tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17667724868614421352024-02-18T18:43:48.325-08:00The Heart's Playground: A Psychologist's Musings on Spirituality, Creativity, and HealingAs a psychologist, writer, artist, Tibetan Buddhist and yogi, I offer my thoughts on spirituality, creativity, and healing through playing with art, story, and rhyme. Got a general question that needs answering? Maybe you're not the only one. Email me angemackay@yahoo.co.uk and I'll try to blog you an answer.Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-53136184753249319912018-06-29T03:24:00.000-07:002018-06-29T03:29:29.747-07:00An Open Letter to the Shambhala Sangha: Sexual Misconduct and the Buddhist Project Sunshine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3lIaUS7S9ZByYcCGRF5EDrDnR8Jr9HPrVGBF1mkrQn83yRHL5HJhlmxDGi7sHqMZrQKHAxrrxxtMgdtD7OV5zyPekGAcsvrgtp2OHio9cugBiY_LOBn5oo0bC7sxIY_zGD_yyrrAAZs/s1600/The-Truth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1286" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3lIaUS7S9ZByYcCGRF5EDrDnR8Jr9HPrVGBF1mkrQn83yRHL5HJhlmxDGi7sHqMZrQKHAxrrxxtMgdtD7OV5zyPekGAcsvrgtp2OHio9cugBiY_LOBn5oo0bC7sxIY_zGD_yyrrAAZs/s320/The-Truth.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dear Sangha,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I am writing this letter in light of Buddhist Project Sunshine, a healing initiative started by Andrea Winn to address sexual abuse in the Shambhala Community. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Angela MacKay. I am a clinical psychologist working in private practice in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As a sexual abuse survivor myself, my psychotherapy practice has naturally focused on working with sexual abuse survivors and healing sexual trauma. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I have been involved with the Shambhala community since 2005. While I am a student of Her Eminence Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, I have always considered the Shambhala Sangha my Sangha as well, my spiritual community when I am not able to be with my teacher and her practitioners in Virginia, USA. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In my experiences with Shambhala, I have never personally experienced any sexual abuse, harassment, or inappropriate behaviour of any kind. But I had heard stories of those who did. Just whispers of abuse, always told in past tense. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“It’s not happening anymore,” I told myself. “It’s safe now.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And then I read Project Sunshine’s Phase I Report. And those whispers of abuse turned into screams. Screams of the unheard survivors. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">They said, “It’s still happening. It is not safe. “They” know about it. And they’re trying to cover it up.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I was mortified. I felt betrayed. And I was angry, angry at a religious organization that continued to open its arms to the public, allowing me and countless others into the Sangha, knowing full well that abuse was happening behind closed doors, putting more people at risk for almost fifty years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When reading the survivors’ stories, I couldn’t help but wonder: Which teacher sexually assaulted them? Have I ever been alone with that person? Did I attend that program? Did I have that meditation instructor? Was I ever in danger? Am I in danger now? Is my five year old son?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sexual abuse has no place in a spiritual community, or anywhere, for that matter. Not only is abuse unethical and illegal, but it goes against the very Buddhist teachings that we try so hard uphold. The karmic effects of abuse are all-pervasive and last a lifetime, harming so many more people than just those abused. Like a weed, abuse must be pulled out and destroyed, allowing the full potential of the Buddhadharma to grow and flourish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>After reading the Sakyong’s “apology” letter and Project Sunshine’s Phase II Report detailing the sexual misconduct of the Sakyong, I felt sick. My heart broke. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The voices, they quietly said, “Yes, the Sakyong, too. The Sakyong did it, too.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Thank you, brave survivors, for breaking the silence and speaking up. You are true Shambhala Warriors. Thank you, Andrea Winn, and all collaborators on Project Sunshine, for your immense courage and commitment to uncovering the truth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>While I support Project Sunshine’s vision of an abuse-free Shambhala, this vision takes time. Right now, Shambhala is not abuse-free. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Perpetrators are largely unnamed, untreated, and not held accountable. Survivors are largely unsupported, ostracized, and abandoned. And because perpetrators still hold positions of power and authority in the Shambhala hierarchy, the abuse continues, hidden under the cloak of patriarchy, tradition, and spiritual practice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>While attempts have been made through Shambhala Care and Conduct to support abuse survivors in the community and deal with perpetrators appropriately, these measures, like Project Sunshine’s vision, take time to implement. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>So what am I going to do in the interim? What are you going to do?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>After much contemplation, I have decided that until perpetrators in the Shambhala Sangha, including the Sakyong, take ownership and apologize for their actions, receive treatment, and step down or are removed from positions of power, I cannot, in good conscience, continue on with Shambhala as I have. I no longer feel safe for myself or my family to attend any Shambhala programs or events. I will no longer support Shambhala International financially in any way, as I refuse to support an Old Boy’s Club, no matter how regal its appearance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you haven’t read them already, I encourage you all to read the Project Sunshine reports (<a href="http://www.andreamwinn.com/pdfs/Project_Sunshine_Final_Report.pdf" target="_blank">Phase I</a> and <a href="http://andreamwinn.com/project_sunshine/Buddhist_Project_Sunshine_Phase_2_Final_Report.pdf" target="_blank">Phase II</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large;">) and see the evidence for yourselves. A word of warning—they are quite disturbing. Reflect and contemplate on their contents. And then, once your mind has settled, once confusion has dawned as wisdom and clarity has come, then and only then, take action. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>What you do now matters. You have more power than you think. You, we, are the Sangha. We are Shambhala.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It is not too late to do the right thing. Perpetrators—Fess up, step down, and get help. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Survivors—Be brave, speak up, and get the support you deserve. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>And the rest of us? Believe the survivors. They are not lying. Do not throw the baby out with the bath water. Use the teachings and practices that you have been given, use them as skillfully as you can—we need them, and each other, now more than ever. The Dharma is the only weapon we have to dispel passion, aggression, and ignorance, the root causes of abuse. So wield your weapon carefully, with compassion and wisdom, but decisively, with skill and precision. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rise up, Sangha, and take a stand. This is your community. Protect it. Protect the Sangha and all sentient beings, as you have vowed to do. Share this letter with others. Pass it on. Abuse thrives in silence—do not be its accomplice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>With love in Dharma,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Angela</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Here is a link to a fundraiser I created for Project Sunshine, an art piece entitled <a href="https://pixels.com/featured/the-truth-celtic-artist-angela-dawn-mackay.html" target="_blank">“The Truth”</a>, pictured above, inspired by a quote by the Buddha. Fifty percent of the profits will go to Andrea Winn and Project Sunshine.</span></div>
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Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-3001331347790808932014-04-12T03:21:00.001-07:002014-04-12T03:21:34.048-07:00Artist Talk: Come Learn About Celtic Knotwork and Possibly Win Some Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa6muh61EIp3DFbqsjSt763HZu2-ngfUc72pGNvcv7WDuMGRo-yKPQH178Us-a8_Kt1AoRhkUz0igis1mkApdIsJW6KVX1iRpoAtCbeAPsjlwvN3s10OeGdZZqu3ptb8T00uKTccnj1M/s1600/Artist-Talk-Poster3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoa6muh61EIp3DFbqsjSt763HZu2-ngfUc72pGNvcv7WDuMGRo-yKPQH178Us-a8_Kt1AoRhkUz0igis1mkApdIsJW6KVX1iRpoAtCbeAPsjlwvN3s10OeGdZZqu3ptb8T00uKTccnj1M/s1600/Artist-Talk-Poster3.jpg" height="640" width="532" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: start;">To preview displayed artwork and purchase prints, canvas prints, and more, please visit the Knotted Words Celtic Art webpage at </span><a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" style="background-color: black; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: medium;">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</span></span></a><br style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;" /><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">© All rights reserved. Angela Dawn MacKay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">, </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Twitter</span></a>: @AngelaDMac</span></div>
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<br />Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-53551326512670526422014-03-25T08:47:00.000-07:002014-03-25T08:48:12.681-07:00Celebrate Poetry Month - Come to the Knotted Words Celtic Art Show <span style="font-size: large;">April is poetry month! Come celebrate poetry and the arts at my art show at the Keshen Goodman Library. Bask in the wisdom of the great writers, from T. S. Eliot to Mother Goose to Edgar Allan Poe.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloejbvpylMmG2Mz-gkTjoI_plzmYNAfodAHDrVRrR_GKNDxuWIaQJQ8-GH97CtU6cDPi5n8FfYpgT38FSLxnMdTq94FEW9vc1xqL9ddk8qT-ljcTg83iQC8C59KJ-CTPYH4jLkaT6ZE4/s1600/KnottedWordsBrochureFINALFINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloejbvpylMmG2Mz-gkTjoI_plzmYNAfodAHDrVRrR_GKNDxuWIaQJQ8-GH97CtU6cDPi5n8FfYpgT38FSLxnMdTq94FEW9vc1xqL9ddk8qT-ljcTg83iQC8C59KJ-CTPYH4jLkaT6ZE4/s1600/KnottedWordsBrochureFINALFINAL.jpg" height="400" width="305" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To preview displayed artwork and purchase prints, canvas prints, and more, please visit the Knotted Words Celtic Art webpage at </span><a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" style="background-color: black; color: black; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</span></span></a><br />
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<br />Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-58538353182647531422014-01-17T04:04:00.000-08:002014-01-17T11:37:37.777-08:00Why Dystopia? How Dystopic Fiction Can Help You Improve Your Relationships, Gain Perspective, and Appreciate Your Precious Life<span style="font-size: large;">So last spring, when I was eight months pregnant, I had picked up this book, <i><a href="http://enterthepassage.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">The Passage</span></a>, </i>by Justin Cronin, at a used book sale. I bought it because <a href="http://www.stephenking.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Stephen King</span></a> had reviewed it, saying "Read this book and the outside world disappears." As a lifelong Stephen King fan, I trust him, and if he says it's good, then it's got to be. And so I purchased <i>The Passage </i>without a second thought.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But Stephen King's endorsement was not the only thing about <i>The Passage</i> that had caught my attention. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The back cover blurb was utterly intriguing, one of the best I had ever read, so good, in fact, that I just have to include it here:</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Deep in the jungles of eastern Colombia, Professor Jonas Lear has finally found what he's been searching for - and wishes to God he hadn't. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">In Memphis, Tennessee, a six-year-old girl called Amy is left at the convent of the Sisters of Mercy and wonders why her mother has abandoned her. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">In a maximum security jail in Nevada, a convicted murderer called Giles Babcock has the same strange nightmare, over and over again, while he waits for a lethal injection.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">In a remote community in the California mountains, a young man called Peter waits for his beloved brother to return home, so he can kill him. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Bound together in ways they cannot comprehend, for each of them a door is about to open into a future they could not have imagined. And a journey is about to begin. An epic journey that will take them through a world transformed by man's darkest dreams, to the very heart of what it means to be human.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pretty catchy, eh? It really lured me in, making me want to turn to the first page. But alas, I was eight months pregnant, and had more pressing matters on my mind. <i>The Passage</i> would just have to wait.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Time passed, I went into labour, and gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. For a couple of months, my life consisted of sleeping, breastfeeding, and diaper-changing, but <i>The Passage</i> still sat the bookshelf outside my bedroom door, just waiting for me to pick it up. Every time I passed by and glanced at its dark cover, I looked at it longingly, the emotional impact of the author's words still haunting me.</span><br />
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Finally, I could take it no longer—the pull of <i>The Passage</i> was just too strong. And so, one dark and scary summer night, while my three month old babe slept soundly, I picked up <i>The Passage</i> and started to read. From the very first page, Cronin had me hooked. It was terrifying—brilliant, beautiful, ambitious, and utterly terrifying. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As a writer, I was captivated by Cronin's words and the world he created—strong characters, eloquent prose, wicked plot, I read on, knowing I had a lot to learn from this man, this Justin Cronin. With my heart racing and breaking at the same time, I reluctantly put the book down, knowing that I was supposed to sleep when the baby slept and that in reading <i>The Passage </i>into the wee hours of the morning, I was breaking a cardinal rule.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But once I started, I could not abandon ship, so to speak, and every night, when I collapsed into bed while my baby slept or my husband was caring for him, I entered Cronin's world. My husband had given <i>The Passage </i>a nick-name—"Scary Book" he called it, because that's what it was—a future so horrifying, that at times, I could barely bare it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I will admit to having mixed feelings about the book—I would look at it on my night table and ask myself—Can I go there tonight, to that very, scary place? And sometimes the answer would be no, and I would pick up another book, and try to escape from Cronin's world, but part of my psyche was always stuck there, wondering what would happen next. Within minutes, I would put down whatever book I was reading, and pick up Scary Book once again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cronin's characters are so strong that I did, at times, find myself weeping at the thought of raising children in the dark future that he had envisioned. In those moments, I had to stop reading, and go and find my beloved husband and child and smother them with kisses and express my love and gratitude for them over and over. Although my husband appreciated the frequent displays of affection that were the result of entering Cronin's world, he discouraged me from reading Scary Book, saying that maybe it was just too scary for me right now, and that maybe I might do better if I read something a just little lighter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I agreed that maybe he was right, that maybe a dystopic literary thriller might be too intense for a sleep-deprived, breast-feeding, hormonal new mother, and for a two week period, I didn't read Scary Book at all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But did my psyche leave Cronin's world, you might ask? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">No, never.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">His characters were always in my heart. They entered my dreams. I thought about them while I was in the shower. No, I had already entered Cronin's world—not reading Scary Book was not going to change that. I soon realized the only way out of <i>The Passage</i> was to finish it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And so I dove in full force, letting the gravity of the tale propel me forward. In the end, I was wrong—<i>The Passage</i> was just the beginning of Cronin's world—of course, there is a second book, <i>The Twelve, </i>and a third to follow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">While I have read Keith Oatley's <i><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Such-Stuff-Dreams-Psychology-Fiction/dp/0470974575" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Such Stuff as Dreams: The Psychology of Fiction</span></a> </span></i>and knew that there is evidence to suggest that reading fiction increases the reader's social skills and their ability to empathize, my experience with Cronin's work deepened my understanding of just how much one work of fiction can affect an individual. </span><span style="font-size: large;">For even though it has been several months since I have finished it, </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Passage</span></i><span style="font-size: large;"> has left its mark, changing my perspective about my life, my relationships, and my world like no other book has. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cronin shows me what could be, putting into words humanity's worst nightmare, painting a picture so clear and so real and so plausible that you swear that it's already happening. </span><span style="font-size: large;">By showing me the horrors of what the future might hold, Cronin has helped me appreciate my life as it is, reminding me that as bad as things might appear to be when my luck seems low and my perspective is small, there is no way they could be as bad as they are in <i>The Passage</i>, and for that I am grateful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So if you are feeling particularly brave, I dare you to read <i>The Passage</i><i>.</i> I double dog dare you. See what you are made of. Read </span><a href="http://enterthepassage.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><i>The Passage</i></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> and change your life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">P.S. My Christmas present to myself was, you guessed it—<i>The Twelve</i>. I'm only on page 28, but so far, I'm impressed. And, get this, I'm still scared to read it—maybe I should call it Scary Book 2.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span></span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Twitter</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: @AngelaDMac</span></div>
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Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-65492262785833801542013-12-08T04:34:00.000-08:002013-12-08T04:35:21.582-08:00Gothic Christmas Photos<span style="font-size: large;">Well, my first art show and sale at the Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas has come and gone. It was very fruitful—I met lots of amazing artisans and crafters, received positive feedback about my own work, and even sold a few pieces, which was very encouraging.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here are some shots of me at my booth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For more pictures of the whole gothic affair, please go to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.420862301312174.102380.100001652221240&type=1&l=0d6b068df4" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Jen Holtom's Facebook page</span></a> and check them out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a Merry Gothic Christmas/Happy Holidays.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">© All rights reserved. Angela Dawn MacKay.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, </span></span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Twitter</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">: @AngelaDMac</span></div>
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Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-46815218888224741902013-11-21T11:52:00.002-08:002013-11-21T11:54:41.146-08:00Knotted Words Celtic Art's Debut Art Show and Sale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So here it is, my first official art show and sale, and the Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas Craft Fair is just the perfect venue for my work.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTqwLioGt9werm-PR-nchF743Mi6xYQe0RFcgfPFm_RFpP04-hfoybeWQKGr7Umr-4TITjWJMx01dmRA1Etrt3HVHfMPkox-RpeUOd7BCKhQlRyJ-wOd9jcXMeBo08nsYFLAXD8qMN0U/s1600/GothicChristmasAd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTqwLioGt9werm-PR-nchF743Mi6xYQe0RFcgfPFm_RFpP04-hfoybeWQKGr7Umr-4TITjWJMx01dmRA1Etrt3HVHfMPkox-RpeUOd7BCKhQlRyJ-wOd9jcXMeBo08nsYFLAXD8qMN0U/s640/GothicChristmasAd.jpg" width="348" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Held at Maritime Hall at the Halifax Forum on Nov. 30/Dec. 1/2013 from 11am to 7pm on Saturday and 11am to 6 pm on Sunday, the Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas Craft Fair and Sale is home to all things medieval, gothic, fairytale, and steampunk inspired. Hope to see you there, enjoying your gothic Christmas shopping spree. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">To view some of my inspirational celtic artwork, please visit my main website at </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www,knottedwordscelticart.com" style="color: #646464; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Knotted Words Celtic Art</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">or check out my </span><a href="http://angela-dawn-mackay.pixels.com/" style="color: #646464; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">profile page</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> at Pixels/FineArtAmerica.com.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" style="color: #646464; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">, </span></span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" style="color: #646464; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Twitter</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">: @AngelaDMac</span></div>
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<br />Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-67778870124860263472013-10-18T03:53:00.000-07:002013-10-22T03:24:01.320-07:00Why Gothic Art? How the Dark Arts Can Lighten Your Heart and Your Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So right before the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, I posted a new piece of artwork entitled </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Spinning Celtic Skulls (</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">pictured above),</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">my vision of a glimpse into the mind of Lewis' Carroll's Queen of Hearts.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> When I pointed my artwork out to my mother, she took at quick glance at the image on my facebook page and her sarcasm was very detectable through the phone when she said, "Very nice, Ange. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too." </span></span></i><br />
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</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now, while my mother has always been very supportive of my artwork, she has never really understood my darker side. "Ange," she has said in the past. "I don't understand why you draw and write such dark things. You are so cheerful and happy. You are a nice person. How can someone with such a pleasant disposition create such dark, depressing things?"</span></span></i><br />
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</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And so, Mom, this post is for you—my attempt to answer your question and to go a little further, arguing that it is </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">because</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> I create such dark and depressing things that I am so happy and cheerful. </span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This post is for anyone who does not understand gothic art, culture, and philosophy, for all the mothers out there who don't understand why all their teenager wants to do is wear black and listen to death metal, for all the people who would rather focus on the nicer, prettier aspects of life rather than acknowledging the harsh realities of death and impermanence.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But first, I have a confession to make. I am a closet Goth. I have always appreciated the Goth aesthetic, the dark hair and eyes contrasting with pale skin and dark, elegant clothing. I have never had the courage to dress that way, mainly for professional reasons—I don't want to scare my clients away. :-) But while I may not look Goth on the outside, I am definitely one on the inside and this is why.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">For me, one of the appeals of gothic art and culture is the acknowledgment of life in all its aspects, its horrors as well as its beauty. Gothic artists and writers possess the ability to see the beauty within the horror. All these images of skulls and blood and death are just an acknowledgment of the truth of the human condition—we are born, we live, and we die. When we can honour the truth of death as gothic artists do, then we can truly appreciate life. In some sense, Buddhists do the same thing, contemplating death in meditations on emptiness of the body and impermanence. Why, one of the major tenants of Buddhist thought is the first noble truth, which states quite frankly that "Life is suffering." So for me, gothic art and Buddhist thought go hand in hand.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"But how does this acknowledgement of suffering and death make you happy?" you might ask.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Because it is a relief to acknowledge the truth. When I remember my mortality, when I remind myself that I, too, will die someday, I can finally relax and enjoy life with a lighter heart, an appreciation for every bittersweet moment as it is. It is kind of like when you were a little kid and you were afraid of what was under your bed and you couldn't go to sleep until you checked to see what kind of horrors lived amongst those cobwebs and dust bunnies and old comic books. When you finally saw what was there and what wasn't there, then and only then could you take a deep breath, and curl up under a pile of heavy blankets and snuggle off to sleep.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It is not until we acknowledge these horrors, both real and imagined, see them face to face and look them in the eye, that we get to know them and realize that they aren't as scary as we initially thought them to be, and that, my friends, brings a great sense of relief, to be able to think, "Ahhh, I will die someday," to never forget that fact, because we never know when that someday is. Maybe it's tomorrow, maybe it's today, and maybe it's 30 years from now.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And so when you look under your bed and your imagination plays tricks on you, and you swear you saw a monster under there, at least now you know what your dealing with, even if your mind has made it up to fill the space, to fill the terror of not knowing, at least now, your mind has given form to the worst case scenario, and believe it or not, my friends, knowing always makes us feel better.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The gothic art that takes us further into the dark side, the images of demons, vampires, and the like, things that the recesses of our mind like to dream up in their spare time, these images give form to the formless frights of our lives, our existential angst. And like the child in the night peering under the bed, in viewing these images, we can relax, and think "Ahhh, its only a blood-sucking vampire—I can deal with that. Ahhh, its only a brain-eating zombie—I can deal with that." But what we can't deal with is the all-pervasive anxiety that gnaws at our minds, chomping and chewing away every little bit of sanity we have left.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Creating gothic art makes me happy because it gives form to my greatest fears, allows me to see them for what they are, imaginary in some cases, the truth of the human condition in others. And being able to make the distinction between things as they appear and things as they are gives me a clarity and a knowing that cuts through any confusion that I have and lets me sit on the honey-coated razor's edge of the present moment, balancing precariously between light and dark, good and evil, resting in the here and now beyond labels, beyond form, beyond conceptualization of any kind.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It is here, in this bardo, this neverland of time, that true happiness resides, happiness without causes or conditions, contentment pure and true. So join me in that space beyond the niceities and horrors of the mind and see what you experience there. Visit the virtual homes of other gothic/fantasy artists, such as </span><a href="http://www.mykajelinaart.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Myka Jelina</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, </span><a href="http://www.rusticgoth.com/index.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Charlene Murray Zatloukal</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, </span><a href="http://www.strangeling.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Jasmine Becket-Griffith</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">and, of course, the infamous </span><a href="http://timburton.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tim Burton</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, and notice your own reaction to the dark arts. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">To view more of my artwork, please visit my main website at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><a href="http://www,knottedwordscelticart.com" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Knotted Words Celtic Art</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">or check out my </span><a href="http://angela-dawn-mackay.pixels.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">profile page</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> at Pixels/FineArtAmerica.com. If you are interested in learning more about gothic art and culture, you can check out </span><a href="http://www.gothicbeauty.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Gothic Beauty Magazine</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, sold locally at The Paper Chase on Blowers Street in Halifax.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">, </span></span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Twitter</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">: @AngelaDMac</span></div>
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<br />Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-57902056338516558262013-09-13T03:44:00.003-07:002013-09-13T06:26:43.433-07:00Stress Management for New Parents: Five Simple Things You Can Do to Help You Cope With Your New Bundle of JoySo one of my first blog posts ever was "Stress Management for Parents", something I had written long before I actually became I parent. And while I still stand by most of what I had said before, there are a few things I would change about what I had written now that I have a four month old baby.<br />
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First, I would make the list of coping strategies shorter. New parents have enough new things to learn and do—any tips I have for them need to be small, simple, and to the point.<br />
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Secondly, I would rank the items from least important to most important. Sometimes doing one extra thing is enough to put a new parent (aka me) over the edge, let alone five. Now I realize the importance of giving parents ranked options so that they have a sense that what their stress management priorities are.<br />
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So, with that said, here are is Angela D. MacKay's Guide to Stress Management for New Parents. The five simple, most important things you can do to help you cope, in descending order, are:<br />
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<b><i>5) Do something fun while you're baby is napping</i>. </b>All new parents hear "sleep when the baby sleeps", but I disagree. Sure, you need your rest, but you also need some connection to your life before you had a child, and that means doing something of the fun things you used to do in your down time. The key word here is "fun" and just to clarify, what you find fun when you're exhausted and you're life is turned upside down is very different than what you found fun when things felt more balanced. It may be as simple as watching a television show with your partner, or reading a novel while your partner, family, or friends are looking after the baby. As tired as I was, within the first three weeks after my beautiful babe was born, I was reading a novel and writing in my journal while my husband took over the evening feeds of pumped breast milk and supplemental formula. Reading and writing, things I did frequently before my baby was born, reminded me that there was a world outside of parenthood, and that eventually, I would have more of a connection with it.<br />
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<b><i>4) Take some time to problem solve about things that would make your life easier.</i></b> I was a pretty organized person before I got pregnant, but baby brain left me feeling a little less smart and a lot less organized. There were many important things I didn't yet have when my water broke eight days early, including a night-light, a soother, and a bottle warmer. What you expect to need when you are having baby may be quite different than what you actually need once your baby arrives. Taking the time to think about my options, to talk things over with my partner, and get support from other mothers allowed me to figure out what needed to change and what I needed to tweak in order to make things go more smoothly.<br />
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The decision to supplement breastfeeding with formula was huge, and at first, heart-breaking, but I soon realized what a dramatic change introducing formula would bring to my life. No longer would I be engaging in breastfeeding-related activities for 15 hours a day, going without food for five hours at time, breastfeeding and sobbing, wondering when and if my baby would ever be full and how much longer I could feed my child without losing my mind. Now, I breastfeed my baby for an hour at a time, and someone <i>else</i> can feed him a bottle while I go do the things that I need to do to take care of myself. That one choice changed everything for me—wiped out half of my stress, and spread out the responsibility of feeding my child to others, rather than having it fall on me alone.<br />
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So take the time to think about what choices you need to make in order to get the most stress-reducing bang for your buck. Tweak your physical space to make it more organized and efficient as needed—organization and structure in the physical world will decrease the chaos in your inner world. Find the supports and structures you need from within the community as well as your friends and family.<br />
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<b><i>3) Tune into your body to figure out what you need to do for you</i></b><i>.</i> In those precious moments of quietude when your baby sleeps, just take a moment to tune in with yourself and get a sense of what you need to do next. Do you really need to take a nap? Is food a priority? Do you need a shower? Do you need to talk with someone? Or do you just need to be alone? Only you can answer those questions, only you can tune in in the moment, and discern what you need to do right now. Being present with yourself helps you better respond to both your needs and your baby's needs—when you are at your best, your baby will be at their best, too.<br />
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<b><i>2) Know when you need to ask for help.</i> </b>This ties into number three. You need to know your limits, to know when you are too tired, too hungry, or too emotional drained to properly care for you and your child. Err on the side of caution—do not wait until you are completely overwhelmed to ask for help. I learned that the hard way. Many a time in those first two weeks, I knew I was about lose it after about 2 hours of breastfeeding, but I kept going anyway, thinking that I could just feed him a little bit longer, that he'd get full soon enough.<br />
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The result three hours later? A sobbing, hungry Mama and a wailing, hungry baby. When I was finally able to ask my husband to take over before I got so overwhelmed, things were much less stressful for all of us.<br />
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And the number one thing you can do to help you cope with your new bundle of joy? You guessed it...<br />
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<b><i>1) Exercise</i>. </b>Now, I know some of you are thinking, "Come on, really? You want me to exercise right after having a baby? That's just not possible." Again, let me qualify that by saying that what you would do as exercise before having a baby, during pregnancy, immediately postpartum, 6 weeks postpartum and 12 weeks postpartum are all completely different.<br />
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According to the Oxford Dictionary, exercise is defined as any activity that requires physical exertion. That's all I'm saying—get up and move and you'll feel better.<br />
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As a new mom, I spent most of my time sitting—sitting and breastfeeding, sitting and changing a diaper, sitting and reading a story. For me, ten days postpartum, "exercise" was sweeping and moping my kitchen floor. Oh, you won't believe how good it felt, working up the tiniest bit of sweat! I had no idea that I could ever love cleaning my kitchen so much. Finally, I could get up and move!<br />
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At one month, postpartum, "exercise" was a twenty minute leisurely stroll with my baby and my dog.<br />
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And now, at four months postpartum, "exercise" is roller skating by myself for a half an hour while listening to Rob Zombie's "Dragula" over and over again. And the difference in my mood is night and day. Even my husband has noticed a significant change in my overall demeanor.<br />
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"Are going roller skating tomorrow morning?" he would ask. "I can stay home and keep an ear out for the baby." Because he knows when Mama's happy, everybody's happy. And what makes Mama happy is roller skating.<br />
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And so there you have it—Angela D. MacKay's Guide to Stress Management for New Parents. Do keep in mind that while this list is meant to be ranked in order of importance, as you can see, they each tie into one another, and only you can discern what you need to do when. <b><i>The bottom line is that you need to trust yourself more than anything, even more than the books, more than the professionals. Give yourself permission to take care of yourself as well as your baby and everyone will be all the happier.</i></b><br />
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© All rights reserved. Angela Dawn MacKay.</div>
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<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac</div>
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<br />Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-41196047979059944912013-08-26T17:44:00.001-07:002013-09-08T13:49:11.516-07:00The Healing Power of Celtic Art: How Celtic Art Helped Me Heal My Body and Mind After Giving Birth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I just had my first baby this past May and the recovery from labour and delivery was not exactly what I had envisioned. I had imagined myself strolling through the Halifax Public Gardens eating an ice cream while pushing a peaceful, sleeping baby along in a stroller just weeks after he was born. I had imagined myself walking the dog while my newborn babe slept cuddled up to my chest in a snuggly.<br />
I had imagined myself roller-skating at six weeks postpartum and being able to practice yoga again.<br />
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Now, those of you who are already mothers might be saying to yourselves, "Angela, what were you thinking?"<br />
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But my expectations were not as far off as to what the books and the nurses tell you. I was being optimistic, I suppose, but not unrealistic, but boy, was I ever off in my expectations of what my healing process might look like. I had a hard labour, 22 hours, a natural birth as I had hoped it would be, but I was not counting on pinching a few nerves in the process, thereby rendering my left foot practically useless. Walking down the hall became a huge challenge, and when they sent me home from the hospital three days after giving birth to a beautiful baby boy, I knew it would be a long time before I'd be taking my little one on a leisurely stroll through the Public Gardens.<br />
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I was aware that moving around and getting outside were vital for my mental and physical health, and yet my life-lines to the outside world were as shut down as the nerves to my left foot. My husband, family, and friends were very supportive, but I knew I needed something that I could do on my own in order to cope. Without being able to safely walk carrying my baby, what could I do? What could I do to keep myself sane for the next two months while I sat around my house waiting for nerves to heal?<br />
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I could draw, that's what I could do.<br />
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So while my baby napped, I drew. I drew celtic spirals and celtic knots and celtic vampire bats and celtic mermaids and celtic versions of fairytales. I drew celtic spiders and celtic angels and celtic butterflies. I drew and drew and drew and drew some more. I drew celtic art 'til my head was spinning and I went to bed seeing the under/over repeating patterns of the never-ending lines, weaving in and out, over and under, until I drifted off to sleep. I drew when I should have been napping, because I knew that it was the celtic art that was keeping me going, the never-ending lines keeping me sane when my life had changed so much. My baby slept and I drew. For the first month, that's all I knew. Breastfeeding, diaper changing, and the never-ending lines of my celtic art.<br />
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Over time, my nerves healed and I could walk again. <i>Hurray!</i> I thought, <i>I can go out an play!</i> But again, my hopes were dashed, as my energy level was so low that a twenty minute walk felt like running a marathon.<br />
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And so I kept drawing. More celtic knots, more never-ending lines, more celtic spirals that spun endlessly into infinity. And my baby slept on.<br />
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And now, almost four months postpartum, I feel like myself again. I'm roller-skating almost every day, doing yoga, walking the dog with a sleeping baby in a snuggly, and yes, we have even made it to the Public Gardens several times. And while my baby sleeps, I still draw, maybe a little less now that I feel that I have my mobility back, but the lines must go on and so I draw whenever I can.<br />
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It wasn't until recently that I discovered that there is such a thing as <a href="http://www.celticarttherapy.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Celtic Art Therapy</span></a>, an experimental form of art therapy where clients trace the lines of closed line celtic knotwork, apparently taking clients out of the fight or flight response and into a more mindful, meditative cognitive state. And while there is only limited observational evidence and case studies to go by, I cannot help but reflect on my own subjective experience in creating celtic art and drawing all of those lines.<br />
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Is that what I was doing, drawing my brain back from fight or flight into a more meditative state? While there is no conclusive evidence to suggest this is so, I am curious as to what you think.<br />
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Below is one of my earlier pieces of celtic art, my rendering of a celtic "T" from the Book of Kells.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KnEz4fxnrChGCojaTRQKboTmJtzLohM_dH5_bC57mB8floEqHOaQ0S-YpjI_M0_dxxdl4kGCrjJ7BSEVKt73sT7WoFaCHvITPAD-jbzboHVtA4cW24gLm391KGwPRQJIcrktQoHOTUQ/s1600/CelticTandBorder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KnEz4fxnrChGCojaTRQKboTmJtzLohM_dH5_bC57mB8floEqHOaQ0S-YpjI_M0_dxxdl4kGCrjJ7BSEVKt73sT7WoFaCHvITPAD-jbzboHVtA4cW24gLm391KGwPRQJIcrktQoHOTUQ/s400/CelticTandBorder.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, you may have to zoom in super close, but grab a pencil or a pen, and start tracing the red line, start anywhere you like, and just notice what happens to your body and your breath as you follow the knots under and over one another.<br />
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Does it make a difference in your brain chemistry? Does it change how you think, how you breath, what you feel? Does celtic art have true healing power? I'll leave that for you to decide.<br />
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© All rights reserved. Angela Dawn MacKay.<br />
<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMacAngela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-7763901014266001972013-01-07T12:28:00.003-08:002013-09-08T13:50:41.790-07:00Emotional Boundaries: How to Hold Your Ground in the Midst of Fear and ChaosSo… as you might imagine, being a psychologist, at times, can be an intense job—people's stories pulling on my heart strings, as well as their stress and emotions tugging at my nervous system. Being able to stay grounded is at the heart of what I do.<br />
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So how do you do it, you might ask? How do I hear the sorrows and woes of others without becoming stressed or overwhelmed myself? Well, after years of practice, I've learned a few tricks of the trade and I thought I'd share them with you.<br />
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But before I share my secrets, there are a few things you need to understand about people and their emotional states. First of all, emotions can be contagious—negative emotions spreading from one person to another like some infectious disease or fungal outbreak, positive emotions spreading as quickly as a gentle smile and a few kinds words. Which way it will go, an infectious contagion or infectious good cheer largely depends on how we respond to the emotions of others.<br />
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You see, human beings are much like a tuning fork. A calm, grounded individual can be a calming presence to someone who is stressed just by being calm - what they say or do isn't as important as how they are saying or doing it - whether their words and actions come from a place of fear or a place of presence. Imagine what would have happened if Chicken Little, when frantically trying to make her way to the King because the sky was falling, had come across a calm, grounded Turkey Lurkey. The story might have turned out very differently, don't you think?<br />
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But beware: the emotions of others can pull us out of our sense of calm, leading us into a whirlwind of emotion. (Chicken Little is a great example of this, and look at what happened in that tragic tale—All of the farm animals were pulled into Chicken Little's fear, and followed her around to find the King only to be led straight into a dark cave and eaten by a fox. Ahh, such needless suffering…)<br />
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I don't want you to fall to the same fate, so here's a few pointers that might help you stay present and calm even though those around you are overwhelmed by fear and strong emotion:<br />
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<b>1) Notice your Breath:</b> Very often when we are stressed, we are not breathing to our full capacity. It is the breath that separates us from life or death, quite literally, and if we are not breathing, we are generally not calm. So slow your breath down, nudging it into deep, even inhales and exhales. The breath calms the body, which calms the mind.<br />
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<b>2) Notice your Body: </b>Are you feeling tension anywhere? Bracing yourself in any way? If you are, notice it and see if you can bring awareness to it, letting it soften and let go with every exhale.<br />
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<b>3) Notice your Posture: </b>Are you leaning forward, all hunched over, stifling the breath? Are you leaning back, almost as if to avoid the intensity of the emotion coming at you? Neither will do. The term "being centered" means that quite literally - we need a long spine, vertebrae stacked on top of one another, our feet connected to the earth, our head and heart open to the sky in order to be "centered", as it opens up the breath, which gives us both the energy and the wisdom to deal with the situation skillfully.<br />
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<b>4) Notice your Surroundings: </b>Do you know where you are? Or has the stress of the other person made the physical environment a blur? Tune into the five senses, letting your eyes take in whatever you see around, your ears resting on whatever sounds they notice, and so on. Bringing our awareness to what's around us can help us regain perspective and help us see the wisdom of the big picture.<br />
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<b>5) Trust What Comes: </b>When we are present, we are in tune with others and our environment, and our words and actions seem to be just what is needed. Trust that you will say and do exactly what the situation requires.<br />
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<b>6) Repeat the Above Over and Over, as Needed: </b>Being grounded and present is not a static state - it is something we must tune into over and over again.<br />
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© All Rights Reserved. Angela Dawn MacKay<br />
<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac<br />
<br />Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-26065135005063879252012-07-31T09:10:00.002-07:002013-09-08T13:51:46.421-07:00When the Hare becomes the Tortoise: Why Procrastination is Okay SometimesSo I never procrastinate…Okay, that's not quite true—anytime I use "never" or "always", I know its not quite true. I sometimes procrastinate—there, that's a little more accurate, probably more so when I was younger. In junior high, I used put off doing my French homework so I could work on my English essays. In high school, I worked on my History paper rather than working on my chemistry assignment. And now, I choose to edit my manuscript instead of completing my yoga teacher training homework.<br />
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But lately I've been wondering if this pattern can really be considered procrastination. I mean, I always got my homework done on time, usually early, in fact. I just did it in the order that<i> I</i> wanted to, rather than getting all the boring, hard work done first. And then recently, just the past few years, I decided that there was something wrong with this attitude, that I should more be "responsible" and do things the "right" way, whatever that was. So I started doing the hard tasks first, adopting a "first work, then play" attitude. And more recently, just two month ago, I realized I had made a mistake.<br />
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It all started with summer, I swear. The sun came out and all I wanted to do was play, play on my computer, play with my dog, play outside, play inside, play at work—I wanted to play everywhere I went. And while it's not hard for me to relate with most tasks as play, I, like all of us, still have hum-drum tasks that I have attend to, like my yoga teacher training homework.<br />
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You see, this was the first time I've ever had "homework" in the summer, and I, like a rebellious teenager, did not want to do it. In the past, I would have gotten it done the day after it was assigned, but now, I was in quite a conundrum: I wanted to do other things instead. And then I had to ask myself, was it a bad thing to do my homework two weeks before it was due rather than a month before it was due?<br />
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And the answer I came up with was no, it wasn't a bad thing. In fact, it was good thing. It means that I'm learning how to relax, how to have a better work/play balance, acknowledging that for everything there is a season and the season of summer is play. It's not about work then play or play then work, its about working when you need to work and playing when you need to play. As a kid, I knew that, lived by that, but now, as an adult, I got caught up in trying to be the hare when, in fact, right now, I'd rather be the turtle.<br />
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So if you're like me–zoom, zoom, zoom, always on the go, always on the ball, always getting things done – try a little experiment. Let the ball slide a little, don't drop it completely, but see what happens if you don't catch it right away. The sun did not come crashing into the earth because I didn't do my homework immediately, and chances are it won't if you relax a little, too. Even though, technically its considered procrastination, in moderation, its good for you, like a glass of red wine or a piece of dark chocolate.<br />
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So enjoy your summer. I know I certainly will. :-)<br />
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©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay<br />
<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a><br />
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<br />Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-86449796600597705732012-07-03T14:08:00.000-07:002013-09-08T13:52:59.352-07:00Playing Your Way to a Healthy Lifestyle: How to Have Fun, Be Active, and Stick to Your Exercise Regime<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So when I broke my arm and sprained my ankle last year, my physical activity level naturally slowed down to match my physical capacity at the time. It wasn't until recently that I realized that even though I am completely healed, I'm still not as active as I had been before my injury. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now, I love to move, love to be active and explore my body's limits, but somehow, I had become quite complacent in my more sedentary lifestyle, preferring to knit and watch movies over getting out and getting moving. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As summer approached, I realized I wanted to do more, move more, to do something outside, but I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. And then, at a Roller Derby game, it hit me - I wanted to roller-skate. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I used to roller-skate as a child and absolutely loved it. At the bold age of nine, I would scout out the longest, flattest, smoothest driveway in the neighbourhood, and then knock on the house adjacent to it. When the door opened, I introduced myself and asked if I could roller-skate in their perfectly groomed driveway. No one ever said no. I would skate for hours and hours on end, loop after loop, until I had to go home for supper.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And so, with fond childhood memories in mind, I bought some skates, really awesome black ones called "The Urban Roller", with bright green wheels and matching laces, and donning my bike helmet and all the protective gear I thought I would need, I ventured out to the Oval, and skated in circles on the pristinely smooth cement that laid before me.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Round and round, I went, my body surprisingly remembering how to skate after 25 years of not having four wheels precariously placed under my feet. Listening to Bob Marley, and sweating up a storm, I remembered why I loved to skate as a child. I was enjoying it so much didn't want to stop, but alas, I had to go home to get ready for work.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And now, a month later, I can't wait to go roller-skating! I curse the rain that interferes with my fun just as I had done as a child.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">While roller-skating is great exercise, it is not the thought of burning calories that keeps me going round and round. It is the experience in my body, the burn in my legs, the smooth feeling of my feet rolling over space and time, the heat in my cheeks, and the light, joyful that sensation that fills my heart.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And that made me wonder, why do I sometimes struggle to be physically active as adult, when being active came so naturally to me when I was a child?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In reflecting on my experience with roller-skating, I came up with a few ideas about what makes for an addictive exercise experience:</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Engage in physical activities that you think are fun</b>, the key words here being "you" and "fun". Don't do what your mother thinks is fun, or what your friends think is fun, or your even what your psychologist thinks is fun. If you think it's fun, then you'll look forward to doing it, you'll be excited to do it, and most importantly, you'll actually do it.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Approach the activity as play, not as goal-oriented activity.</b> As a kid, did you say to yourself, "Okay, I'm going to roller-skate for at least an hour so I can burn at least 600 calories?" No! We played for play's sake, because the experience in and of itself was satisfying. We did not have any sense of an attachment to a specific outcome, like flat abs or buns of steel. So let go of your ideas of calories, and muscle tone, and just enjoy the confidence, energy, and joy that naturally comes from being fit and active.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Mix it up. </b>As a kid, did you just do one thing, the same thing every day of the summer? No! We played hopscotch and jumped rope. We played lawn darts, racket-ball, and with hula hoops. We climbed monkey bars, and swung on swings, explored the woods, and scrambled up trees. So do a bunch of fun things and explore your body in different ways, rather than getting stuck in the same old routine at the gym. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Remember what "fun" feels like.</b> Be present in your body when you're moving. Notice how your body feels before, during, and after the activity. It is that positive body memory that keeps us going back for more.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Twitter</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: @AngelaDMac, </span><a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">www.angelamackay.com</span></a></div>
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Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-23135151381446513722012-06-20T11:25:00.001-07:002013-09-08T13:52:49.589-07:00The River of Energy: How to Get Out of Anxiety's Fast Current or Depression's Deep Stagnation and Get Back into the Flow of your LifeSo, this metaphor is totally cliche, but it works, and that's why I use it. I feel a bit like Forrest Gump saying this, but here goes:<br />
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Your energy is a River, like this River.<br />
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When it's flowing smoothly and moving along, that's when we feel energized, grounded, strong, and happy. But when we get going too fast, doing too much, our minds and bodies spin out of control, floating too high towards the surface of the river and we experience <b>anxiety and stress</b>.<br />
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And when we are moving too slow, dragging our feet in the flow of life, like heavy sediment and river debris, we sink to the bottom, stuck in the drudge of <b>despair, lethargy, and depression.</b><br />
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In order to get out of the state of imbalance and confusion, we must figure out where we are in the river.<br />
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Those stuck at the bottom of the river need to gather gumption and momentum in order to get out of the mud and back into the flow of their lives. People who are depressed need to move and move as fast as they can; running, hiking, biking, rock-climbing and more are some of the things that can you out of the mud. But getting out of the mud and into the flow is just the first step, the hardest step of the process.<br />
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Secondly, we must figure out ways to stay in the flow throughout our day and to notice when we are starting to sink back down into the mud. Walking to work, walking on lunch breaks, stretching at your desk, eating regularly, and drinking lots of water are all ways to stay in the flow. But move too much,<br />
and we might get anxious.<br />
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And if we get caught in the rapids of anxiety, we need to slow down and float for a while. We need to sit still, get a massage, meditate, read a book, have a cup of tea or just take a break to let our hearts and minds slow down to their natural pace, not a rushed one we are imposing on them. But again, that is just the first step.<br />
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We must then figure out what we need to do every day to slow ourselves down, things like doing less at work and home and having smaller "to do" lists, and more "to be" lists.<br />
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Once you notice where you are in the River, you'll have a general idea of how to work with your energy to get back into the flow and ease of your life.<br />
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Speed up or slow down? What do you need to do right now?<br />
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©ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
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<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></div>
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<br />Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-32817645342377278782012-06-11T10:27:00.000-07:002013-09-08T13:53:35.282-07:00My Birthday Celebration/Death Contemplation: Contemplating Death in Order to Celebrate Life<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So my 36th birthday was just a few days ago. I took the day off, with several things on my list of fun things to do to celebrate, including a morning of wandering and taking pictures, first of flowers in the Public Gardens and then gravestones in Camphill Cemetery.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Why, you might ask, would I want to visit a cemetery on my birthday? Well, let me tell you a little story about that. I have always loved walking in cemeteries, even as young child, and most certainly as a teenager, when I was completely obsessed with Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles. I have always experienced a sense of spaciousness among the silent, falling gravestones, a serenity that confirms my hope that the Dead do, in fact, rest in peace.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I grew up near a graveyard, and would frequently walk there, wandering in and out of the granite headstones, tiptoeing in between the grass-covered footstones, trying very hard not to walk over the actual graves themselves – it seemed disrespectful to the Dead, somehow, to step over them while they slept. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As I grew up and travelled abroad, I continued to journey to wherever people remembered their Dead: the old graveyards of Scotland where the rich, dense moss clung to the gravestones like a second skin; the haunting, stone memorials that depicted the emaciated prisoners of Buchenwald, a concentration camp in Germany; the Killing Fields of Cambodia, where a towering glass monument showcases the skulls of those lost in Pol Pot Regime – a place where hundreds of tiny, yellow and white butterflies gather to offer solace and comfort to those who come to remember the horrors of war and genocide.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As I walked through Camphill Cemetery, taking photographs of the markers of lives lost, I remembered these places and the bittersweet feelings I felt when I had there - the heartache of sorrow and the joy and appreciation of being alive. I reminded myself, that I, too, shall die, and I, too, shall be nothing more in this world than a name written on a stone. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">And even though it seems like a depressing thing to think about on one’s birthday, it is the truth, and it’s a relief for me to acknowledge that. There is a sense of liberation that can only come from calling a spade a spade. When I acknowledge the path that lies ahead for me - suffering, old age, sickness, and death - the realities of the human condition – it reminds me of why I need to pay attention to my life right now, in this very moment, cherish my loved ones, and appreciate my health while I still have it. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As I left Camphill and went for lunch, the words of John McCrae floated through my head. You may not know his name, but I’ll bet you know the poem he is most known for, for we all had to memorize his haunting words in elementary school:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>We are the Dead. Short days ago,</i></span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>loved and were loved and now we lie</span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>in Flanders fields.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It is said in the Buddhist teachings that death comes suddenly and without warning. And with that thought to contemplate, I ate my birthday lunch – a lovely avocado melt and scrumptious chocolate brownie. With my own mortality in mind, I continued on with my birthday celebrations - a peaceful nap, an invigorating yoga class with a live drummer, and Thai take-out with my darling husband. It was a lovely day to be alive.</span><br />
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© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
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<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></div>
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Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-43676125718785883982012-06-05T07:31:00.000-07:002013-09-08T13:54:24.092-07:00Procrastinating the Positive: Explorations on Why We Don't Do the Things We Love to DoSo, I was looking at the date of my last blog post and I realized it has been five whole months since I have written. Five months! How did that happen?<br />
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I love blogging, I really do. And yet, somehow, I didn't do it. And then I have to ask myself, "Why? Why didn't I do something that I love for so long?"<br />
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I mean, I could make excuses, some really good ones, too. I was editing a manuscript. I was taking art classes. I updated my website. These are all valid reasons for not blogging, and yet still, they don't seem adequate.<br />
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While I don't want to be hard on myself for not writing, I do want to explore why I didn't write so that I don't do it again. Why wouldn't I take the time to do something I love to do?<br />
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As near as I can remember the first thing that happened was that I just didn't post for a week or two. "Oh, I'll do that later," I said to myself, "I need to focus on my manuscript right now." Well, "later" turned into several months, which was not my intention at all.<br />
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After not posting for so long, I then completely forgot about my blog. How could you have forgotten about your blog, you might ask? The answer is, I don't know, but I guess I must have. I just forgot I had one, forgot it was something I used to like to do.<br />
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The next question I have to ask myself is, "How did I come to remember my blog?" Well, I updated my website, which has a link to my blog and then it came to my awareness that a) I had a blog, and b) I hadn't posted in five months. And then I remembered how much I loved blogging, how excited I was when I started the blog, and that was when I renewed my commitment to writing posts.<br />
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And so now, after careful exploration, I have discovered a few things that might help me blog more regularly, and I will share them with you, my dear readers:<br />
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<li><b>Set a Specific Intention:</b> Note that I used the word "intention", not "goal". And so my intention is to write a blog post weekly, which does not mean I will actually write weekly, just that I intent to. And to even be more specific, I hereby declare Monday as Blog Day, a great way to start the week.</li>
<li><b>Write That Intention Down and Tell Others About it: </b>In writing it down and having others bear witness to it, you are more likely to follow through. That was my mistake before – I had always planned to write weekly, but I didn't tell any one about my intention, and so I was not accountable to anyone, and so had no reason to follow through. In announcing my commitment to my blog to my readers, I already feel more committed because I like to keep my promises. And so if I said I would blog weekly, by Golly, I will.</li>
<li><b>Be Gentle When the Intention Doesn't Lead to Action:</b> Being hard on yourself isn't actually that motivating – it is gentleness that eases us back into action. And so if I don't blog one Monday, I don't have to beat myself up – I can commit to blogging on another day that week, or if that's not possible, give myself permission to skip a week and blog on the following Monday.</li>
<li><b>Remember Why You Want to Do It: </b>When we can connect with our motivation of why we want to engage in a certain activity, it is much easier to remember that we want to do it, not that we have to. It was my fond memories of the experience of blogging that brought me back to post. We have to remember why we want to do the things we love to do. For me, I love writing things and letting them go, knowing that anyone in the world could read them. I love feeling connected with clients outside of sessions, offering my writings as a way to support others when they are not in my office. And I just love plain old' writing, that's really the heart of it. </li>
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And so with that said, I'll see you next Monday. Or not. :-)<br />
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© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
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<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></div>
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Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-36711005924834887532012-01-21T05:51:00.000-08:002013-09-08T13:54:57.103-07:00The Red-Eyed Multi-blob Monster: The Wisdom of the Inner Critic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Once upon a time, in land not so far away, the land of your dreams, nightmares, and darkest secrets, there was a monster. And not just any monster, but a red-eyed multi-blob monster. Now, you may never have heard of the red-eyed multi-blob monster, but that doesn’t mean he does exist. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He hides under doorways, waiting to grab your feet. He hides in the fridge while you look for something to eat, He hides in the shower, deep down in the drain, but he hides in the toilet when it starts to rain.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He’ll hide in your ear when your trying to talk, yelling sarcastically, always read to mock. He swims in your stomach like an eel in a moat, waiting to criticize something you wrote. He lurks in the darkness, always ready to find something wrong with you or your writing, stealing your peace of mind.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Does he seem familiar now, now that I’ve described him?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Maybe you know him by a different name, but he is the red-eyed multi-blob monster just the same. The critic, the judge, the hangman, the gunner – he’s just so mean it makes you wonder, why he’s there at all, why we bother to listen to that monster in the dark – he’s got no wisdom!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Or does he?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Well, I do suppose, he's got lots of eyes, and those things swimming towards him, they are his spies. They swim through the world, peeking around, checking it out, peeking around without making a sound. They come back to report, tell him what they’ve seen, what they’ve heard, and where they’ve been. And then the monster eats them, eats them alive, taking in all that they were, though they struggle to survive. They wriggle and wiggle and yelp, and cry, just moments before they keel over and die. And then the monster, his belly full of information, stews and thinks, and performs a little divination, predicating how things will turn out, telling you what’s wrong without a doubt. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> But then, I say, he takes it too far, like guessing how many jelly beans are stuck in a jar. It’s just a guess based on what his spies have seen, but we believe what he says, no matter how mean, or untrue it may be or unhelpful it is, maybe the monster should just mind his own biz!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But wait, maybe there’s wisdom in there yet. What if he could just see without saying a word, notice how things are without giving a blurb. Ahh, yes, that would do it, to see but not to say, and then without judgement, and without dismay, we can fix our mistakes and learn from them well, instead of cursing and swearing and starting to yell:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I’m stupid! I suck! I’m no good at all! An artist? No! A writer? No – not at all!”</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ahh, yes, it’s the eyes of the monster that allow us to see, but his teeth, oh they give us such misery. So let his teeth go, let go of the sting and the bite, and then finally you’ll be able to write, at least the first draft, but then bring his teeth back, for they’ll be ready to have a snack, to chomp on your grammar, your spelling mistakes, and more – ah yes, I’ve got it – that’s what the monster is for!</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And so, by golly, I think that I have finally made friends with the red-eyed multi-blob monster, oh yes, I can say that I have – no longer afraid of that voice in my head, the voice that tells me it's all wrong – in fact, it's that voice, in the end, that makes my writing solid and strong.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></div>
</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-87956683105837264632011-12-29T08:19:00.000-08:002013-09-08T13:55:13.617-07:00Healthy Hula Hoops: How to Have Healthy Boundaries<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
Imagine that you and all human beings have a hula hoop around them, just floating in space. In this hula hoop resides your rights as a person, your feelings, your needs, your preferences, your desires as well as your dislikes. In essence, the hula hoop is the physical boundary of your personal space.<br />
<br />
Every one is happiest and healthiest when their hula hoops are close to one another, but not touching, just like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZN1pNvXtOOOwiiRngXDhSgAxI-nhMdcpNB9ruq2QFJ9m0pYjoBNfJnb9CD8ia1HmgoDeX6fbu5nC7dD9YcM-XOI-icLjhsk-bF2tPlqu4CuXOkpCzDiD9tnK9jihw21GhaJM98mCITo/s1600/Boundaries1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZN1pNvXtOOOwiiRngXDhSgAxI-nhMdcpNB9ruq2QFJ9m0pYjoBNfJnb9CD8ia1HmgoDeX6fbu5nC7dD9YcM-XOI-icLjhsk-bF2tPlqu4CuXOkpCzDiD9tnK9jihw21GhaJM98mCITo/s320/Boundaries1.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, in many families and romantic relationships, personal boundaries look more like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas6dVNebJRRubmafPm2-FUdApfWI6DT-Z0SBhjekS7gMZRfx530bqADEJ0mxMzQXaxK30ZL0bgrQF-V1koBWCv__gszIagUYWtshV7ILNbFzGRF4R-J6a7tJYlpNfnr0feXxwIbWsPgQ/s1600/Boundaries2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas6dVNebJRRubmafPm2-FUdApfWI6DT-Z0SBhjekS7gMZRfx530bqADEJ0mxMzQXaxK30ZL0bgrQF-V1koBWCv__gszIagUYWtshV7ILNbFzGRF4R-J6a7tJYlpNfnr0feXxwIbWsPgQ/s200/Boundaries2.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
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In the overlapping area lies are great source of confusion. In these relationships, we do not know whose rights are whose, whose feeling are whose, and whose responsibilities are whose. In essence, we lose a part of who we are in the relationship because the boundaries are unclear.</div>
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And so when you try to separate yourself from unhealthy boundaries in a relationship, it is common for their to be a strong reaction from the other person, as they are still confused about where your boundaries are. </div>
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And so, it is your job to education them. Setting boundaries is not about controlling a situation or another person – it is more about honoring and protecting yourself. When you can keep your awareness in your own hula hoop and not jump into someone else's, then you will get to know your boundaries and needs, and be better able to communicate them to others. </div>
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So pay attention and ask yourself the following questions:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>What do I want/need right now that I am not acting on because of concerns of how my choices will affect other people?</li>
<li>Have I communicated my boundary to the other person in a clear, direct way? (eg. I feel angry when you tell me I can't spend time with my friends because I have a right to have friendships outside of this marriage.)</li>
<li>Have I set my boundary and stuck to it? Or have I been bullied/guilted back into doing what other people want me to do instead of what I need to do?</li>
<li>Do I need to set a stronger boundary in order to protect myself?</li>
</ul>
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It is also important to keep in mind that boundary setting takes practice and you may be not that skilled at it in the beginning. You may struggle with not knowing exactly what being assertive feels like and you may err on either the side of being too passive or too aggressive. Be patient with yourself. Keep in mind that setting boundaries is not necessaryily about drawing lines in the sand and creating ultimatums. It is about speaking your mind authentically, being mindful of other people's boundaries, and respect yourself and others.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></div>
</span></span></div>
Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-78947123242331860892011-11-17T05:44:00.000-08:002013-09-08T13:56:09.749-07:00Unravel my RiddleSome say I'm addicted,<br />
but I don't think so – I say<br />
I'm in love.<br />
<br />
Some say I have too many,<br />
that I don't need any more,<br />
but I don't think so – I say<br />
you can never have enough.<br />
<br />
I say I'm in love with the<br />
flip, flip, flip,<br />
with smell of old paper,<br />
and the comfort of bed,<br />
with the soft, down pillow<br />
propped up under my head.<br />
<br />
I say I'm in love with the<br />
the soft evening light,<br />
the hot chocolate and the fire,<br />
I do say, my friend, is all I desire.<br />
<br />
To curl up with one, or<br />
curl up with a pile,<br />
either way, doesn't matter,<br />
for they both make me smile.<br />
<br />
With a cat on my chest,<br />
and a dog at my feet,<br />
there's nothing better,<br />
nothing so sweet.<br />
<br />
What am I ?<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: @AngelaDMac, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></span></span>Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-68772515193474870672011-10-03T08:14:00.000-07:002013-09-08T13:56:37.162-07:00Ivan the Impatient Caterpillar<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ivan the Caterpillar was not patient at all. </span> </div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">He couldn't wait for anything, neither big or small.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Most of all, Ivan wanted to fly high in the sky,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">never be happy 'til he became a butterfly.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“I wanna fly high in the sky</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">'cause I wanna be a butterfly.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Can't wait til I'm older, I wanna fly now,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">fly high in the sky and I don't care how!”</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ivan sang as he wiggled along.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">He climbed up the apple tree,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">climbing as high as you can see,</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">and saw something near the buzzing beehive,</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">glimmering, shimmering, as if it were alive,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">a golden leaf - sheek, shiny and wide;</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">perfect for a magic carpet ride!</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It darted under Ivan, stopping right there,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">hovering, hovering - waiting in mid-air,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">waiting for a caterpillar to hop on board.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ivan hopped on and away they soared!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">They flew up and they flew down,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">in zigzags, spirals, and all around.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Flying so fast, Ivan hung on tight,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">hugging the leaf with all of his might!</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Then Ivan, he lost his grip.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Off the magic leaf, he did slip.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Down, down, he went, starting to fall.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">That's not want he wanted - No, not at all!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Down, down, he went, past the beehive.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Down, down, he went, in a nose-dive.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Now, what do you think will catch his fall?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A sparrow, wheelbarrow, or anything at all?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Will he fall flat on his face,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">splattering all over the place?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Or will he land, safe and sound,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">softly, softly, on the ground?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Well, Ivan fell hard and he fell fast,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">but landed softly, safe at last.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Up out of a buttercup, he did climb,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">climbing, climbing up a slimy vine.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">As Ivan slipped and slid along,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">he saw a thing, skinny and long,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">a thing with wings that fluttered and flew, </span> </div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">and Ivan that saw it was someone he knew!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">He lifted a leg, just about to say “Hi!”</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">to his friend, Daring Darla the Dragonfly.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Then Ivan, he lost his grip,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Off the slimy vine, he did slip.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Down, down, he went, starting to fall.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">That's not what he wanted - No, not at all!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Now, what do you think will catch his fall?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A chick-a-dee, a bumblebee, or anything at all?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Will he fall straight into the ground,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">down so far he'll never be found?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Or will he plummet into Fish Pond,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">sinking, sinking, deep down and beyond?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Or will something save him from this disasterous fall?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Will anything save him, anything at all?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">You guessed right if you thought it might be</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Darla the Dragonfly, fast and carefree.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Oh. Hi, Ivan – what were you doing up there?”</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Darla asked as they dashed through the air.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
“Well, I wanna fly high in the sky</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">'cause I wanna be a butterfly."</span><br />
Ivan did reply.</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">"Can't wait til I'm older, I wanna fly now,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">fly high in the sky and I don't care how!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">They flew up and they flew down,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">in zigzags, spirals, and all around.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Flying so fast, Ivan hung on tight,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">hugging Darla with all of his might.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Suddenly, Darla dove down fast.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Down, down, they went, having a blast!</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">But then something went terribly wrong –</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">the wind was blowing terribly strong!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Down, down, they went, in a nose dive.</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Down, down, they went, towards the beehive.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Darla dashed out with just a minute to spare,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">then noticed that Ivan was no longer there.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Bouncing off a cloud like a diving board,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">diving, diving, Ivan spun and soared!</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Just for a moment, Ivan started to smile –</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">he was finally flying, flying freestyle!</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Down, down, he went, past the beehive.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Down, down, he went, in a nose-dive.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ivan started to panic and move around!<br />
His little legs climbed so he wouldn't go down. </span> </div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Fish Pond was approaching very fast,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">as Ivan plummeted at full blast!</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">He turned bright green and he started to yell,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Oh, my! I don't really feel so well!</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm really scared and I don't know why</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I couldn't wait to be a butterfly!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ivan hit the water with a belly-flop,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">hitting it so hard with a gigantic plop!”</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Splishing and splashing, Ivan coughed and choked.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Climbing up on a lily pad, he was totally soaked!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Darla flew over, rubbing her head,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Huffing and puffing, her face bright red.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Oh, Ivan, you're all wet! Are you okay?</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I know you haven't had a very good day.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Oh, why do you need to fly right now,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">fly without wings when you don't know how?”</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ivan cried and cried, tears streaming down his face,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">soaked with water and tears all over the place.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">I've tried so hard, but all I do is fall,</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm never good enough, so why try at all?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I give up – I don't even know why</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I thought I could be a butterfly!”</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Darla wiped away Ivan's tears, and with soft eyes and a gentle smile,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
said all of the things Ivan needed to hear, at least once in a while.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Oh, my dear Ivan! Why can't you see</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
that you're a butterfly, already?</div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Your butterfly wings are deep inside,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">but they will soon grow big, bright, and wide.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Butterfly wings simply take time.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">On the inside, dear, you're just fine!”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Beyond the lily pad, Ivan then did peer</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">and saw his own reflection, bright and clear.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ivan smiled as he started to see,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">His true inside, as clear as can be.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Now what do you think he saw inside?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">His joy, sadness, fear, and pride?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">If it had a shape, what do you think it might be?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A star, a cloud, or a wave in the sea?</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Even though a caterpillar, Ivan appeared to be,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Inside, he was a butterfly, as he could now see.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en-US">I am happy, happy finally!</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I am a butterfly already.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I don't have to fly to be alright,</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: small;">'cause I'm a butterfly, bold and bright!”</span><br />
<br />
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: @AngelaDMac, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div>
Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-33940688290807577432011-09-20T06:07:00.000-07:002013-09-08T13:58:10.807-07:00The Growing Tree: The Importance of Connecting with SpaceSo, I have to laugh at myself, yet again, for, although I have lots of space/time in my life, I always seem to fill it with fun, relaxing, or spiritual activities, like yoga, meditation, and writing, and suddenly, my life doesn't feel so spacious anymore. Then I hear myself frequently saying to others "I just need more space!" and then I have to ask myself, just what is space anyway? If I had more space in my life, what would it look like? Would it be literal, like a bigger house or a bigger living room? Would it be mental, like more space in my head? And even if I had more space, whatever that looks like, what would stop me from filling it with clutter, both mentally and physically?<br />
<br />
So, practically speaking, why would we want more space anyway? Why not cram our day, our minds, our houses, our lives full of more stuff, more clutter: more things to do, more things to eat, more things to read, more things to clean, more toys and gadgets and movies and friends and information and furniture, fashion magazines here, cookbooks there, swimming lessons over here, laundry and ironing over there – why not have our lives as full as this sentence?<br />
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Because, like trees, all things need space to grow, need space to deal with change, need space to deal with the unexpected. Just as trees need room to spread their branches and move with the ever-changing winds and unpredictable weather conditions, so do we. If there's literally no room in our lives, then dealing with that unexpected phone call, that unexpected sewer problem, that unexpected death will be very stressful, indeed.</div>
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<br /></div>
Let's start with the first question: what is space? Just as the space of outer space is necessary to hold the matter of the universe, the planets, the stars, and so forth, space is necessary for anything to be at all; it is the intelligent, place holder that gives all of existence an opportunity to arise and manifest as it is, whether it be a large, green sofa or a brilliant epiphany. If you've got a small living room filled with old newspapers and out-dated encyclopedias, a room with no space at all, then there literally isn't any space for a large, green sofa.<br />
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Likewise, if you've got a small mind full of all the content of all those old newspapers and outdated encyclopedias, as well as worries and to-do lists, a mind with no space at all, then there isn't any space for a brilliant epiphany to arise.<br />
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So as far as I can tell, space is both literal, physical space, as well as emotional, mental space. And as you might imagine, the two have a positive relationship: that more physical space facilitates more mental space and more mental space inspires one to connect with more physical space.<br />
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So how do we do it, how do we connect with space? As we have seen, space is always there; we don't need to create it, we just need to find it under all that clutter and rubble and connect with it in a real, direct way. Here are some ways to find it, that elusive experience of space:<br />
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<ul><ul>
<li><b>Be Present</b>: Come back to one of the five senses to connect with space: See the green needles on the baby pine tree, smell the Christmas tree smell, feel the prickly sensation on your fingers as you touch the pointy pine needles.</li>
<li><b>Create More Unscheduled Time: </b> Create more unscheduled time in between scheduled things, no back-to-back appointments, meetings, or the like, making sure there's more time in your day than your lists of things to do require, giving you room to deal with whatever surprises the day may bring.</li>
<li><b>Do Nothing</b>: Yes, that's right, sit down and do nothing: no TV or computer or phone or even a book. Sit down and give yourself permission to do absolutely nothing.</li>
<li><b>De-clutter your House: </b>Get rid of stuff: furniture, books, clothes, and clutter, remembering that increasing physical space also increases mental space.</li>
<li><b>G</b><b>o Out into Wide Open Spaces:</b> Wander around in a farmer's field or a forest meadow. Experience the space a football field or the expanse of an ocean view.</li>
<li><b>Meditate, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">o</span></b>r practice yoga or any other mind/body practice, for their very purpose to connect with space.</li>
<li><b>Look Up at the Sky</b>: the biggest space of all. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay</div>
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></div>
</div>
Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-82868171271611327372011-07-19T09:04:00.000-07:002013-09-08T13:58:44.589-07:00Be Here, Stand Tall: Thoughts on Compassionate Action<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8HXluXz4Q15iA1g67R1MJZdPjj30fQ2N8s8I8uIr_cLGbShM5wNvCTcR708r75FunRwmBWrZakuha1fXs5ANUC_pEuzabn4uWl31Lb1p3WNZqcEtrJMNT6KLvbuUhjfyO0v7Gte0cfc/s1600/P7080112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8HXluXz4Q15iA1g67R1MJZdPjj30fQ2N8s8I8uIr_cLGbShM5wNvCTcR708r75FunRwmBWrZakuha1fXs5ANUC_pEuzabn4uWl31Lb1p3WNZqcEtrJMNT6KLvbuUhjfyO0v7Gte0cfc/s200/P7080112.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Be here and stand tall,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
watching, watching, taking in it all,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
all that you see, hear, feel, taste, and touch,</div>
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and when you have done that much,</div>
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you will see very naturally</div>
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what to do and how to be.</div>
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<br /></div>
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What you need to do </div>
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will easily come through</div>
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when you breathe and let go</div>
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of all the things you thought were so.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Just pay attention and what to say</div>
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will roll off your tongue anyway,</div>
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no need to think, plan, or scheme,</div>
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just rest your mind in the stream,</div>
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and see the world like a dream,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
knowing all is not as it seems,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and then you will see, oh so naturally</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
what to do and how to be.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-75587585449109762552011-07-06T08:07:00.000-07:002013-09-08T13:59:15.643-07:00Squirmy Squid: A Tale of Impulsivity and Hyperactivity<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, fantasy;"></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirmy Squid liked to squirm around,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“You will sit still!!” his teacher did say</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">as Squirmy Squid squirmed around all day. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“You should take your magic pill</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">that helps you sit so quiet and still.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I will not take that magic pill!</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">No! No! I won’t ! I won’t sit still!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirmy Squid said as he squirmed around,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“You will take it, yes, you will!</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You will take your magic pill!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“No! I will squirm and swim about!</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I will do it! Let me out!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirmy Squid said as he swam away,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">out of school, out to play.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I will find a place for me.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I will find it! You will see!</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A place where squids squirm round and round,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So Squirmy Squid headed to the bay</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirming, squirming all the way.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As he swam, he saw a whale,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">eating, eating a garbage pail.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Oh, Mr. Whale, would you know</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Of a place where squids can go,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">where squids can squirm round and round,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I am sorry,” the whale did say.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I do not know where in the bay</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">squirmy squids can go to play,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">where squids can squirm round and round,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So Squirmy Squid headed to the bay,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">squirming, squirming all the way.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As he swam, he saw an eel,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">eating, eating a banana peel.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Oh, Mr. Eel, would you know</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">of a place where squids can go,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">where squids can squirm round and round,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I am sorry,” the eel did say.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I do not know where in the bay</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirmy squids can go to play,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">squids can squirm round and round,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So Squirmy Squid headed to the bay</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">squirming, squirming all the way.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As he swam, he saw a big sea bass,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">eating, eating some broken glass.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Oh, Mr. Bass, would you know</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Of a place where squids can go,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">where squids can squirm round and round,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Why, yes!” the bass did say.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I do know where in the bay</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirmy squids can go to play,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">where squids can squirm round and round,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Swim beyond the coral reef,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Go past the ship of the pirate thief.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And there below in the abyss,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Is a place you cannot miss.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“In that abyss, you will find</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The squid playground you had in mind,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">where squids can squirm round and round,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Oh, Thank you, thank you!” Squirmy Squid did say.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Thank you for your help today!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So Squirmy Squid swam to the coral reef</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And past the ship of the pirate thief.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He swam into the abyss deep below</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And saw hundreds of squids squirming to and fro!</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“At last, I have found a place for me!</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have found it, as you can see!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirmy Squid said as he squirmed around, </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then Squirmy Squid saw a squid swim by, </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">squirming, squirming and saying, “Hi!</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You must be new here in Squirmy Squid Town,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A place where squids squirm round and round.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I’m the principal at Squirmy Squid School, </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Where squirmy squids learn by different rules.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Would you like to come and see</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">How squirmy squids learn differently?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Oh, yes, I would!” Squirmy Squid did say,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As he squirmed around all day.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So they went to Squirmy Squid School,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Where learning and squirming were really cool.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Squirmy Squids need different tools</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To be able to learn in school,”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The school principle did say</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To Squirmy Squid on that day.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Give them choice, some freedom to move,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then squirmy squids will get into the groove.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The learning groove, where work becomes play</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And squirmy squids will learn everyday!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Some quiet time to calm their minds,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Helping them to take their time.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Smaller classes to help them focus</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With lots of action and hocus pocus!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Working at their own squirmy pace,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Remembering that school’s not a race.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Balance rules with lots of space, </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Letting squids squirm every place!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“You mean, being squirmy isn’t bad?” </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">said Squirmy Squid, feeling sad.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Oh, no! Not at all,” the principal said,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As he squirmed and scratched his head.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Some squids learn best when sitting still,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Other squids learn with the magic pill.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Squirmy squids are not good or bad.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They are just different, so don’t be sad.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirmy Squid, would you like to come</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To Squirmy Squid School and have some fun?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“Yes, I would,” Squirmy Squid did say,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As he squirmed around all day.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So Squirmy Squid went back to school,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Where learning and squirming were really cool.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He worked at his own squirmy pace,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Remembering that school’s not a race.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As he learned about science and math, </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirmy Squid could squirm and laugh,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As other squids squirmed around,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“I am happy, finally!</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have found a place for me!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Squirmy Squid said as he squirmed around,</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">backwards, sideways, and upside down.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></div>
</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-65671066702273618322011-06-27T07:23:00.000-07:002013-09-08T13:59:52.167-07:00Sketchy 'Squito: A Tale of Paranoia and Fear<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sketchy 'Squito hid behind the oak tree,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
his big, bug eyes looking 'round carefully.<br />
As Sketchy looked up and down, and around,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
fear, death, and danger was all he ever found.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He looked up high and saw a fly trap,</div>
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sweet and sticky like maple tree sap.</div>
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He looked down low, and what do you know,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
a hot, bug-zapper, ready to go.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He looked to the right and what did he see?</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A fly swatter swatting as fast as can be!</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He looked to the left and saw over there,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
spiders lurking in their dark lair.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He looked behind him, his eyes filled with dread,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
and saw mountains of mosquitos, still and dead.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He said to himself, wings above his head:</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“I've got to get away from this dangerous place,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I need to find a much safer space!”</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sketchy flew along, and kept an eye out,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
for the danger that always lurked about.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He shivered and shook as he fretted and flew,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
for an old apple tree came into his view,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
its gnarled branches like the hands of death,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
ready to grab him and take his last breath.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Hiding behind a cloud like an iron shield,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sketchy felt better, safe and concealed.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Taking a deep breath, his wings over his head,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sketchy looked up and finally said:</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Excuse me, Tree, but do you know,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
of a place where I could go,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
a place where I could finally find</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
a safe space and some peace of mind?</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The Tree smiled and did reply,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
looking Sketchy straight in the eye:</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Sorry, lad, I know of no such place,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
as there is fear in every space.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I don't know where you could go,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
to live in peace, without fear or woe.”</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sketchy flew on, keeping an eye out,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
for the danger that always lurked about.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He shivered and shook as he fretted and flew,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
for an old maple tree came into his view,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
with a buzzing beehive near the top,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
so Sketchy screeched to a sudden stop.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Under a maple leaf, he curled up small,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
hiding, hiding to get away from it all.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Taking a deep breath, his wings over his head,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sketchy looked up and finally said:</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Excuse me, Bees, but do you know,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
of a place where I could go,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
a place where I could finally find</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
a safe space and some peace of mind?”</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The bees smiled and did reply,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
looking Sketchy straight in the eye:</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“You must be looking for the special space,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
that knows no name, time, or place.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
We know of it, oh yes, we do.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
But where it is, we haven't a clue.”</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“But their is someone who might know,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
someone high up in the Land of Snow,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
an eagle high up on a mountaintop,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
so icy and cold it'll make your heart stop.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
But you'd be crazy to go up there!</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
But go on if you must, if you dare!”</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
So Sketchy flew high and he flew low,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
he flew up to the Land of Snow.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Up, up, he went, to the mountaintop,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
with crunchy cliffs and a deadly drop.</div>
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Covered in ice, Sketchy flew up high,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
much higher than most mosquitos ever fly.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Nearing the top, the sun began to rise,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
painting soft ripples across the skies.</div>
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Perched up high, an eagle sat alone,</div>
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silent and still on his icy throne.</div>
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<br /></div>
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With no place to hide, no where to run,</div>
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Sketchy stood still, facing the rising sun,</div>
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ready to face his fearful mind,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
sick of being so scared and blind. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He took a deep breath and bowing down,</div>
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paying respect to the sacred ground.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Excuse me, Eagle, but do you know,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
of a place where I could go,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
a place where I could finally find</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
a safe space and some peace of mind?</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Still as the calm before a storm,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
the eagle sat tall, in regal form.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
He looked Sketchy right in the eye, </div>
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and with the rising sun nearby,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Sketchy relaxed and finally let go,</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
as he stood still in the Land of Snow.</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
His fear melted like ice in the sun, </div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
dripping down until there was none.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The falling snow turned into rain,</div>
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washing away past fear and pain,</div>
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a rainbow appeared in the magic sky,</div>
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fluttering around like a butterfly.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As they stood, eyes locked in space,</div>
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Sketchy saw just about every place.</div>
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Both earth and sky, both peace and pain,</div>
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now seeing the rainbow as well as the rain.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Without a word, Sketchy finally saw</div>
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that when the ice of fear did thaw,</div>
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the world was very bright and clear,</div>
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no longer smothered by his constant fear.</div>
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<br /></div>
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He smiled at the Eagle; the Eagle smiled back,</div>
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nodding his head as if tipping his hat.</div>
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Sketchy bowed down, with nothing to say,</div>
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and then he continued on his way.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Down, down, he went, down the mountaintop,</div>
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with crunchy cliffs and a deadly drop.</div>
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He flew high and he flew low,</div>
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he flew away from the Land of Snow.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sketchy flew back to the beehive,</div>
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screeching to a halt from a nosedive!</div>
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He smiled at the bees; the bees smiled back,</div>
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offering him some honey in a bug backpack.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sketchy flew back to the old apple tree,</div>
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branches sprawling as far as can be.</div>
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He smiled at the tree; the tree smiled back,</div>
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offering him an apple as afternoon snack.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sketchy flew and finally made his way,</div>
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to where he began his quest that day;</div>
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back to the spiders in their dark lair,</div>
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back to his home, if he did dare,</div>
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back to the zapper, and the fly trap, </div>
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sweet and sticky, like maple tree sap.</div>
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back to the swatter swatting as fast as can be,</div>
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back to his home to see what he could see.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sketchy looked high and he looked low, </div>
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he thought of his time in the Land of Snow.</div>
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Beyond the fly trap, Sketchy did see,</div>
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the far-reaching hug of the old apple tree.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Below the bug-zapper, Sketchy did find,</div>
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a bookworm reading about peace of mind.</div>
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Beyond the fly swatter, Sketchy did spy,</div>
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a ladybug helping an old butterfly.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Behind the spiders in their dark lair,</div>
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a spry silkworm was spinning silk with care.</div>
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Beyond the mountains of dead 'squitos and bugs,</div>
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little baby beetles gave out Baby Bug Hugs.</div>
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<br /></div>
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With his wings at his side and his head held high,</div>
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Sketchy smiled and said, with a knowing sigh:</div>
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“I don't know why I had to go</div>
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all the way to the Land of Snow,</div>
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to see that here, in this dangerous place,</div>
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I have finally found a safe space.</div>
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For peace of mind is always near, </div>
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when I can see things bright and clear.”<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: @AngelaDMac, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;"></span></div>
Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-6644035052984211052011-06-12T14:33:00.000-07:002013-09-08T14:00:10.664-07:00Slowing Down, Seeing Clear: The Joy of Being Here So…the broken bone is healing well (see Friday the 13th post for that story), although between it and the sprained ankle, I have slowed down. Just this past week, I've able to walk my dog, which has been quite a joy, as I really haven't been getting out much.<br />
<br />
And on one particular day, okay, it wasn't just any day, it was my 35th birthday, I decided I would take along my camera and see the world through the eyes of a photographer whose senses are keen and sharp. Between the sprained ankle, the sniffing dog, and the picture-taking, my walk was very slow and leisurely, indeed. I returned home feeling happy, light, and refreshed.<br />
<br />
This is not how I usually feel when I walk my dog. I will acknowledge that I sometimes hurry my dog along, rushing him to stop sniffing the oak trees and march along our usual route. But this time, the sprained ankle and the camera really helped me take it easy.<br />
<br />
I realized that while intend to be mindful during my day, many times I am not. I still struggle with a mind that focuses on all the things I have to do next, even though I want to pay attention to what I am doing now.<br />
But in order to take good pictures, one must be paying attention and so pay attention, I did. When on vacation and living abroad, I carried my camera every where, always on the look-out for the perfect shot. I saw the world with eyes of wonder and awe, appreciating every small detail, from the sand-box labelled "Dog Toilet" in London, to the children playing in the street in Cambodia, to the temples of Bangkok. Living there, I believed I lived in a majestic world, a world of richness, wonder, and delight, both beauty and pain, a bittersweet fairy tale. And yet, I seemed to think that this majestic, sacred world was elsewhere and not in my own backyard.<br />
<br />
But the camera, it reminded me of the beauty all around me that I never see. Living in a city that I believe I know well, I take for granted my opinions of how things look, rather than actually stopping to see how they really are.<br />
<br />
So now when I walk, with camera or not, I look, I see, I see beauty, for the fairy tale I thought was off afar, really is in my backyard. I look around as if I had a camera in my hand, looking for the best shot in the land. I see how things change so quickly, the mushrooms that sprouted the day before, were now squashed down into the grass and more.<br />
<br />
And so I thank the art of photography for helping me to see clear and just to be.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
<div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>: @AngelaDMac, <a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></div>
</span></span>Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766772486861442135.post-42941183134056557652011-06-02T09:46:00.000-07:002013-09-08T14:01:08.766-07:00Lost Whispers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjc1bltD55CZ9Asgf11eNQMe3X11sD88uOyz70JArq-Zj575yT-P8dHNMebA2tYexG7rcRvh7sfssylgPe3eEXvVZNA_YW1az2F0DyAZzoqNphxtXFfJB75NN89Za_k5Ixf4e61y7dqY4/s1600/Lostwhispers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjc1bltD55CZ9Asgf11eNQMe3X11sD88uOyz70JArq-Zj575yT-P8dHNMebA2tYexG7rcRvh7sfssylgPe3eEXvVZNA_YW1az2F0DyAZzoqNphxtXFfJB75NN89Za_k5Ixf4e61y7dqY4/s400/Lostwhispers.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Angela Dawn MacKay </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.knottedwordscelticart.com/" target="_blank">www.knottedwordscelticart.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: @AngelaDMac, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.angelamackay.com/">www.angelamackay.com</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18px;"></span></div>
Angela Dawn MacKay, Holistic Psychologist, Writer, and Celtic Artisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05818063215239266542noreply@blogger.com0