literal sense, as we're constantly evolving, hopefully, and who you or I are today are vastly different than who we were when we first met in Seville.

I saw this on Instagram today (after starting this letter, reinforcing that this is the right time for me to write it):

"Right person, wrong time. Here's the secret to the 'right person, wrong time' paradigm. Let us make no mistake that the universe makes no mistakes. The universe literally sent us that individual as a gift. The universe manifested and materialized an individual, in true human form, that matched and resonated with our heart's goal at the particular point in time and space that it was meant to take place. And the truth that is revealed ... that was exactly the lesson that we needed at that particular time in our lives. So the secret to the 'right person, the right time' is that when we really want the true love that we genuinely want in our lives to manifest, the truth is, once we've healed, true love will be revealed. Cheers!"

~ @coach__adam 

You were always the right person at the right time. You have been an amazing, inspiring, kind and gentle gift. You are the primary person with whom I have not shared blog posts that I have made reference to. Maybe one day ... when the time is right. I hope that if I so pass first, that someone in my circle will chance upon this and share it with you.

I wish you all the happiness and love. I love you!

💖

Sources: boot scoot'n & takin' flight, me love you long time (part 3), in loving memory, werd up!, anisoptera papilionoidea, beach angel, the road less traveled, cougartown, ftale, ignorance is bliss, moments that matter (part 2), 11:11 (part 1), 22, walking tree ... new or old roots?, moments that matter (part 3), 11:11 (part 2), full circle (part 1), 11:11 (part 3), trifecta, 11:11 (part 4), stone skipping (part 3), the girl with the dragon tattoo, 11:11 (part 5), full circle (part 2), face of the girl (part 1), 11:11 (part 6), face of the girl (part 3), hide n' seek, full circle (part 5), bubble of bliss, chain smoking, full circle (part 8), surprising inspiration, 11:11 (part 9), naming names, modern love, blossoming, weightless, in the NOW, saudade (part 6), synchronicity (part 2), and self-love.

resfeber

The Sagittarius moon has always infused me with a wanderlust bug. Whether for work or personal, the preparation before a trip is second nature to me, packing right before transportation to the airport, arriving minutes (if not, seconds) before they shut down check-in - rushing but not stressing over potentially missing any flight ... 'there's always another' seems to be my motto (100 days). It is not often that I experience resfeber. 

Art by Carl Paoli

Art by Carl Paoli

CoVID had put a pause on my plans for the next chapter that now appears to be meant to be left unwritten (laying on of hands and synchronicity (part 3)). baby girl was the first time I truly felt the calling to be more grounded (saudade (part 2)). As I focused on being the best puppy mom that I could be over the last months, something unexpected occurred. Akin to a months-long meditative state, I experienced the love and loyalty developed between mistress and pup. A residual connection from the aftermath of synchronicity (part 2) seemed a possibility of laying on of hands on paper that did not translate as well, missing a connection that seemed force. Dabbling in Hinge, even with more purposeful intentions, reiterated the disconnect. Perhaps it was the email noting that the one that I felt most connected was removed for fraudulent activity. 

The universe was clearly guiding me elsewhere, some expected and some unexpected (synchronicity (part 3)). Since close, it's been exciting to channel creativity, bouncing ideas off of each other, as a community taking part in making a clean canvas a loving home, full of colors and vibrancy. A stranger from Instagram who had previously gifted me with some of his creations was kind to share more of his gifts that he felt had more depth for the space, dropping off a tube of varying art pieces in the mail with the destination of Cary, becoming my first package.

A commitment I had made in honor of heart beats had my procrastination kick in for months, despite watching numerous YouTube videos and investing in varying gemstones. As I sat before the colorful gems and bead design board, I knew completing this task was the close of a chapter that I would never re-read again. It was far from perfect - with some knots that had me practice the art of 'letting go' and 'patience' in the creation itself. In the imperfection is love and intention, and because of the heart in it, it became perfection.

"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away."

~ Pablo Picasso

While Picasso donated almost a thousand works of art to a museum in Barcelona, he had created almost 50,000 pieces during his lifetime. However, Vincent van Gogh, speculated to have only sold one of his pieces, had given away the rest, mostly to pay for room, board and supplies. The chi flowing through the now-empty rooms in Cary, designated with visioning boards, has inspired others to want to paint an original for the space and/or dust off the cobwebs of earlier creations looking for a new home to be loved.

"This is a world that is based on vibrations. And that's confusing to many of our human physical darling friends because you have become so good at interpreting vibrations that you don't even know you're doing it. You interpret vibrations with your eyes so you see. You interpret vibrations with your ears so you hear. You interpret vibrations with your nose so you smell, with your fingers so you feel, with your tongue so you taste. You are veritable vibrational interpreters. 

And the most significant, we're not kidding you, more important even than sight or sound...the most significant translating that you do is with your solar plexus. It's your energy center. It's your emotional center. The emotions that you feel are giving you feedback on your vibrational countenance and that's a very important thing to be aware of because your vibrational countenance equals your point of attraction, and your point of attractions equals your life. It equals every moment of your life. The mix of vibrations within you is what life is."

~ Abraham Hicks

I have been shown the importance of vibrations from my 5-MEO-DMT (blast off), LSD (violet goddess) and QHHT (leap of faith) experiences. Rather than showing me any past or future lives, my Higher Self only showed my energy and vibrations, a reminder of where we start and end.

Since synchronicity (part 3), I have had this stirring in my belly. Kundalini awakening? Excitement of curating community and home? Tapping into creative outlets? Alignment with a life-long manifestation (self-love)? A mixture of all the above and then some? All I know is that it feels so good. I catch myself with a smile on my face for no specific reason. I'm beginning to see that the love that I had been seeking my whole life is here. Perhaps it has always been here but the walls I erected prevented me from 'feeling' it. 

My life purpose was not only to "experience" (synchronicity (part 2)) nor was it to "embody love" - rather it was to be love, and give it away, thereby being loved in return.

"as she let go of adventures
not meant for her, 

she was brought new ones
aligned with her magic."

~ spirit daughter 

synchronicity (part 3)

Before CoVID, my plans were to relocate to Asia and explore what the culture, people and random experiences had to offer. As we are getting back to a new normal, I knew it was time to write my next chapter. The months in Asia were healing to my soul, but as I was told, Asia is my place to recharge but it isn't my 'home'. 

In seeing the amalgamation of past partners in synchronicity (part 2), I knew it was the final molt for many recurring themes, and in the honor of self-love, I intentionally put her into hibernation to focus on deep connections and community, with the Earth, with my love ones, with my pup ... and for once, creating a 'home' rather than searching to belong. After months of house hunting and exploring many possibilities, the universe somehow felt it was time and showed an opportunity that made the dream of community become real. On the eve of the close, I am overwhelmed with excitement, yet with all the coordination to get things lined up for the close, I was struck with the knowing that the excitement was not solely pinpointed to Cary.

It has been almost 20 years, and catching up with an ex-colleague was a great distraction from the hustle and bustle of the pre-close activities. He's European so the offer of his hand to shake had me giggling inside, a reminder of my progress in the art of hugs (moments that matter (part 4)). Individually, I believe our comportments and discussions did not belie the intent of the get-together. As we were walking out, though, the energy made me feel as if it was more, perhaps I was just excited to have an intellectual conversation, something my brain had been craving.

For a few months, my body has felt 'off'. I couldn't quite place the source, but when I got my package from Agent Provocateur, for the first time, I wasn't excited about trying anything on, so for months, they have sat in the box in my bathroom, untouched. Today, I felt inspired and once the bejeweled set touched my skin and clasped around my neck, it was like being bound with the familiarity of shibari (saudade (part 5)). Waves of energy rushed over me, knowing that the 'off' was her crying to be seen and not hidden (hide 'n seek). Like a snake coiled up in my belly, it felt as if my kundalini was rousing.

Rather than the 'snippets' throughout the years (self-love), it feels a lot as if I'm looking into the mirror, down to our appreciation of twilight, and for the first time, the reflection back is how I see myself, truly being seen and understood (taxing time, saudade (part 4), and self-love). A forever wanting yet the foreign feeling felt a bit scary, that "should be comforting and arousing". When he noted that I "just [wasn't] ready back then 🤣", it made me think of the timing of twin flames and the concept of separations. From the ache that is still in my belly, that I still can't seem to exorcise even hours later, it's clear that she is looking forward to 'Christian Grey' and the Red Room (laying on of hands).

barbie world

During my month in Bali, I traveled mostly with women in their 20s and 30s - all in the fitness industry, with most of them there for an aerialist training. Social media is a primary source of their livelihood, a medium to recruit clients to their OnlyFans or fitness profiles. The best editing apps or filters on Instagram or Tiktok were common topics. I found myself chronicling more of my travel on Instagram this time around, with friends encouraging me to do so as they enjoy keeping tabs on my experiences. 

It was interesting to learn the 'tricks of the trade' - the positions, the lighting, the angles, etc. that brings out one's best look. Perhaps at some point it becomes second nature but it seemed a lot of work to me, when it appeared to kill so much time getting the right Instagram photo or video. Everything was 'insta' - insta-weight loss, insta-abs, insta-booty, insta-contouring, insta-teeth whitener, insta-full lips ... 

In a world of insecurities, envy and FOMO, conforming to be the 'standard' or 'norm' was a rat race to the bottom of mental health. In Vietnam, I found myself being curious of establishments where I would see a number of people taking pictures as some memento, only to find out that there was nothing special about the place other than it being 'Instagrammable'. The Vibes is a multi-event venue that was designed specifically with this in mind. The atmosphere, the plating, etc. are photo-perfect but the food, drinks and service make it clear that what is reflected in the prices are the photo ops.

During my walks, I frequently ran into duos/trios with trash bags of clothes and jewelry, oftentimes with tags still on them, doing photo shoots with their smartphones. It reminded me of my time in Bali, spending time waiting for my travel companions to plan their daily outfits and/or hair and makeup. While we may all be aware of the filters and editing that goes on, we all seem to have some dissonance with the illusion and reality.

BDC (synchronicity (part 2)) would say that he preferred natural beauty yet he would also spend countless hours scrolling through social media or dating apps with FOMO of the illusory women. He had issues with partners, including me, on our wardrobe either not being sexy enough or too sexy. Despite his protests, I knew he had an issue with my age, and as with any of his other 'conquests', I was just a story for him. 

Being around the women on the other side of his screen, I found myself intrigued by that world. It was empowering that a woman could make over 100Gs catering to these men's delusions. Men paying to fly some of the OnlyFans women for a 'vacation' and yet somehow telling themselves and others that they don't pay for sex was an 'alternative fact'. He was convinced that when he paid for an OnlyFans person to rate his dick, it somehow was sincere and not canned, primarily because of a reference to a delay in doing so. They laughed and explained to me that it was part of their bag of tricks to add to the delusion.

I did find myself feeling self-conscious with his issue on my age as I was traveling with them. I tried the filters, which (perhaps the universe intervening) didn't work on my Instagram, and the photo edit apps that seemed to just be such time suckers to my being in the moment and experiencing Bali and its people. Clearly practice makes perfect as they seem to be able to do all of that much more efficiently, and I will have to say, the results were sometimes amazing. 

I think a healing moment for me though was when new friends (young 20s) were discussing the age of my travel companion who is in her late 30s and struggles with a lot of insecurities including body image. I was torn whether to remain silent or not. In the end, I spoke up, having to reveal my age to provide context and speak on her behalf. In the patriarchal world where men are admired for the 'salt and pepper looks', feminine empowerment should include women supporting each other (spiritual masters) as we are on a continuum of a similar aging cycle. They were humbled and had spoken boldly as they had made the assumption that I was just a bit older than them (early 30s). Age in the end is just a number that for many is used to 'bully' others into their insecurities.

Greta Gerwig's Barbie attempts interlace the zeitgeist of the modern era to redeem the unrealistic standard of perfection that added to the sexist and misogynistic view of women as 'eye-candy'. Having an existential crisis, Barbie enters the real world and somehow learns the importance of inner beauty. Over its six plus decades, Barbie has been revamped with various careers as some inspiration for girls; however, it took 57 years for its body shape to change in 2016. She is still Caucasian (the quest for snow white), despite a majority of the world being Asian. While Ken is just Ken, Barbie still epitomizes the expectation that a woman be 'everything' with stellar look, career woman, silent partner and perfect mother - all at the same time, feeding into the delusions of men like BDC and incels.

Barbie has Barbie learning about self-love and Ken learning self-awareness. While there are debates and cultural wars on this movie, it is more about humanism and the choices we have in life, including empowerment, and the choice of using it from love or from fear, including enabling illusions that keep us from our own truths.

laying on of hands

Perhaps in clearing the cobwebs of recurring themes of unwantedness and hidden (saudade (part 5)), it exposed a deeper wound of security (bluebird); yet, his contradictory actions at the end had me wondering (synchronicity (part 2)) where this would take me and what is to be learnt. While the presence of the raven (bubble of bliss, blossoming, and saudade (part 6)) seemed to represent some masculine protection, I had never consciously thought that I felt 'unsafe' until being overwhelmed with feeling emotionally safe during bluebird.

I have minor experiences with reiki as a clearing of energy before medicinal healing sessions such as 5-MeO-DMT (blast off), but have never tried a dedicated reiki session although I had thought about becoming a licensed reiki healer. I have discussed being a part of a healing center over the years with a number of people, including a friend who had moved back to Vietnam from Singapore. We had last connected prior to CoVID when I was planning on relocating to Vietnam for a few years. 

Unlike Bali or Thailand where individuals go looking for healing during their spiritual journeys, Mandala Wellness is in a country where modalities like osteopathy, hypnosis, and reiki are foreign to the locals. As with the Law of Attraction and devoting one's energy into one's passion, somehow practitioners and clients seemed to find their way to the center. I had wanted to try new modalities, hoping to clear any stuck energy that may have resided around my shoulders and elsewhere in my body from emotional traumas I had processed. 

Elsa first studied reiki in 2008 in order to help manage her own anxieties, eventually utilizing it as a tool to help family and friends. Like the empath from 22, she was able to 'see' beyond my energy field, perhaps some memories of what my body held, in addition to moving the energy in the reiki session. Noting that my third eye (sixth chakra) is very active is a testament to my spiritual growth over the years and honing in on my connection with the spiritual self/world.

The crown chakra (seventh chakra), represented by the color violet, has come up in my QHHT (leap of faith) and Christmas 'trip' (violet goddess). She saw an image of my 2-4 year old self crying  and reaching out while seeing someone take my father away. At my root chakra (first chakra), she saw lots of energy flowing there with an imbalance, indicating needs of reassurance or concerns about safety, whether financially or physically, and unclear idea about family and home. 

Energetically, the seventh chakra has a connection with the first chakra as they represent the extremities of the chakra system. That image from my crown chakra was my enlightened self giving me a clue about the imbalance in my root chakra, which came up in bluebird and synchronicity (part 2). My father (full circle (part 3), full circle (part 5), and full circle (part 8)) was in the South Vietnamese Navy at that age, resulting in us becoming 'boat people' as we fled the country. He could have been pulled away to go to war or at the refugee camps when they separated us into barracks. In addition to the war and even as a latch key kid, being responsible for my siblings (full circle (part 8)), there was a lot weighing on my shoulders at an early age that would naturally contribute to concerns of safety.

In what I had thought was a lesson in blossoming to receive, in actuality, it seems as if it was the start to balancing the pendulum of independency and learning to let go and allow others the opportunity to be a partner in my safe haven, truly creating the 'home' to no longer need the self-protection that was erected in childhood (safe haven), always having to rely on my self ... the lingering responsibility and burden that had remained stuck in my shoulders.

The sacral chakra (second chakra) embodies our 'own dwelling' where sensuality, emotions, creativity and intimacy resides. She had me giggling when she recounted the 20 something me excitedly playing hide and seek in a very child-like manner, in front of some figure in the shape of a giant mushroom or cauliflower floret. While I still haven't figure out the symbolism of the giant figure, it still brings a delighted smile to my face with her visual, especially with deep connections and pleasure being such a heart focus to my current journey. In line with connections with others, she also received the message that my path shows fulfillment relating to counseling or coaching others, perhaps in the area of mindfulness/life.

While she noted that she cleared a lot of the energy that I noted in my shoulders, she also detected a hesitancy over my throat (fifth) and heart (fourth) chakras, highlighting that I have not addressed whether and when I would have children. For a second, I was surprised that this came up until I remembered a moment a few months before. While I have thirteen frozen eggs somewhere in North Carolina (22 and kissing my boo boos), I had always viewed it as an insurance policy in case I had a partner who wanted children. I had been indifferent yet always knew I'd be an excellent mother. I cannot explain the times though even in the last few years when the time came to renew the storage term, I never doubted for a second when I opted to continue to keep them rather than donate them to research.

In the midst of in the NOW, he had once joked that we should have a baby. It seemed foremost in his mind during his processing of his past relationship which a mutually-agreed upon abortion was the beginning of an end when both started to individually have misgivings about their decision. I did not put much thought on my reaction at the time, but it was the first time in my life where I answered 'yes' internally while laughing externally at his spontaneity. For the first time, rather than evaluating the quality of the father in answering that question, I just knew as a mother. It was just a fleeting feeling and moment, and I never thought about it again.

After the session, I waved it off as a curiosity, similar to astrology, numerology, fortune tellers or tarot cards...another potential sign but nothing definitive. Quite frankly, I did not know where to start in addressing that. I started thinking about how excited I was to get my puppy (baby girl), which then led me to the acknowledgement that I was already starting roots and building my own family with a puppy. Was this also connected to what she observed in my root chakra about uncertainty of family? Was it connected to safety and allowing others to be part of that?

The time spent with Kai (11:11 (part 14), bluebird and baby girl) where his parents allowed me to be another mother to him or Harry and Archie for over a month in Vietnam had me not only exposed to 'mothering' children 24/7 but also to pregnant mothers. I had decided to give it six months or so with my new puppy to see how my life changes before broaching the topic again, knowing I would be happy to go down this path alone. Only then, did I mention it to another soul, who suggested we go see our dear old 'fortune teller' (11:11 (part 6)) as a fun curiosity before our trip to Hoi An. 

Needless to say, while the couple of other times that I've gone with my friends as a mindless hangover ritual, she has been fairly accurate with what she saw of our lives 1-2 years out, my 'future' could easily be viewed as generic to 'dating' highs and lows. This time though without any prompting with a specific question to ask her, she highlighted synchronicity (part 2), and was very specific to the baby boy with a father with blue eyes that will 'love me more than I love him' which is the Vietnamese way of saying he will be 'taking care of me' and being that trusted partner in our haven and home. 

As I marveled at the beauty of Mother Earth and the magic of the universe (twilight), another thing Elsa underscored as my source of self-care and recharging, I felt the calmness and miracle of all past, present and future connecting right at that moment in time in that specific spot in the ocean.

heart beats

Traveling again, especially to less developed countries, makes COVID seem like an episode of the Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. While some still wear masks, most are doing so to protect from the smog and pollution, especially when the primary mode of transportation is motorbikes. While many in my circle, including myself, contracted COVID, with some, as many as four+ times, luckily, none passed away from it.

But what will never fully be quantified will be the deaths that occurred because of COVID's impact in the world, from logistics/economy (e.g., overtaxed medical system, inability to get food and resources to those in need due to transportation and/or financial constraints) to mental health (e.g., depression, broken relationships, stress). The huge demand for emotional support animals also resulted in the unfortunate abandonment of such furry friends when life adjusted to a new normal, ranging from an increase of 25% in places like England to 50% in India. 

At the same time, in a country where animals were generally kept for functional purposes (e.g., security or rodent management), I was surprised and elated to see how pets are now being treated in Vietnam, with a significant increase in pet clinics/veterinarians, groomers, boarders, and even cat cafes for people to pay to spend time with the kitties. Walking past a Vietnamese man sitting on a little stool at a local street cafe cuddling and talking to his canine pal made my heart smile. Of course, the experience made me think of baby girl, followed by the excitement of the imminent adoption of her kin.

While I had wished I had captured the loving scene for my IG stories (a new way to catalog my travels), I was happy to just be present. Seeing an IG message from an old high school friend, who had shared that she had been enjoying my travel 'stories', I was saddened to hear the passing of my prom 'date' the day before. He had died of a heart attack in his sleep. He marks the third man in my circle and age group, with the other two being college classmates, who have been victims of the leading cause of deaths in the US since the start of the pandemic. Another close friend who was a surrogate father at a point in my life also succumbed to the disease; however, he was older and had a history battling the disease.

Unlike with the 'surrogate father', there was no warning, and perhaps with the stresses of the pandemic, it became the silent killer that we can't prepare for. When I had gotten word that Jay (22 and 11:11 (part 10)) passed right before Christmas 2020, intermixed with the initial shock was a smile and a knowing that Jay had beat us all in accomplishing his life's dream, that kept us up late at night for hours just connecting and talking about all the complexities of life. I knew that where I may have missed my initial train (11:11 (part 10)), Jay made his. I still feel Jay with me at times, as recently as saudade (part 6).

I knew that most news happen in Facebook, so upon hearing the news about my prom 'date', I temporarily reinstated Facebook, something I had deleted since the pandemic, to find that the news of his passing had not made it there yet. However, it was with a happy yet saudade heart that I soon discovered that he recently got married in December 2022. We weren't really in contact since high school, as I left a lot of that trauma behind for me. But when I had joined Facebook in late 2008, he found me and had messaged me to see how I was doing. We must have kept in touch sporadically after that as I have his contact information. In looking at our Facebook messenger chat, the next and last time we had contact was before the pandemic, when I had sent him a YouTube video on 'Twin Flames/Soulmates/Divine Partners - Searching For Answers', it must have been in response to a post he had as my intro was 'this may help you'.

As with Jay, I knew Steven had finally realized his dream. Much like Helen in Sliding Doors, he met his boo. He had struggled so long to come out of the closet and find 'home'. It seems fitting that it is also Pride Month, which although there still isn't a parade in Ho Chi Minh City to commemorate it, there are more visible signs including companies supporting and sponsoring activities around the city. It brings me such peace to know that for all of these men in my life, they were surrounded by love when their hearts stopped beating.

* * * * *

Update August 20, 2023:

At the age of 33, her heart also stopped in the middle of the night. As a pre-teen, she was diagnosed with long QT syndrome that caused her parents to pull her out of soccer which she loved. As an adult, she made the decision to live life and not let the condition debilitate her. Skydiving for her was not only defying gravity but also her genetic predisposition. She forgave easily and loved fully. Her family gifted me her last creation that had a special meaning to her, from the careful curation of the gemstones for their meaning and her favorite colors to her spirit animal that contain three hearts and nine brains, one in each tentacle and the biggest brain-to-body ratio of the invertebrates, making it one of the most intelligent marine species.

My Octopus Teacher brought us into their worlds, showing us the ability for these colorful creatures to form relationships with humans. While known to be solitary creatures, scientists are recently discovering the complexity of their ability to form relationships among themselves, utilizing colors to communicate, and with other species. In one experiment, four octopi were given MDMA, and despite serotonin transporters nearly identical to humans, scientists had hypothesized that its lack of the parts of the brain that results in behavioral changes from drug use would override, negating any impacts. They were surprised to see that the octopi were all cuddly.

This behavior has usually only been observed during mating, which marks the beginning of senescence and their eventual deaths. The female spends over six months guarding her thousands of eggs, unable to catch prey to nourish herself, slowing starving herself and with her last breath, uses her siphon to blow the hatchlings into their new world.

In her own way, Jessica left those she loved with parts of herself that will guide them to their new 'world'. I finished her special mala today before her memorial service. After cleansing and charging the energy in the moonlight, I set the intention of the mala to live fully and love wholeheartedly. While already on the journey of carpe diem and 11:11 (part 4), I know along with Jay, Jess will guide me towards the remainder of my journey.

stone skipping (part 13)

An experience with a recent travel companion with many of the same characteristics of a recent ex (saudade (part 5), in the NOW, bluebird, saudade (part 6), patois, and synchronicity (part 2)), right down the the ADHD and rejection sensitivity dysphoria. While my initial reaction was to clarify assumptions and accusations made about me, it took but a split second to realize that this was an opportunity for me to reinforce a recent learning of not exerting effort in a low-vibrational situation where the person had no space to hear anything other than their own self-delusions.

Not allowing someone to bring me out of my alignment to my SELF, it felt amazing not to be triggered and stay in my own joy and happiness while leaving the person with well wishes of positive energy, love and healing. Not my circus, not my monkeys.

At the same time, the universe reinforced the lesson that sometimes our mark is not to see the progress of someone's growth and healing but to leave ripples (from the stone skipping series), and perhaps we will be blessed along the way to receive messages, as I did a few days ago, to share in the happiness of someone's healing journey.

"Words cannot express the enormity of how valuable your contribution to my life has been. I was a 9 out of 10 narcissist; as bad as one could be while still maintaining the last sliver of capacity for change. I know it was you who chose to take on this callenge because no one else in my life could've done it. I love you and I can't wait for the day when I've fully healed and possess the capacity to truly love you as you have always loved me. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me. In many ways, I owe you my life."

We finally connected this morning for him (11:11 (part 11), ,triggering, leap of faith, three of swords, small packages, rub-a-dub-dub, chimera, synchronicity (part 2)) to share his breakthrough of releasing the core bedrock of his anger from childhood that has resulted in his holding onto anger and victimhood in practically every other aspect of his life. While the technique/tool that was used was not new in what we have tried in the past, his journey had finally led him to a point where he wanted to release the anger and victimhood for nobody but himself, and shifting that perspective was the miracle that he needed (saudade (part 4) and in the NOW), allowing him to unburden even the heaviness that was trapped in his body.

As is with so many others after him, he had not realized how his self-delusions had made him believe that he was content (synchronicity (part 2)), yet harming so many and leaving a trail of trauma in his wake as in his repressed hurt, he hurt others (including himself, re-traumatizing self limiting beliefs), until someone provided that mirror for him. In the end, he was the only one who could give himself the courage to look at that mirror objectively and want true happiness for himself, which includes not hurting others in that quest. I hope that with the recent ex and traveling companion that they also find the courage within themselves to be bold and find their truth within themselves. In the meantime, my heart is full and smiling today for a soul who is choosing love over fear.

synchronicity (part 2)

 "The more validation I need, the less discernment I have."

~ Kurt Hanks 

This excursion never really had a 'honeymoon' period, tumbling right into a trigger on the first date that allowed me to heal from a similar experience almost a year before (11:11 (part 14)). With the intention of walking into this journey with a 'friend' to mirror and reflect on triggers that may come up to end patterns (saudade (part 5), bluebird, saudade (part 6), and patois), it seemed a bit quicker and easier to process and see the patterns from a different perspective, perhaps from a perceived trust built on friendship.

In what I felt was unlocking some part of me that allowed me to feel truly 'safe' with a man (bluebird) or to feel a deeper connection with someone who could read my body as I've only experienced with one other (bubble of bliss), I am wondering if that has more to do with my own growth and how I show up in connections, rather than someone providing such safety or awareness of my body.

Similar to calming the mind, the universe opens up doors and opportunities that quickly usher me along, reminding me to keep moving and growing. Yet, there was a final lesson to be learned, something that has been on the perimeter of my journey since consciously starting this exploration in 2016. 

I realized that he represented aspects of others before him - from seeing white (part 2), who surrounded himself with 'friends' whom he never felt comfortable being himself, numbing themselves and judging others, to bubble of bliss, who in the end, let life jade him to be a shadow of who he once was, putting up walls so as not to ever connect with someone at a deep level again (weightless). While the former 'ghosted', he showed up months later (supernova), explaining that being in a container where he felt safe being himself showed him a side of himself that made him realize how unhappy he was and the choices he had made, which caused him to run as he chose 'ignorance' rather than 'bliss'. While he has shown up again a time or two over the years, it is with the same energy of some nostalgia of what could have been had he been more courageous and how deep he has gotten with the ongoing decisions in his life that have brought him more shame and/or have made him a complete stranger to himself.

While it saddens me that a 'friend' wouldn't communicate that he wasn't courageous enough or ready for the growth, he was also choosing to repeat patterns of masterminding his friends to validate his choices in life. While I had created nicknames in the past so that friends wouldn't negatively judge people I dated if they ever meet them (missing in action), his approach was to get validation by demonizing his partners, reminiscent of my first (moments that matter (part 6)). Unfortunately, that forces him into a corner where he cannot be present with positive energy of working things out with his partner, without clarifying his prior actions based on untruths to others, when he is fearful of his friends judging him for staying in what they perceived to be 'toxic', his own creation.

The self-sabotage that went on for months created chaos/drama that was futile. Ultimately, he could not own his own decision and actions and felt the need to create situations that forced him into it, so as not to be accountable to himself for his own self-harm. In closing my patterns though, I know I showed up authentically and lovingly. I was able to work through old patterns with the discernment to change behaviors. More importantly, breaking another pattern I had fallen into in the past, I also do not feel any 'guilt' for feeling as if I gave up on someone - he gave up on himself.

There seems to have been a shift since spiritual masters, whereby incorporating the universal law of vibration with the universal law of attraction, I realize that another pattern I choose to change is trying to be 'heard' or 'not handicapped'. Seeing the lengths he went through to numb emotions allowed me to truly reflect on my growth in the last few years as I connect with mine, honing in on my understanding of the breadth and complexities of them to let my higher self/intuition guide me. People will treat me the way they want to treat me. My power is whether I let them do so. I can pinpoint to the exact time where I felt a shift in his energy. It was palpable although we were thousands of miles apart. Yet, I allowed him to make me question the negative vibrations I was feeling, rather than choosing to focus on activities that made me feel 'good' and repelling the negativity. Subconsciously, even my body was rejecting by pushing him out and off, when he tried to make our sex transactional, despite him mistakenly thinking it was due to orgasms.

When someone self-sabotages because our 'closeness' was scaring him, the only thing left for me to feel is compassion for him by sending him a lot of positive vibrations for his journey, as authentic connections is what makes life worth living. It probably doesn't bode well for any type of 'interaction' when our astrological chart notes:

"You and [BDC] have an unusually strong connection. Even if there are other tensions between you - there's an aspect of the connection that is especially enjoyable and probably makes both of you feel more confident.

You and [BDC] might feel closer to each other than you do with other friends."

~ The Pattern 

While I may listen to the universe (or 'be one with the mountain'), it isn't everyone's journey. In reconnecting with an ex last night, with my recently learnt boundaries established, we were able to explain his initial reaction to me that we couldn't explain other than perhaps residual 'past life karma'. Much like BDC, his irritation was due to the significant gap in our vibrations, and he was subconsciously threatened by the higher vibration, given where he was in his life at the time (11:11 (part 11)).

I am excited at my progress, while not always smooth, has been rewarding, especially to set me up for me to embrace my true calling in life...to just experience, which has come up in QHHT as well as a friend's channeling. My partners are also elevating in our compatibility from 'Meaningful' to 'Extraordinary'.

"Your destiny is to be able to relax and enjoy your life without guilt. Try to immerse yourself in things that feel good and to savor your experiences. It's okay to be on the receiving end in life; learn to appreciate your patience and ability to stay present in the moment. You may have artistic tendencies and you certainly have excellent taste, whether it's in food, people, clothes, or art. It's important to carve out time for yourself and engage your senses.

In your relationship experiences, you may end up with or expect partners who are out of the ordinary. The average type won't do. You tend to go for unconventional, rebellious, or extremely intelligent people."

~ The Pattern

* * * * *

Update April 24, 2023:

After asking an ex if he remembered 11:11 (part 11), I received the following, a reminder that everyone's journey has its own timing and small actions/moments that may seem inconsequential may have lasting ripple effects in someone's life.

"Yes, I certainly do remember. Reading this made me cry, and I wanted to stop after I knew what it was, but I realized instantly that this was a confirmation of why you're back in my life right now. I've had the best 7 days as of today [that] I've had since I moved here, doing all the things that make me most proud of myself without missing a beat. I have been working on radical self-forgiveness, knowing that forgiving myself for all the stuff with you would be the final box I'd eventually have to open. to be honest, it still scares me half to death to think about, but I can see that, likely without your [sic] even knowing, you're giving me opportunities to take it in small chunks. I have a lot of grieving to do before I can forgive myself, but thank you for sending me this."

saudade (part 6)

When a ripple turns out to be a tsunami, the consultant in me wonders if it could have been avoided. Perhaps the recent return of the raven from bubble of bliss was an omen. During the witching hours, I seem to have received downloads that allowed me to detach from my hurt/trauma, and piece together various communications over the last few months. I have spent my entire life connecting dots, trying to make sense of what isn't being said, looking for red flags to protect myself from being preyed upon as my self-preservation. bluebird taught me that someone's negative behavior could be less about me but more about cognitive dissonance to the self.

While we may have similar love languages of touch and words of affirmation and personality type of pioneer, our approach to life, including ways of communication or getting to know people, are at times, vastly different. I have learned to over-communicate to minimize misunderstandings over the years, yet with an ADHD brain, I am learning that large chunks of communication and at rapid pace can be overwhelming to the point that it is not received properly as the executive function may jumble the details.

I wasn't sure where the tears of joy were coming from as I excitedly shared that I may be beginning to understand what had been going on with us from his side, but rather than connect the dots of what wasn't being said, I found myself trying to parse the words he did say over time, and ATTUNE it from his perspective rather than mine. In researching communication differences with someone with ADHD, I was surprised to read from Don't Just Talk, Communicate that becoming confrontational, including blaming others or shutting down conversations/conflict resolution (behaviors that trigger me), was a common behavior. Clamming up or confused/scattered thoughts/musings have also previously triggered me because from past experiences with exes, these were defensive tactics from someone who didn't want to be accountable, rather than from someone whose brain functions differently.

I find myself being more grateful now, rather than frustrated or triggered, at the times when he communicates that we need to pause because he's not able to receive the information. Some of that may have to do with shutting down communication, but some of that is the ability to manage the information. As with bluebird, similar behaviors may not have nefarious reasons. Perhaps, unlike others who preceded him, it truly is subconscious.

When I woke up at the witching hour this time, the title of a video had me wondering if it was a message, but it led to a few other ones, culminating in one that explains why the over-reaction (tsunami) needed to happen.

I needed to learn to release my sense of self to truly hear the other. I needed the tsunami (pain-body) for me to see that comparing how others treat me to how they treat others, created a lot of trauma/re-triggering that stemmed from childhood, when perhaps I am just in a category of my own and should just focus on the happiness and fun I'm feeling in the NOW, a reminder to be present and not let thoughts become unwanted manifestations. My tears of joy, it would seem, was from the happiness of realizing that he was changing his patterns and that I was processing traumas/patterns from the mirroring that was being reflected back to me. In doing so, we are getting a step closer to a transcendence level.

On Instagram this morning, someone posted a recommendation for the Four Seasons in Koh Samui, taking me back to bubble of bliss. I had been highlighting to him that our love will never be like the 'great' love that he was perhaps comparing to as it is different. In a moment of saudade, I realized the irony that our love is also very different from the 'great' connection I felt in bubble of bliss. It feels more light and liberating, not obsessive, but like a sense of being home. I manifested this relationship; I manifested these experiences of pain-body in order for us to break cycles; and I manifested this love from the feeling I felt in Koh Samui to something beyond what I understood love to be at that time, unattached to anyone. It was also a reminder that I'm still manifesting that bath in a tub with a view like that in our villa in Koh Samui, and I'm grateful for someone who enjoys bathtime.

bluebird

This chapter of my life seemed to start with the unboxing, a life requiring self-reliance and self-sufficiency since the age of three (full circle (part 8)). It wasn't until blossoming did I begin to understand the balance that I needed to discover, and while the reclaiming the cunt series touched upon my journey to embrace my femininity, it was unfathomable to me the intensity of vulnerability that it would entail.

Yet only from truly letting go and closing a chapter in 2022 (weightless), perhaps around the time a chapter was closing for him, did an unexpected door open for me to jump into the depths of surrendering to the unknown. Being more intentional about establishing a healthy relationship is a lofty endeavor but a minimum requirement to ending our unhealthy patterns from lifelong traumas. While it was unexpected, it should not have been surprising that two of the biggest themes in my life would surface early for me to get some semblance of closure (saudade (part 5)).

Prior plans put a pause or perhaps, gave us the opportunity to explore different aspects of a relationship that the oxytocin hormone from the physical tends to get us caught up in the NRE (new relationship energy). But for two people whose love languages are touch and words of affirmation, coupled with quality time for me, it became more challenging for me than I had expected (surprisingly, given that my first relationship was a long-distance one for multiple years).

While feeling safe and trust seem to be two halves of the same coin, my tendency has been to trust, and have people chip away at that rather than having them earn it. Over time, self-preservation has refined my 'bullshit' detector although my penchant to forgive and believing that people want to grow and be better versions of themselves left me overstaying my welcome of self-care.

It wasn't until chancing upon Dr. Gottman (at 19:14 to 24:44 minutes) a couple of weeks ago did it occur to me that while I had been learning that a lot of my pleasure had to do with trust and safety during my exploration of sex, something that came up for us very early on, the missing component in my approach of blindingly trusting people and being an 'open book' was having people 'earn my vulnerability' as Brené Brown says (stepping out). It was with a lot of sadness to realize that I had perhaps only experienced that emotional safe haven from a man, a mere boy himself, once in my life with the mind and heart of a 7 year-old child (moments that matter (part 1)), only to have another emotion of frisson take over upon sensing that I may have chanced upon another man (in the NOW), in some knowing at a cellular level that I cannot seem to explain.

With the lack of touch and quality time, the logical part of me that was pivotal to the self-preservation of my masculine energy (bubble of bliss and leap of faith) had me in my head running the loop of his cageyness and defensiveness, projecting my past experiences with similar behaviors as obfuscation of some lie or manipulation onto him, rather than perhaps giving us both grace that the defensiveness could also be from fear of hurting someone or being less than perfect, instead of guilt.

Rather than ending a pattern of overstaying my welcome, being trigger happy to eject seemed to be an overcompensation and a pattern I do not wish to set. With aplomb, it takes me to the memory of one of my first snow angels in the mountains of Vermont, falling back as the powder snow enveloped me, sinking deeper, while the sunny, clear blue sky warmed my face as I closed my eyes and moved my limbs like flying in the clouds...perhaps due to the potency of his masculinity, perhaps due to the next layer that is exposed in processing my 'trauma', my soul sighed a silent 'yes' to the surrendering to the abyss, perchance, into a safe haven and warm arms for me to shed the masculine side that was needed for survival, and discover and embrace the feminine side that I left behind in my childhood.

in the NOW

saudade (part 5) had me wondering what 2023 had in store for me. So much of the saudade series had me reflecting on the past and the paths I had taken, much of it wrapped around an honorable mention from the first post (boot scoot'n and takin' flight...) and though I had felt that we would always have some connection (11:11 (part 9)), 2022 gently guided me towards some 'truths' that had stunted my view of the infinite possibilities (weightless). In quantum physics, scientists are learning that time is a mere illusion, a human construct for us to differentiate our memories, rather than a four-dimensional structure (block universe) with every experience with its own coordinates in space-time, allowing everything to be present now.

Lesson 80 in ACIM notes that all solutions are placed with the corresponding problem, and our perspective of a 'problem' is due to our misuse of time. Yet, it wasn't until lesson 91 about miracles only being seen in the light that I was able to understand the shift in perspective that Marianne Williamson contextualized (saudade (part 4)). What seemed like a lifelong 'problem' (ftale), something that supposedly kept hope alive with a promise from a Sunday School teacher that God wouldn't let us die without answering some life-long prayer, has ironically kept me in the darkness with a 'ball and chain', causing me to make decisions that were not always kind to me.

It wasn't until today, fitting message celebrating Jesus' birth, that I realized that in letting go of the concept of  'romantic ideals' and truly incorporating the philosophy of relationship anarchy, the angst of the past of  'lovelessness' and the future of 'hope' no longer seemed to matter. Rather than searching for unconditional love, triggering taught me that I only had control over me and my ability to give unconditional love but that future of  'hope' resulted in my staying in situations when they were no longer serving me.

As Ward highlights, "when people choose love, they always choose right". Although cliché, he reminds me that the most important relationship is one with 'me' which I have neglected at times, 'sacrificing' for what I thought was how 'unconditional love' should work. Leaving the shackles behind, I was surprised by the journey I was about to embark on, or rather, how quickly it presented itself...of course, only because of the illusion of time. With the intention of ending cycles, I have discovered a number of 'firsts'. The Sun -- Bella (saudade (part 1)) ... the lighthouse -- my magical friend (saudade (part 4)) ... the disco ball -- BDC (saudade (part 5)) ...

For the relationship anarchist, relationships are fluid without the confines of 'romanticism'. With the light shining from my Sun, lighthouse and disco ball, I now see the solution that came with my perceived 'problem'. Love is all around me, something I can give and receive with no conditions, and no matter what coordinate I choose to jump to, for the first time, I am having a really fun time being present in the NOW.