And I am finding it very hard to answer that inevitable question from my friends and family, “Well, how was your trip?”

How do I find the words to describe the depths of poverty I have seen? How do I describe the feeling of looking into the face of a hungry child whose thin, tattered clothes are no defense against the bitingly cold wind.

How can I explain what it must be like for the HIV positive mothers who face the agonizing decision of whether to nurse their babies and risk passing on the virus to them, or watch them starve because they can’t afford baby formula as well as food for the rest of the family?

How do I portray what it must be like to assume the duties of “head of household” at the ripe old age of 8 or 9? How do these children manage to raise their younger siblings when they are still children themselves? How do they handle the grief of losing parents to AIDS?

How do I share the beautiful smiles that are instantaneous when we attempt to brighten their day for a few minutes with a jumprope or a bottle of bubbles?
How do I describe the magic of connecting for a few short minutes, and speaking the language of love.
How do I convey the joy that comes while holding an orphaned baby or toddler who clings so close and yearns for your warmth and comfort?

How do you describe what has happened to your heart in just these few short weeks? A heart that has been turned inside out with hurt for these kids, but the heart that has doubled in size as we receive love from these little ones that teach so much about unconditional love.

Words are insufficient to paint the picture I have witnessed in these past few weeks, but I must try, I need to share with you what I have learned and how I have grown from this experience. And I need to let you know what is happening to our brothers and sisters half a world away. I must describe it for you, and ask you not to look away, because together we have the power to make a difference, we can change the world. One person who is courageous enough to take a look and then take action can change the world.

Will you be the one, the one who is willing to step up and share a little of the bounties we have been blessed with? Will you go to www.motherswithoutborders.org and make a donation?

I hope so…

As I was thinking about luggage and packing, it occurred to me that our hearts are not unlike the bags that I am filling. Wouldn’t it be great if we could expel anger, resentment, fear, and doubt from our hearts like the air from the compression bags? That would just leave room for love. And just like the compression bags it would be much easier and lighter to just carry love in our heart, and not be weighed down with negative baggage.

I may not have room to pack everything I want to take, but rest assured there is no shortage of love in my heart for the children I will be serving.

But the magic was still there, it always will be.

Disneyland does have a magic all its own, and we always loved our visits. One year in particular does stand out though. When Nico was 6 or 7 years old he went on the Matterhorn roller coaster, it terrified him. Well, it wasn’t the ride exactly, it was the abominable snowman that lurks ready to pounce on, and eat unsuspecting young children. Nico got off that ride and we never got him back on it again…until this visit.

This was the year that he would ride that roller coaster and laugh in the face of his old nemesis, that dreaded Yeti. True to his word he did exactly that. Of course his reaction was one of wonder that he had spent so many years afraid of what is actually very harmless. But what a great lesson. How many of us continue to hide from our personal Yeti, embellishing it with far more power than it deserves. We feed the monster with our fear until it becomes an insurmountable foe.

Although many of our fears seem so real and, well frightening, in the calm light of day we can realize that it is our mind, our imagination that has ascribed them so much dread. It is that same mind and imagination that can face and overcome the fear. It is normal to feel fear, we all do, but it’s what we do with those fears that sort the men from the boys, the women from the girls. Pushing through fear and conquering the Yeti can be one of the most liberating things we can do for ourselves.

And who would have thought a day in Disneyland would teach me all that…Magical!

I’m sure I will better understand what the word poverty really means as I travel to one of the world’s poorest nations, where reportedly 60% of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day. Children are so hungry that they are forced to scavenge for food in trashcans and alleys.

I don’t understand that kind of poverty or hunger.

I have experienced insecurity in my life, but I don’t know what it’s like to be a child who has lost both parents, and is left alone to deal with the grief. I don’t know what it’s like to suddenly become responsible to care for siblings with little or no support from impoverished communities. In Zambia, children as young as 10 years old are forced into the role of “head of household”. They are too young to assume these responsibilities, yet have no choice.

I don’t understand that kind of insecurity and grief.

I was fortunate to receive a great education, but most of the AIDS orphans are forced to leave school to earn a living. Begging, prostitution or manual labors are their only options. They have no access to health care and become vulnerable to malnutrition as resources dwindle. They sleep on bare floors, many with no blankets. Those that have a bed, often have no mattress.

I don’t understand what it’s like to miss the opportunity to go to school or have adequate health care.

What I do know a lot about however, is the power of love. That’s what I understand. It is overwhelming to try to grasp the scope of this tragedy, and it’s tempting to think that one person can’t make a difference. But I know that I have a great capacity for love, I can make a difference, and love works.

I do understand the power of love.

It is so interesting to see the parallels with life. I realize that this is a big challenge for me, but anytime I do something difficult I realize that’s how I grow. What I’ve learned is that I am most successful when I prepare physically by eating well and getting enough sleep. What is just as important is the mental preparation. When I envision myself going through my workout before I actually do it, I am much more successful than if I just show up and start exercising. Imagination is so powerful, and when I can “see” myself succeeding before I actually do it, then it is somehow easier. The life lesson here is that we can do exactly the same with our lives. Take the time each morning to imagine your day going well, imagine it going just the way you want it to, or if it doesn’t, imagine yourself handling all challenges with grace and calm. Will you take a few moments in the morning to imagine your day? It can make all the difference.

Another interesting thing I learned while working out with my friends, is how important they are to my success. It is so much easier to do the hard stuff when you know you’re not alone. Knowing they are counting on me to be there every morning is a great motivator for me. We support each other and cheer each other on. Isn’t it great to have a team who is there for you and keeps you strong when you want to give up?

My friends and I jog at different speeds, and that’s OK, we all get there eventually. However I did notice something interesting one day as one of my girlfriends jogged beside me, we were in step for a few minutes before she went out ahead. While she was beside me it was a boost for me, I felt her energy and it helped me. It struck me that so often in life we do walk (or run) beside each other and lend our energy and enthusiasm. How much better to be thought of as the one who is an energizer rather than one who sucks the life out of you. Which one are you?

So I’m training for a half marathon, but more importantly I’m learning about life and how much we depend on one another.

P.S. I’ll keep you posted on my progress with the training 

It was then that I happened to look behind me, out of my kitchen window. There I saw my lovely garden. I noticed my planter boxes filled with colorful spring flowers, interspersed with ferns gently draping over the brickwork. I spotted my jasmine flourishing and flowering. The green of the lawn was relaxing and refreshing. As my eyes wandered over the beauty of nature right in my own back yard, I began to see things from a different perspective.

I decided to switch off the TV and physically move from one side of my kitchen table to the other. Now I could enjoy my breakfast while truly appreciating the picturesque view that nature provided. With the TV off I could even hear the joyful chirping of the birds. With that small shift, my mood changed too. Now I was noticing the abundance around me, and I was starting my days feeling gratitude for so many blessings.
The change in my life was significant. Starting out with feelings of gratitude and appreciation changed the mood of each new day for the better. I now start every day looking out in to my garden. The TV is silent.

Of course this change in perspective involved an actual physical move, but I learned a great lesson from this uplifting experience.
How powerful our thoughts are!
I changed positions at the table and changed my whole outlook.

We can change our lives by changing our perspective and our minds and looking for the positive. We don’t need to stay in a negative frame of mind. We have the ability to switch our thoughts to something better. When we look for abundance and beauty we will find it. As we express gratitude and appreciation we will find even more to be grateful for.

Perhaps like me, a physical shift and change of routine is all that is needed to make a difference, but whatever is required for you to switch from a negative perspective, work hard to do it.
It takes practice, it’s not easy, but it is worth it!

For many years I was so busy raising my children and meeting the demands and pressure of my job that I didn’t take the time to look up and look around. I loved those years with my children and found joy in my mothering, and also in the challenges and demands of my teaching career, but I was unaware of many important things.

Almost before I realized it, I was retired and my sons were making their way in the world without me. But one morning I woke up and saw my world in new and exciting ways. As I looked out of my bedroom window, I could see the lawn, and across the lawn a couple of trees, but mostly what I noticed was the broad expanse of block wall. Now for years I had never even opened the blinds, let alone analyze the view, but on this particular morning I started to envision how lovely it would be to have pots of flowers along that wall, maybe even a shrub or two. As I stood there musing, a beautiful picture came into my mind of how that bedroom view could change.

Soon I found myself at the local nursery, buying pots, bedding plants and shrubs. I started to create what I had seen in my mind’s eye—in my imagination. It was great fun, so much so that the enthusiasm spread to other areas of the garden. Now I feel pure joy as I open my blinds and see my creation. I love nothing more than to stroll around and inspect my flowers, plants, and vegetables, the products of my imagination.

So why get so excited about a few plants and flowers? Well for me it was a great lesson. Before we can create anything in our lives we first have to imagine it. We have to decide exactly what it is we want, define it clearly (e.g I could see the exact colors and types of plants I wanted). Once we have our picture clear then we take the necessary action to make that happen, and we persist until our desire is realized.

So now when I open up my blinds in the morning I first of all express sincere gratitude for the sheer joy I get from the beautiful view, but then I remind myself of the power of my imagination to create the life I want.

And then I start to imagine some more…

]]> http://childrensimaginings.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=12 1 http://childrensimaginings.com/blog/?p=1 http://childrensimaginings.com/blog/?p=1#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:19:30 +0000 admin http://childrensimaginings.com/blog/?p=1 Welcome to the Children’s Imaginings Blog!

I am so pleased that you stopped by to visit the website that is all about imagination and belief. I hope that you agree with me that nothing is impossible and all you have to do is believe and you will find a way to achieve great things.

Let me tell you a little about why I know that this is true. I taught in the elementary classroom for 20 years and for the last 10 years of my career I worked as a teacher trainer. Over the years I worked with many children and teachers, and had a successful career, but it wasn’t until I retired that I began to realize some very important concepts about the potential that each one of us has.

In a way I was sad that it had taken me so long to make these important discoveries, although of course I was grateful that I had. It made me think about all the children I worked with over the years, and wanted to find ways that I could continue to impact the lives of children. How could I help them to understand their magnificence while they are still young, and not have to wait until they were in their fifties, like me. It was then that the seeds of my book came to me. What if I was able to write a children’s book that would inspire and motivate…was it possible?

It was at this point that I really started to learn about the power of belief. I learned about an organization called Mothers Without Borders. This organization works with AIDS orphans in Zambia where the AIDS crisis is at pandemic proportions. I learned that children in that country are raising each other because so many adults have been lost to the disease. These children are doing the impossible.

It was then that my life’s purpose unfolded, I was going to go to Zambia and work with the orphans and I was going to write a book and donate part of the proceeds to Mothers Without Borders. That was two years ago and my book is done and illustrated beautifully and sensitively by my son Bentley. I’m also pleased to report that I head to Zambia in July. With the help of Bentley and so many others, I have done what I thought was impossible.

Stay tuned to my blog to hear more of my trip and the very special children of Zambia.

And if you do decide to buy my book, thank you.
Thank you for inspiring your own children, but just as important, thank you for giving the children of Zambia hope and belief in possibilities.