In giving we receive

Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff. Bono

In my life, I too have done a lot of stupid stuff. My stupidity lessens as I become more aware of my ability to live in grace through every moment of the day by doing less of what hurts me and more of what heals me. In my journey, however, I am humbled by the realization of how little I know about living without fear of the world around me. How little I know about being free. When I stand in love, however, my journey is filled with grace, and the recognition that this is my one wild and passionate life. It's up to me to live it up.

In Greek mythology, the three graces were sisters, Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer). In middle ages iconography, the Graces represented beauty, charity and love. For me today, grace is the state of being where I am in balance. Where I am at ease with my world, at peace in my heart and at rest in my mind, confident in my being my one true self.

In today's hyper-accelerated world, living in grace can be a challenge. Life gets going and I get doing without stopping to breathe the air around me. Mind in forward, I step into my day looking for what needs to get done as I forget about what I'm doing in the moment of my being at one, at peace, at ease with where I'm at.

Recently, I received an email from a woman I've never met. She saw my daughters and me at Choices awhile ago and had to write to tell me of what that brief encounter meant to her. Her words were moving, touching and inspiring. I felt bathed in grace. Surrounded by beauty, charity and love.

In the woman's email, she wrote and told me about her story and how it parallels the story of my journey with Conrad. But I'm not writing to tell you about my story, she wrote, when I heard you'd written a book I bought it "not b/c of what it was about, but b/c I wanted a piece of your understanding of the gift of life."

In her words I am bathed in the Graces. Bathed in the gift of another woman's spirit touching mine and lifting me up. I am reminded that I am a child of the universe, living this one wild and passionate life, fearlessly becoming all that I am meant to be. When I share my joy and laughter with grace and ease, I am living on purpose, doing with intent. "I am a fearless woman sharing my unique gifts to create a world where spirits dance freely in love, joy and harmony."

I asked both my daughters to read this woman's email. "Please know," she writes at the end of her email, "that your spirit has touched my soul." I wanted them to know that their spirits, their love, has touched another and inspired her to live, laugh, love.

I am humbled and I am inspired.

What an amazing gift this woman has given me. In her words I am in awe once again of the human spirit's ability to overcome sorrow and pain. For my daughters, the gift of her words is a soothing balm of confidence, of joy, of love. What her words tell me is that in our journey away from those dark days of pain and sorrow, we have claimed the right to live in joy and laughter. To live in spirited exuberance, alive and dancing, in love with being who we are, in love with where we're at, freely sharing our gifts so that in giving, we receive.

The question is: Are you dancing with joy, sharing your exuberance with the world around you? Or, are you silently standing on the sidelines watching the world dance before you, refusing to receive the wonders around you?