Barb's Blog

My Dear BHW Sisters,

I've been waiting all morning to find the link to a video of our President's Memorial Day speech show up on YouTube ... but ... no luck so far ... ...

So, I found this to share with all of you and I strongly recommend that when the video does appear on YouTube that you try and view it ... I saw it live on CNN ...

Here's the link to the transcript:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/05/30/remarks-president-memorial-day-service

[Edited in: The video link finally showed up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1GTVzGyjsM ]

I hope that come November ... more and more of you will come to recognize the character of this great man ... our President ... How fortunate we are to have found him when this nation needed him ... and this is from a strong Secretary Clinton supporter ...

The media makes and breaks people ... That IS my observation ... So, rather than allow the naysayers and the biased to prevail, I am trying to do my small part to ensure that this nation secures the service of this great patriot for another term ...

Yes, our great and grateful nation remembers ALL who serve ... both the dead and the living ... ...

This is a call to ALL patriots ... who are patriots FIRST ... partisans only secondarily ... ...

With profound gratitude and respect ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

My Dear BHW Sisters,

This story came to my attention this fine morning (well, I operate on East Coast time ... LOL! ... ... ) as I was searching for something in my personal e-mail:

http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_15682436

Just like Maya Angelou who once became mute ... but who found her voice as one of the most stirring poets of our time ... this woman, Betty Chinn, once gone mute because of the trauma in her life ... found her voice in America ... and like TRUE Americans ... chose to give back ...

What an amazing story! ... ...

May I draw your attention to the words of our President ... This IS a man of TRUE character ... who speaks from the heart ... and I, for one, am sooo proud of him ...

What a way to begin a beautiful weekend ... ...

With gratitude, respect, my love, and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

P.S. Thought I would excerpt from the article and our President's words:

"And together," Obama continued, "they remind us that we all have a purpose on this earth that goes beyond our own lives and our own individual needs. And they teach us that no matter what challenges we face, we each have the power to make the world a better place."

"What unites these citizens, what makes them special, is the determination they share - to right a wrong; to see a need and to meet it; to recognize when others are suffering and take it upon themselves to make a difference," Obama said. "When they saw a veteran in need of proper care, or a teenage mom who could use a helping hand, they didn't just shake their heads and keep walking.

"They didn't write it off as another example of life not being fair. Instead, they saw it as a problem to solve, a challenge to meet, a call to action that they could not ignore."

By honoring the work of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, Obama said he hopes to inspire other Americans to follow their example and "open their hearts" and "strengthen their communities." To the honorees, Obama said, helping others isn't just the right thing to do, it's the "obvious" thing to do.

"They may not be rich or powerful in the traditional sense," he said. "But they believe that those of us with a roof over our heads, with loved ones to go home to, with food in our stomachs and strength in our limbs, have been blessed. And in return, it's our duty to use those gifts to reach out to those who aren't so lucky."

Obama later addressed the recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal directly.

"You exemplify what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America," he said.
"We're grateful." [Italics and emphases added]

What a President ... what a leader! ... ... ...

My Dear BHW Sisters,

This is going to be a strange Blog post I am thinking ... as I try to r-e-a-c-h for it to acknowledge Oprah's final show (on the networks) which I just saw yesterday afternoon ... and the replay just a few minutes ago ... (Just the last 1/2 hour or so each time ... don't know what that is all about, but ... I did tape it ... ) ... ...

I will admit that although it should have come as no surprise to anyone that Oprah would end her show with a statement of gratitude to Mrs. Duncan and GOD ... and her audience worldwide ... it did ...Hmmm ...

There was an acknowledgement of the "17-hour days" that her staff of loyal Harpo employees work ... which DID surprise me ... I learned that Oprah works tirelessly (as Gayle King stated on Piers Morgan yesterday afternoon) ... rarely stopping, except when she goes on vacation and perhaps not even then ... for she is likely thinking about what next? ... ... Hmmm ...

...

So, just as Oprah has paved the way for sooo many other people, perhaps, just perhaps ... ALL these coincidences will give RISE! to an amazing culmination of one person's dream ... Who knows? ... ...

We CAN DREAM, can't we? ... Yes, indeed! ... ...

With that amazing transition from the global to the personal ... I AM in gratitude ... to this amazing thing called LIFE ... ...

With profound gratitude, my deep respect, my love, and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

My Dear BHW Sisters,

I don't often get to "local news" because I am generally sooo busy playing "catch-up" with all the news I have to get to ... but, for some reason as I was trying to work on my personal e-mail Inbox, the "Star-Advertiser" link caught my eye ... So, I decided to click on it and see what was happening in "local news" ...

This article caught my eye:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20110522__College_graduate_marches_to_the_beat_of_donated_heart_.html

I hope you are inspired by it as much as I was ... When people refuse to give up ... when despite the odds, they keep trying ... I LOVE that!!! ... ...

In some ways, my own journey, and perhaps yours, has elements of that ... but, my challenges were never as daunting as Yolanda Caluya Domingo's ...

With inspiration ... and gratitude ... many blessings to ALL ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

My Dear BHW Sisters,

I am watching Fareed Zakaria GPS as I do most Sunday mornings ... and I am disappointed in the interview with the Egyptian activists ... To a person, they did not SEE or express gratitude toward President Obama ... Did they not SEE that without his help ... whether rhetoric or not ... they would likely not have prevailed? ... ...

OMG! ... I can't understand the lack of gratitude ...

I realize that everyone IS entitled to an opinion ... and this, too, is just one person's opinion ... but, words are not merely words as these young people seem to think Obama's rhetoric is merely words ... "and he's very good at it" ...

They resent the stand American Administrations take toward support of Israel ... Hmmm ... IF we listen to Prime Minister Netanyahu recently ... he would not likely say he is getting the support from the Obama Administration he wishes ...

Everyone tends to SEE things from their own perspective ... I think everyone needs to take a step back and LOOK at things as objectively as they can ... The Obama Administration has been most helpful to the "Mideast Spring" ("Arab Spring") ...

Just my humble 2 pennies ...

With my gratitude, respect, my love, and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb


P.S. Here's a related link:

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=46240

Dear BHW Sisters,

I'd like to share this link with whoever would like to attend:

http://special.hsmglobal.com/us/wbfny2011/

I don't know how I got on this mailing list, but ... I did ... So, IF this draws you in ... consider going ... I must have gotten this link so I could share it with ALL of you ... ...

With my deep respect, my love, and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

Ok ... here we go again ... This is a real big s-t-r-e-t-c-h because I am not feeling all that well this fine morning, but ... given I was in bed most of yesterday ... it gave me a lot of thinking time ... So, here goes ... ...

Quality of life is an aspiration we ALL likely have ... Quality IN life is an MO that has been a part of my life for all of my adult life ...

Substance over form ... ... ...

Quality over quantity ... ... ...

These principles have been a part of my MO for all of my adult life ... They have guided my every meaningful decision as I navigated this thing called life ...

When things happen to bring "negative energy" into my space ... I sense it ... I'm not sure my reactions are always the very best of all available choices, but ... the principles above guide my decisions ...

No doubt a lot of us BHW have had a lot of decision-making to do over many years, especially since 2008, when ALL of our beliefs were challenged, and for many of us, our world was literally shaken ... Hmmm ... What IS this all about? ... ...

In the midst of all the turmoil, I found myself thriving ... Hmmm ... Interesting! ... I sensed that my time had finally come ... The beliefs that I had made a part of my life were finally paying off ... in spades ...

Well, depending on what happens over the next several months ... my "dance with the Universe" will begin in earnest or ... I have been deluding myself ... ... ...

When I begin to think that everything is going "swell" ... some "negative energy" comes to alert me that ... things aren't always the way they appear ... and I need to take a step back and ponder ... Hmmm ...

I happened to be drawn into the latest Core Call ... Interesting ... I have an observation, though ... and adding my 2 humble pennies ...

The "Tend and Befriend" ... the "Connect and Collaborate" Age is actually not new .... We, in business, have been building our solid, quality businesses EXACTLY that way ... one quality relationship at a time ... ... The difference or the distinction which Dr. Ellie points out, but did not articulate exactly with these words ... is that the "new Age" is about "Tending and Befriending" by way of the internet ... Taking our "Connect and Collaborate" to the internet ... and hence, making our reach worldwide ... GLOBAL ... Hence, the BHW Global Community which I always thought was the Global BHW Community ... LOL! ... ... I assumed it was an English as a second language issue ... now I "get it" ...

Ultimately, injecting "quality" into any relationship IS about meeting one-on-one ... Which is why, intuitively, I found my way to RISE! ... in 2009 and in 2010 ... and why I reached out to several BHW and sought to meet them one-on-one ... Just to "connect" in a REAL world way ...

It IS about the vibes, afterall ... as Bob Proctor and Leslie Householder sooo accurately instruct us ... We need to be in a mode to "receive" ... primarily to "receive" the messages of the Universe ...

For years now ... I have been feeling a sense of "calling" ... Not fully understanding what IS going on, but knowing that I AM being moved to something different ... something palpable, though not visible ... I sense it ... I feel it, but I can't fully define it in REAL world terms ...

Nevertheless, on my parallel track, I have worked with my "Executive Coach" ... that is her title ... to try and figure ALL of this out ...

I have worked too long and too hard to simply walk away from what has been ... I LOVE what I do ... but ... this nagging sense of whatever it IS will not leave me BE ... ... ...

When I have spoken with several of my most trusted friends, I have spoken about that story where the Lord sends a rowboat, then a motor boat, then a helicopter to rescue someone stranded on a rooftop as the water keeps rising ... He refuses all and drowns ... When he meets the Lord in Heaven, he asks, "What happened?" ... ... To which, of course, the Lord replied, "I sent you a rowboat, then a motor boat, then a helicopter ... You refused them ALL ... What did you expect me to do?" ... ... LOL! ... ... I don't know if that's how it was originally told to me, but that IS what I remember ... And, for some reason, in my attempt to explain some of the happenings in my life over recent years, I have used that story to give my friends and others I have consulted ... an idea of how it IS I feel ...

With more questions than answers ... I thought I would share ... this kinda epiphany ... ...

Much gratitude ... great respect, my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

My Dear BHW Sisters,

In an attempt not to make this political ... I shall merely share this link so ALL may decide for themselves ...

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/05/conservative-republicans-on-th.html

A LOT goes on that most people don't have time to read about ... This is what people who do these kinds of things hope for ...

INFORM yourselves, my dear BHW Sisters ... BE patriots FIRST ... Find out what the FACTS are and DECIDE for yourselves ...

With my gratitude, respect, love, and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BHW Sisters,

I had intended to craft this Blog post yesterday ... but, I was busy and distracted ... and so, with my apologies to Gabby Giffords ...

Representative Giffords DID make it to her husband's launch aboard the Endeavour yesterday ... Amazing! ... ... She had been there a couple of weeks ago, but the launch had to be scrubbed ... But, just like the trooper she IS, she made it back ... and the launch DID happen ... ... Bravo! ... Bravo! ... Bravo! ... ...

I saw the special that Dr. Sanjay Gupta did a few weeks ago about all the folks who saved Gabby Gifford's life ... Such an amazing, life-affirming story ... What a woman she IS! ... ... ... I did not know who Gabby Giffords was before the tragedy that unfolded in Tucson ... I try to follow her story as best I can ... Women like Gabby Giffords who defy all the odds ... who work hard to get back what was so meaninglessly taken from them ... People like her ARE my heroines/heroes ... ... They TRULY give meaning to life ... ... ... ...

I wanted to take these brief few moments to mark the occasion and to give thanks to a merciful God ... ...

I hope Representative Giffords will continue to surprise everyone ... ...

With profound gratitude ... I AM in gratitude ... ... With an abundance of blessings to Representative Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

P.S. This is a related link:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0511/55179.html

Dear BHW Sisters,

Our nation's debt ceiling will be reached TODAY! ... ...

Please call your Congressmen/Congresswomen and urge them to STOP playing games with our nation's reputation in the world ...

They might cause things to get out of hand and like September 2008, things beyond most people's control will start cascading ... and who knows IF we can pull it all together quickly once again ...

People who play games ought NOT to be re-elected!!! ... Period! ...

The double-dip recession which we have been able to escape still looms for the unwary ... and UNintended consequences of ANY action are the worst kinds to deal with ...

Hit the phones!!! ... Thank you! ... ...

With gratitude, respect, my love, and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

P.S. Thought this might help:

http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/16/news/economy/debt_ceiling_deadline/index.htm

Understand, please, that it WILL impact ALL of us in many more ways than is obvious ...

P.P.S. It was not my intention to put this in a partisan context, but ... there IS more from one party than the other who ARE playing games with our nation's future and hence OUR future ... And, that causes me to momentarily ... ...

My Dear BHW Sisters,

I am "blown away" ... This fine morning on the heels of a "breakthrough" preparedness session with my executive coach on Friday morning, I AM visiting Blog posts and a video by Michael Gerber in BHW Core ... and although I confessed earlier in a Blog post to BraveHeart Salanda that I had read and probably still own materials by Michael Gerber ... bought years ago ... skimmed and shelved ... or boxed ... Hmmmm ... NOT ready ... I was not ready! ...

And now ... I am still not ready, but ... I may be BEing prepared to take that proverbial leap ... Hmmm ... The events of 2008 ... and much of what has ensued ... my finding and reading a book that crossed my path clearly not by coincidence have ALL prepared me to receive the message that Michael Gerber has prepared for ALL BHW Core members ... An interesting point in his video ... he mentioned "micro-financing" ... President Barack Obama's mother, Stanley Anne Dunham, was very much into "micro-financing" ... EARLY for her time ... VERY EARLY ...

I need to think about all of this ... There has been a tidal wave of things happening in recent months that seem to be pushing me in, if not drawing me in ... I have mentioned to my executive coach WHAT it is I would do with my life IF I only thought of myself, something I am not used to doing ... I told her that I needed to find a way to serve ALL constituencies and still follow my own dream ... Hmmm ... Interesting! ...

I urge ALL CORE BHW to go and listen to that video ... It may very well change YOUR life ... and maybe mine ... LOL! ... ... ... WHO would have thunk it?! ... ... ...

With profound gratitude to the Universe ... and to this powerful force which has embodied my soul these last few hours ... Yikes! ... My love, respect, and many blessings to ALL ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

Dear BraveHeart Salanda,

This is the result of my just listening to BraveHeart TV talk about the Paradigm Shift around Contribution ... ...

YOU, my dear BHW Sister, have the POWER to bring about REAL change ... YOU come from a place of Spirit ... of PURE SPIRIT that calls me to assist ... ...

So, given that I can not do certain things wearing the hat that I now wear ... I think IF you are a willing soul that perhaps ... just perhaps ... the invitation you extended in private can be a Source of a Spiritual Retreat of YOUR creation ...

Think on it ... will you? ... ...

I think there are BHW Sisters who resonate with you and who would travel to where you are ... not to your "humble" abode, but somewhere near by ... and we can have the opportunity to CREATE the dream you have been dreaming ... and bring it forth in CREATION ... I want that for YOU ... ... and this "inspired" Blog post is my way of bringing forth the force that IS within me that has been struggling to find expression ... I certainly can not find it in my everyday life ... I work as hard as I do in order to enable the realization of the kind of "sea change" I know YOU have been blessed to steward ... I feel it with everything in me ... I know that I was brought here to enable ... but, I have been asking all along ... WHAT? ... ...

I have cast the question out to the Universe ... and somehow ... I think YOU are the answer ... BUT ... ONLY you have the answer ...

I will not be hurt or offended IF you decide against it ... I just wish to make the offer publicly so as to expedite the enabling process ... ... ... ...

I will be here to encourage you ... enable you ... and be a source of strength in certain areas where perhaps you have been needing a little assistance ...

This IS also a result of the "inspiration" that was started early this morning on my coaching call with my executive coach ... someone who has come to understand me like few others ... She opened up the "flood gates" of "inspiration" and "insight" that drew me to the e-mail that Dr. Ellie sent out and "inspired" me to go and listen to BraveHeart TV ... something I don't often have time for ... I've wanted to listen to one by Michael Gerber I think I saw cross my eye, but ... I haven't been able to make time yet ... but, I will ... I have read some of his material from years gone by, but never connected to it ... maybe it IS time ... Don't know ... ...

What says YOU, dear BHW Sis Salanda? ... ... It's like having your BHW "Tribe" without committing to a BHW Community ... I don't know, but somehow ... I think this IS the right direction in which to go ...

With an abundance of gratitude, respect, love, and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

My Dear BHW Sisters,

Here we go again ... s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g ... ...

It occurs to me that we EACH choose to resolve the challenges that face us in this life in our own unique ways ... Same facts ... different perspectives ... different choices ... different solutions (or as Dr. Pamela prefers ... Soul-utions - Thank YOU, Dr. Pamela!!! ) ... ...

I BELIEVE there are always solutions (Soul-utions) to our problems ... always! ... ...

Sometimes, the solutions are sooo obvious ... right there ... LOOK! ... SEE! ... BE!!! ... ... ... ...

Other times, the solutions ... are elusive ... distant ... UNclear ... Hmmm ...

As we try to solve problems ... challenges ... situations ... we EACH search for the solution in our own ways ... Guaranteed! ...

I may have the solution you seek ... but, IF you don't ask ... you will never know that it was right there ... LOOK! ... SEE! ... ...

OTOH, YOU may have the solution I seek ... but, IF I never ask ... I will never know that it was right there ... LOOK! ... SEE! ... ...

"Two ships pass each other in the night" ... never knowing that it was ALL right there ... palpable ... predictable ... in congruence with the Universe and HOW it operates ... ...

I've developed a 6th sense over my lifetime ... but, unlike a LOT of people who have it ... and my understanding IS that we ALL have it to one degree or another ... I don't know for sure what the answers ARE that my instincts are telling me to observe ... to embrace ... to share ... Hence, these Blog posts seeking "inspiration" ... wanting to share the process which has been oooooh soooo helpful in my lifetime ... Sensing ... not knowing ... but feeling none-the-less that it IS sooo close at hand ...

When communication needs to be indirect ... out of respect, I guess ... the solution can be more elusive ...

I've learned over my lifetime that some things are not meant to BE ...

I don't have the answers in order to help anyone make the DISTINCTIONS they need ... but, distinctions ARE what Tony Robbins taught me through his tapes sooo many long years ago ... ARE what IS needed ... Yes, indeed ... DISTINCTIONS ...

Some may wonder at the so-called meteoric rise of Facebook ... or Google ... or Microsoft in its early days ... Aaaah ... but IF they would only look more closely ... what they will SEE is that there were other entities stronger ... older ... more well-established ... that should have prevailed and beat these upstarts to the finish line ... WHY didn't they? ... ...

OTOH, LOOK at Twitter ... It's made the cover of "Fortune" magazine (May 2, 2011) ... with a very telling photo ...

WHAT IS THE DISTINCTION? ... ...

I am afraid that I can't go any further ... I am EVER mindful of my obligations to honor the "rules" of my profession ... and so the solution must be developed by those who CAN SEE the message I am trying to deliver ... There are many here with the skill set to SEE ... but, who for whatever reason took that fork in the road years ago and took the other road ... the other path ... and now they, not I, are in a position to assist with insights ... with solutions ...

I sense that I came here for my "dance with the Universe" ... IF one chooses to dance ... hail the Taxi!!! ... LOL! ... (Thank YOU sooo much, BraveHeart Ellen!!!) ... I knew the answer would come ... The Universe does offer up the solutions we seek ... the answers ARE there ...

On the parallel track I AM on ... I have other goals and dreams and tasks ahead of me ... I will not walk away from ALL that I have worked sooo very hard for ... for a lifetime ...

LIFE IS GOOD! ... LIFE IS GRAND! ... We must OPEN OUR EYES ... in order to SEE ... ... ... ...

My crowning achievement will be made visible to ALL who choose to SEE ... ...

Welcome to my world!!! ... ... ... Lest anyone MISunderstand ... let me simply state that there are no "weeds" in my garden ... what you SEE IS what you get ... and, cryptic communication has always been my style ... Sorry about that ... ... ...

With sincerity of purpose ... my profound gratitude to the Universe ... my respect for ALL who choose to serve ... my love, my best wishes, and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

My Dear BHW Sisters,

Allow me to attempt a s-t-r-e-t-c-h for an "inspired" Blog post ... one which has been percolating for a while now ... ...

Communication skills are an interesting thing ...

Charisma IS an interesting phenomenon ... The Charismatic Adult was recently discussed in one of our many meetings ...

What IS real? ... And, what is a result of our desire to BELIEVE ? ... ...

There are sooo many sayings ... and insightful and sometimes pithy phrases ... I know that as I got older more and more of the age-old sayings seemed to somehow "magically" make a whole lot more sense than they once did ... ...

So, am I now SEEing more clearly? ... ... Hmmm ...

I think that we often simply acknowledge that which we wish to SEE ... rather that look at hard, cold facts ... We sometimes rationalize ... thinking that things just can't be the way they seem to be ... We want to give people the benefit of the doubt ... We want to BELIEVE ... ...

And, IF the facts (dis)prove the point ... What then? ... ...

When ALL doubt is removed, what then? ... ...

The bubble bursts! ... ...

Yesterday, as I listened to the news that Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger are separating ... it engendered such a reality check ...

Sometimes, we wish to BELIEVE ... in Camelot ...

Recently, I have been having a tug-of-war with myself ... wondering in which direction I should move ... wondering IF I should just "get more real" ... Maybe my "dance with the Universe" has been fun ... but a distraction ... Maybe that sign along the highway was misread ... Maybe ...

Hmmmm ...

With profound gratitude for this insight ... with respect for ALL ... my love and many blessings ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

My Dear BHW Sisters,

On this fine Mother's Day ... I need to share this awesome story about a very dear friend ...

I only occasionally visit The Think Tank these days ... I've even considered shutting it down ... but there is a dear friend who posts there and who has shared her figure skating videos there ... and so ... I just kinda kept it going ...

Yesterday in the early morning hours ... probably about 5 am HST or thereabouts ... after pretty much completing my daily routine, I decided to go over there and check a thread addressed to my friend ... I had noticed that she hadn't responded to it like she normally does and this had been concerning me, but ... I figured she had been dealing with a lot and so perhaps there were issues that were consuming her time and kept her from the site ...

Well, I rarely notice PM's because I rarely get them at that site ... but, for whatever reason, I did notice one sitting there ... and when I went to read it, it had been posted only a few hours before ... Hmmm ... it was from a mutual friend (a friend who recently survived a heart attack - we had all prayed for her) and as I opened it, I thought how unusual for me to be hearing from her in a PM ...

Anyhoo, when I completed reading the message ... I lost my breath ... literally, I had to stop and catch my breath and try to ground myself ... It was news I could not in any way have been prepared to expect ... It said, "We almost lost ____." It went on to say that "____ almost lost her left leg" ... and a few other details. OMG!!! ... ...

Although I have since spoken to my friend, she says she was "out of it" for 5 -6 days and just got out of ICU two days ago ... We talked for quite a while, and it was reassuring, but she tells me that she has a long road ahead of her as she can't walk at the moment and needs to start physical therapy soon.

HOW did she make it through this life challenging ordeal? ... Prayer circles ... ...

Her parents were told that they might lose her ... then, that the doctors might have to amputate her left leg ... Through it all her army of relatives called on her relatives and closest friends and their friends and called on everyone to please pray for her ...

I am not using her name because it is her choice to identify herself, not me ... I have previously invited her to this site, but she hasn't decided to join us just yet ... I only know _____ because we met on figure skating websites in 2003 and we both cemented our relationship at The Think Tank as we dealt with the ______ people ALL of us sometimes encounter in our lives ... Although I had invited her to join me at skating events in the past, we never met up in person ... Our entire relationship has been online, phone calls, e-mails, etc. She was planning to come to Hawaii this summer ... but, I suspect that has to be postponed ...

In any case, I was not part of those initial prayer circles and I was spared the long days of worry ... I AM now a part of her prayer circles, though, as I DO BELIEVE in their power ... Over my lifetime, I have witnessed its power on sooo many occasions ...

The purpose of this Mother's Day message, my dear BHW Sisters ... for ALL who DO BELIEVE ... please consider offering your prayers for a speedy recovery for my dear friend ... The other purpose for this message is my hope that it resonates with EVERYONE ... PLEASE DO BELIEVE in the POWER OF PRAYER CIRCLES ... My dear friend now serves as testament to its awesome, awesome power ... ... and for that, I AM infinitely grateful ... ... ... ...

And finally, the purpose of this Blog post is to also wish ALL of you a very Happy Mother's Day!!! ... ...

With profound gratitude ... my respect, love, and many, abundant blessings to ALL this Mother's Day ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb

P.S. I should include in this prayer request BraveHeart Jean and the mutual friend from The Think Tank who recently experienced heart attacks ... Both are well on their way to a full recovery, but I am sure they will appreciate the prayers ... There is a Blog post a few days ago where BraveHeart Jean describes her post-knee surgery experience ... Check it out ... It IS powerful sharing ...

P.P.S. With my sincere apologies to BraveHeart Linda from Chicago ... may I add her brother-in-law who is suffering from AML to this prayer list ... and a couple of my colleagues who are dealing with cancers at this time ... and of course, our own BraveHeart Rhonda who suffers from MS ...

My Dear BHW Sisters,

I come bearing good news ... or so I am "inspired" to think ... ...

WHAT DOES one mean when one utters this oft heard phrase ... the win-win formula ? ... ... WHAT does it mean to YOU? ... ... Is it more about giving ... or about receiving? ... ...

I happen to BELIEVE that it IS equal parts giving and receiving ... All of us BHW have experienced giving and the JOY ... the pure JOY ... it brings with it ...

My guess is that it IS in the receiving that most of us BHW ... "fall short" .. or struggle ... Yes, I CAN relate to that ...

I surmise that IS why my offers of assistance have gone UNheard ... why my questions are seen perhaps as ... "demands" ... Or, why I feel sooo misunderstood ... Or, why I BELIEVE that some BELIEVE that I misunderstand ...

Hmmmm ...

I was watching "The Talk" this fine afternoon even IF I am exhausted and in desperate need of catching up with the rest I have too long put off ...

It is still on, but ... I switched the channel in time to catch Fareed Zakaria on "The Arena" with Elliot Spitzer ...

I switched the channel because I am taping "The Talk" ... Thank goodness! ... It IS a classic ... at least the part that I saw ... "There wasn't a dry eye backstage" is what Eva Larue said when she sat down for her portion ...

So, what were the fine ladies of "The Talk" talking about? ... ... About their mothers ... About ALL mothers ... It IS a classic ...

The reason "The Talk" has become an instant success is because of the chemistry of the fine ladies on that show ... They are EACH sooo unique ... sooo different from one another ... and yet ... they complement each other like an AMAZING quilt of characters meant to be stitched together as only "The Talk" could possibly put them together ... Amazing! ... Simply amazing! ... ... ...

The win-win formula ... The creation of Sara Gilbert ... Julie Chen is lead hostess ... Hmmm ... How interesting IS that? ... ... Even the way they march out daily and take their seats is interesting ... really ... Who could have choreographed it better? ... ... No one ...

I am not certain how I deliver this punchline ... or, if there IS one ... But, I think I AM offering advice of some kind ... ...

Things don't always work out the way we plan ... Or, maybe the choreography is "inspired" by the only Plan that matters ...

I multi-task ... I LOVE to have my hands in/on a lot of things as my younger days will attest ... So, I don't participate in anything I am not observing at the same time ... Hmmm ...

I go with the flow ... I try hard to pay attention to the signs along the highway ... And, when I think I see some hazard on the roads ... my inclination is to do something about it ... Hmmm ...

I always try to do it with the greatest amount of finesse I can manage to bring to bear ...

Mothers ARE creators ... creators of LIFE ... They (we) give birth to LIFE and we understand Mothers' Day in a way others can only guess at ... But, those who guess ... have (or had)mothers ... so, they, too, understand the relationship ...

Mothers are GIVERS ... not all understand how to receive ... But, as I watched the mothers who were there to receive the message from their daughters ... I understood that some can be sooo classy in receiving ... Hmmm ... Interesting! ...

So ... I decided to come to the computer and s-t-r-e-t-c-h for this message in the hopes that finally ... the message I AM trying to deliver WILL be heard ...

Reception ... BEing in tune ... Hearing what IS intended ... Hmmm ... That IS indeed a skill ... I DO understand ... ...

To ALL of the mothers out there ... Happy Mothers' Day! ... a wee bit early ... ...

With profound gratitude to the Universe ... I knew the answer would come ... ...

Aloha pume hana,

Barb