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To Be Wildflowers . . .

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I’ve been thinking . . .

about wildflowers.
In the early spring, in a grassy field, we can see something that looks to the unschooled eye to be a weed, but they’re not they’re wildflowers.

Some folks walk to a different drummer, some go their own way, some get called weeds when they are really wildflowers.

It’s easy to misunderstand each other, we use different words in minds that work differently. We grew up learning differently about how the world works. What we call a rose does change what we think of it. What do you think of weeds and wildflowers?

When someone misunderstands us, we don’t need to get thrown, if we know who we are. One person’s weed is another person’s wildflower. What matters most is that wildflowers stand tall enough to reach the sun so that we can grow.

We have these tiny bright traits of beauty that outstrip the most cultivated flower.

It might be a smile that comes easily.
It might be the grace of a quiet way.
It’s the charm of a person who doesn’t mind a wait.
It’s the one who never gives up.
A twinkle in the eyes gives it away.
A softness in the voice passes it on.
A sweet touch to the face offers it up.
Wildflowers are natures surprises set out with love.

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The world is filled with people.

We are so many wildflowers. I’ve never met a person who, in some way, wasn’t one. Each of us offers something new to learn, new to know, new to understand about the world and each other. Each genuine person I meet always has some trait, some quality — something that I don’t have enough of in my life.

Every wildflower offers me a chance to be a better person.

I’m on the lookout for wildlowers of every sort this weekend — some will stand inside a clear, old milk jug vase I think is special. I’ll put a bow around it. Some will be the people who come to admire the vase that holds some wildflowers standing tall inside.

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Change the World: Tell Someone You Know

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With Your Head, with Your Heart, in the Dark Nights

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This is the story of a brilliant, shy man I know. We were joined by a mutual friend who is so dear to each of us. At the time that this story took place, the brilliant, shy man was someone I knew well, but had hardly met.

He stood 6 foot 6 inches tall and, in the English cottages and restaurants where I often saw him, he had to bend quite low to clear the doorways. I was traveling internationally to make a small publishing company happen. He was the CEO of a multi-million dollar international publishing giant. He would always make time to have a meal with me.

He won my heart one day after lunch as we walked to the car. I asked him, “Do you ever have trouble when you’re traveling in another country, deciding whether to go back to the hotel or to go out to dinner with the people who invite you?”

“Oh,” he said. “Those dark nights in a hotel room.”

“Wow!” I thought. “He’s the CEO of an International Publishing Mega-Company and he gets that way too.”

One second, I was walking next to that brilliant, tall person wondering why he took time out for me. Then he said that and I suddenly felt taller. He didn’t look at me, but I literally looked up at him in a way that was new.

You see, he didn’t have to, but he told me he knew.

As time went by, the International Publishing Mega-Company began to ask things of this shy, brilliant man that weren’t who he was. The stockholders asked him to do things that he found counter-intuitive. That took a toll. Then the result of that was that he had to break his word to the people who worked for him, and he had to do it again, and again.

Until finally it exhausted him completely. He was left dazed, a bit broken, and confused. When I went to England, he sent his regrets through our mutual friend. This time he could not see me. Our dear friend said that the tall brilliant man was seeing no one at all, except his own family and our dear friend.

I so wanted to give back what he gave me.

All I could do was send a message through our dear friend.

This is the message I asked our friend to relay,

Just because they talk the loudest, doesn’t make them right.

“Will you tell him, please? It’s important. I want him to know that I know that.”

That’s what I said to our dear friend, and because he is our dear friend, he did.

In time the tall, brilliant man was fine.

Now he is far better than ever.

It’s a gift to tell someone that you know . . . about the dark nights..

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Change the World: Know What We’ve Got

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As I write my blog this morning, I think of those who cannot. I think of those who are not allowed to talk. I mean the people, young and old, who cannot say what they believe, who cannot see what see, who cannot know what they know, who cannot share their thoughs.

This is on my mind because on April 21, Mihael told the story of Ariel, a Romanian student who was expelled for blogging. She describes what she found out Ariel this way.

Distressed, I clicked on the link provided by Alina to see: is this teenager an uneducated brat who deserved his punishment? To my surprise, I read the words of a smart, erudite young man, who uses rhetoric in the most surprising manner to disapprove of some disturbing comings and goings. Then he blogs about his family, about religion and school, he describes funny situations: a colleague sleeps during class, another gives a witty answer to a not so witty question asked by a teacher. Teenage fun. No harm in his words. In short: there was nothing to justify the actions of the teachers.

I sit here and think. I type what I want and what I fear most is embarrassing myself with a stupid thought or a typographical error. I don’t worry that family will lose something they need.

Being aware of what I’ve got opens my eyes to those who have not.

If we know what we’ve got, we will see what we see. Then maybe we can find a way to start fixing things that are broken.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Sensitized

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I’ve been thinking . . .

about being sensitized.

When I was in my 20s, my mom was in the hospital. She was dying. When I turned on the TV, it seemed every sitcom, every channel had a show in which one character was in the hospital. It wasn’t any more than usual. I was just sensitized.

When I had my son, the same thing happened. On TV, on the street, everywhere I looked, I saw people with babies or women who about to have one.

My own situation made me more aware of what was going on.

Today I woke up thinking, Oh my, it’s Friday again. How do my weeks seem to be Tuesdays and Fridays more than anything? I wonder what I will write?

Then I thought Something has me sensitized to those days of the week.

Why don’t I choose something else? I know I can. So I will. I choose joy.

This weekend, I’ve decided to be sensitive to joy everywhere I look. And the first place I looked was out my window to see a gorgeous coral sun sitting on the edge of the lake — a joyous, unique sunrise.

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Change the World: Put Your Feelings Back

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In 1990 my friend, K, convinced a “psychic” to come to Austin to meet with a group of K’s friends for a friendly event. Part of the deal was that the psychic lady would give readings for fee, but that K and I would get time at no charge to hear what the lady saw.

K called me when she arrived and I drove over. To my surprise, the psychic lady looked like a middle-adged house wife wearing a red-beaded, knit pant suit. I guess I had expected some sort of Halloween garb and a silky purple sequin scarf.

The people came; food was served; and the psychic lady spoke of what she did, and told stories of what she saw throughout her life. This psychic lady knew quite a bit about health and wellness. She was also well read..People asked questions about what they might expect.

One by one, people met with the psychic lady in another room. One by one, each person came out looking thoughtful and satisfied.

She then invited me to take my turn.

As I sat in the rocking chair across from her, I thought what an unlikely psychic she is. Then I thought she’s a highly perceptive, intelligent woman. maybe that’s what psychic is.

The woman started by saying that the first thing she noticed that day about me was that I was a person sho people misunderstood. She said that people often felt threatened by me. She was right, but I didn’t say that I had no idea why.

She asked me what color my feelings are.

“What color?” I stopped to think, but saw a color, a scene, immediately.

I said they are “indigo, blue-black — the color of the sky on the night of a starry, full moon, safe and beautiful like inside a mother’s womb.”

I wondered where that answer came from. It was true, but I’d never thought of it before. So, I’d surely never said it.

Then she asked, “Where do you carry them — your feelings?”

I closed my eyes and went inside my head to find the answer. I realized that my feelings weren’t in my body at all.

“I keep them right here,” I said, putting my hands like parentheses in the air next to my left hip. In a heartbeat, I knew the moment I had pushed them out there.

She asked the quietest, most powerful question, “What would happen if you moved them over, if you put them back inside you?”

I didn’t have to answer. I already knew I’d be whole again.

She said, “Now when you meet people, they won’t wonder what you’re hiding.”

She was right.

After that day, somehow people could tell.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

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If you’re ready to change the world, send me your thoughts in a guest post. Feel free to take the gorgeous Change the World image up there that Sandy designed back to your blog. Or help yourself to this one.

Change the World mini

Email me about what you’re doing or what we might do. Let’s change the world one bit at a time together. Together it can’t take forever.

Change the World: Have a Little Faith in Me

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If We Believe in Each Other

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I have a secret that some of you soon will know. When I talk in front of a group I need to be sure someone, at least some one, has a little faith in me.

So, before I being, I’ve learned to just ask. I pick a person I met that morning, or someone I don’t know very well, Let’s say it’s a man named, Fred.

I’ll take a sip of water. Then I’ll ask, “Fred, before I start, do you have faith in me?”

That Fred always says something like, “Why yes, Liz, I do.”

That affirmation makes a difference. This shy girl is ready to go when someone has a little faith in me.

Things get better when we have faith in each other. Not blind faith, but faith we earn and faith we invest. Faith is a cornerstone to a relationship. Faith is believing what we can’t see yet.

When my day is about to meltdown, when I’m flying in the dark, I put my faith in a friend who comes by with a candle and faith in me.

Have Little Faith in Me
When the road gets dark
and you can no longer see
just let my love throw a spark
and have a little faith in me.

When your secret heart
cannot speak so easily
come here . . . from a whispering start
have a little faith in me

when your back’s against the wall
just turn around and you will see
I’ll be there to catch your fall
have a little faith in me

I will hold you up
because your love gives me strength
The Best Of John Hiatt, Have a Little Faith in Me

Being there when the world makes it inconvenient or downright difficult. Knowing that we have a friend we can trust faithfully opens doors for us to be brave and vulnerable. We can spread our wings, stand up tall, take that leap.

We need faith, that we’ll hold each other up and catch each other if we fall. Imagine the power of knowing that’s how life is.

We can change the world — just like that.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

______________
If you’re ready to change the world, send me your thoughts in a guest post. Feel free to take the gorgeous Change the World image up there that Sandy designed back to your blog. Or help yourself to this one.

Change the World mini

Email me about what you’re doing or what we might do. Let’s change the world one bit at a time together. Together it can’t take forever.