Sunday, September 29, 2013

Thanks to the Butterflies...and Eloise


A very sweet young lady I know created this drawing for me when I was looking for ideas for the book cover of my memoir, Yin, Yang, Yogini: A Woman’s Quest for Balance, Strength and Inner Peace (now available for pre-order!) The final book cover, designed by the publishing company, is a bit different, but the artists did incorporate the butterflies. Hands are very difficult to draw (I am told!) but Eloise did an excellent job. In fact, I’m sure that if she so desires, she will one day have a lovely career as an artist.
            The point of this blog is to say thank you to Eloise (and to her mother, my dear friend Amy) and also to say thank you to all those who helped to make my dream of creating and publishing my memoir about my yoga and breast cancer journey come true. For the fact of the matter is, even though I was the one to sit down at my computer and write the book, it never would have happened without the input of many, many people. Nothing happens in this world, I believe, without a chain of angels (human or otherwise) that help us on our path.
            I remember the very first time I entered the yoga studio at the foot of my hill. Somehow, the universe had planted a yoga center there just at the time in my life when I deeply needed to change my path for emotional as well as physical reasons. From the moment I entered Nesheemah (which means breath), my life forever changed for the better. I entered a parallel universe of which I had hitherto been completely unaware, a universe of kind and gentle souls, of teachers, friends, and others too many to name here. That day set into motion a series of events and serendipitous meetings, opening my heart to compassion, forgiveness and trust. So many have been part of my journey…I would like to personally thank each and every one…but some I don’t even know by name. Sometimes I think of the waiter who refilled my coffee cup when I was feeling down, or a woman I crossed paths with in a grocery store who let me go first in line; the people who brighten our days are sometimes unknown to us, even though we may feel and benefit from the light they share.
            Today, I’ll simply start with Eloise, who spent some hours after school creating the beautiful drawing above for me. And I’d also like to thank the butterflies…who reveal to us every day that we are capable of change, that we capable of overcoming struggle, that we are born to be free and beautiful.

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