i've moved | new blog home

The corporate machine that is blogger has lost me. As part of my effort to be a free agent on all levels and to simplify and consolidate, I have switched to wordpress (free and oh-so-wonderful) and I'm hosting my blog on my own website.

The new address is http://kymberleedellaluce.com/blog

All the archives are there as well.

See you there! *HUGS*

things aren't always what they seem

this speaks for itself

testing

oh yeah moving over to wordpress baby

making copies...

i have a dream | visualize a new reality

Today, I visited my daughter's school to attend the Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly. Several wonderful groups from the school performed. We heard his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, pieces of "I have a dream" as well as hearing some wonderful music. While one group performed to the song "I have a dream" by will.i.am, I was jammin' with Gigi in my lap. This caught the attention of the boy next to me. I could feel his spirit warming up to me.

At the break, he said something to me and we made our introductions. The next act included a group reciting the Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech made by Dr. King. At the point that they said, "Negros", he leaned forward and said something to the girl in front of him. They were both black. Once the speech was over, he said somewhat derisively, "Four kids up there are black". I asked him how many people in his class are black. He counted in his head and said, "Five." I asked how many in his neighborhood. His answer, "All of them.".

I asked if he was offended by what they said on stage. He said, "Yeah". I asked if he knew who wrote the words. "No," was his reply. When I told him it was Dr. King, he said, "Nuh uh. It was not. He would never say that. We read about him." I told him it was a different speech than "I have a dream" and told him that "Negro" was a common word back then. He thought they had said Nigger. I assured him they had not. I realized that the assistant principal was asking everyone to be quiet and said we should probably stop talking. He said, "Her? Forget about her. She doesn't care about us." I said, "I know for a fact she cares because I've talked to her." He seemed to be willing to accept that but still seemed a little unsure. (Gigi was telling us to be quiet at this point so we stopped.)

I can see why Sean thought she didn't care. She is very white and very tense. She cares deeply about the students but seems to care more in those moments about crowd control. I found myself wondering if she's ever been to a movie theater in the inner city. In my view, audiences talking, moving and participating is normal everywhere except white middle adult America. I can never help my exuberance when I'm feeling joyful or filled with emotion. To expect anyone, especially young children to sit still and be QUIET like you would see at the ballet is ridiculous. It's also important to remember that cultural differences need to be taken into consideration.

The final act was a band of high school kids playing their original music. One boy had a One.org shirt on. Sean pointed him out and said, "See this bump here in my knuckle? He gave it me. I was messing around with the drums and he hit my hand with a drumstick to get me to stop."

There we were listening to the words of Dr. King and celebrating the message of peace and unity and here was a little black boy feeling very isolated and disconnected from the whole thing who had been treated violently by someone on stage when words would have sufficed. He was looking for someone or something he could connect with and wasn't finding it.

Today I saw a police officer run a red light. This is the kind of thing that would one day get Sean and his friends in the Central District pulled over for and yet there our representative of "The Law" was breaking it.

We all really need to start walking our talk. Sean and other children will never trust the people with authority and power if it is abused. Why should they? Why should any of us? I often catch myself doing or saying something hypocritical with my kids. I am working very hard right now to stop that. I can't expect my daughter to honor her commitments if I don't or for them to use "inside voices" if I'm being loud.

I am not trying to cast a "negative" view on life. I am simply noticing the shadow and asking what I can do about it. I don't believe there is an "us" and "them". I believe we are all part of a pulsating body of energy that is expanding. I want to expand in the direction of the Light and I am trying to discover how to do this when I come face-to-face with my own shadow so often. I want to let it inform me, not overcome me.

I am currently reading Shakti Gawain's book "Living in the Light". She has this to say about creating the life we desire, "Everything is a creative process. Visualizations and affirmations are only tools to help in the process. Our own healing is the most important process taking place on Earth at the moment, because it influences the collective all or oneness. The greatest harm we inflict on Earth is our separation from nature. When we change, we also change the world around us. The Earth is undergoing a great transformation - and it happens very fast. Old values and patterns can no longer be followed. We must heal ourselves and find out own path. We must make use of our will, become valiant 'knights' on a crusade for positive thinking, positive acting. However, on this crusade we cannot become victorious unless we also recognize our shadow side; our fears, our denials, our negative thought-patterns. This side of ourselves must also be brought into the light in order to manifest wholeness."

So today, I have a dream. I have a dream that we will learn to embrace our wholeness, including our shadow.

I have a dream that I will walk my talk every day and remember to forgive myself when I don't.

I have a dream that we will all remember that we are One and truly treat each other the way we want to be treated.

I have a dream that we will use our feminine receptive nature to inform us and our masculine directive nature to take positive action in the world.

I know it starts here and now, with me.

adfree | no logo | just love

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Originally uploaded by keri.

Something very new is being born in me. I am tired of hype. Tired of excess, of lying, hypocrisy, and greed. I see this powerful statement by Keri Smith as very positive. You will be hearing much more from me in the next month. In the meantime, read this and check out this and consider where and how you are pandering to corporate greed.

Are you a former guerrilla artist who used to paint question marks on signs and now works for a bloated corporation who is making a profit by suckering in the public? What changed? Are you willing to alter a little something now to make room for grace?

Do you profess your desire to make the planet "come alive" with your healing offerings but shun the blood, sweat and tears of doing real intimate work with the people in your life? (I've done that before.)

Are you brand conscience? I bought into the hype about branding and will be changing that in my offerings. I am seeing now that it's just a form a manipulation. I don't want to be on either side of that equation, thanks.

I am tired of seeing ads for shoes in Oprah's magazine that cost $1,500. Are they made by brown people making $2 a day? Is half the shit used to sell her magazine made in factories by people who aren't allowed to smile? She does a lot of good in the world but I am not convinced it's helpful to all. Let's think about it. Further, let's do something about it.

Let's not "smoke for the cure" or "buy an iPod for Aids". Let's not buy a $500 handbag because Oprah has one so that she can go build a school somewhere. Let's love each other. Let's take back our lives, look into each other's eyes and heal the world, not one dollar at a time but one soul at a time.

connection not collection

Night before last my furnace stopped working. The repair person couldn't come out until today so I was without heat over 24 hours. It is in the low thirties here in Seattle and I live in an old house with single paned windows so it's been cold and drafty, to say the least. As I sat here yesterday working, my fingers like icicles on the keyboard, I had a realization about how cold it must be outside during the winter.

I've volunteered at homeless shelters and I've seen homeless people on the street but it just never truly occurred to me until yesterday how very cold they must be. I don't have a lot of resources currently but I decided to do what I could and just take some action. I gathered up some extra scarves and a hat and bought some fleece blankets that were on sale at a local department store and drove into the city last night with my girls and their dad. We drove until we found some people who looked like they needed some warmth and gave our offerings. Two women squealed with girlish delight when I gave them some scarves that had been sitting at the bottom of my drawer. The hand-knitted wool had I bought at Ten Thousand Villages few years ago was gratefully taken by a lovely gentleman with kind eyes and the brand-new fleece blankets still rolled up were treated as treasures by each recipient. It brought me immense pleasure to see their happiness.

Sometimes big problems seem so insurmountable and it seems like there is just nothing we can really do to help. I decided last night to just do whatever I could because it matters. WE matter. We all deserve to have a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. We all deserve warmth and love.

On New Year's Eve, I asked a homeless man who had engaged me in conversation if he wanted a hug. He said yes and we embraced lovingly. He said, "May the Great Spirit give you a big hugga bugga whenever you need it the most." Those are the moments when I see God.

Tonight, a blanket of snow covers Seattle. My furnace is back on and I sit here in jammy bottoms and a tank top. I feel incredibly blessed and grateful to be where I'm at. I hope those dear souls I met last are staying warm enough tonight. I am thinking of them and sending them my love.

Whether it's a cup of coffee, some soup, a blanket or a hug, I'm going to give what I can when I can because Love is all that truly matters. Material possessions and "achievements" pale in comparison to the moments of soul to soul contact we make in moments where we are just sharing our love with each other. Like John said tonight, "Connection matters more than collection." Indeed.

Here's to finding more and more ways to connect RIGHT NOW with each other on this beautiful planet that we call home.

"In this life we cannot do great things.
We can only do small things with great love."
-Mother Theresa

Ring Out Wild Bells

Ring Out Wild Bells

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more,
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease,
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darknss of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

-- Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Happy New Year to all who read this. May this year ring in more blessings than you can possibly imagine. Much love...~Kymberlee

Sunshine in the Dark

My friend, Trey, sent me this link about buildings in Russia being painted as a way to help people cope with the lack of winter sun and the depression that can come with that.

I find this very inspiring and life-affirming. We are such beautiful, creative beings, us humans. It makes me want to find creative solutions like this to help serve the greater good and bring sunshine into the darkness.

photo by sturman

The Siren Call of the Sacred Feminine

She calls to me. She who is weary of living far beneath, her voice stolen by fear, her power subjugated by the will of others. I took this picture of my daughter and was captivated by the presence in her eyes. The sense of self here is a reflection of the Divine Feminine that lives inside of me. That wants to be heard.

Read about The Little Mermaid archetype and let it inform you. Whether male or female, consider where the voice and face and presence of the Mother fits into your life, your experience.

I desire this union, this integration of opposites. I think on some level we all do. What I know for sure is that I am not going to find it outside of myself. The journey begins here, in the now.

I hear the Siren's call and I will no longer ignore it for it pierces my heart with it's poignant urgency.

I'm listening.