From an Upper Floor

On November 5th, USA TODAY had an article entitled, ‘A discovery out of this world;  Earth-like planets.’  It went on to say that the space observatory, the Kepler telescope has shown that about 8.8 billion stars in our galaxy have planets nearly the size of earth with a surface temperature that could support life.   And probably tens of billions earth like planets in our Milky Way galaxy.  This bit of news should send up flares in all our religious premises that have spoken of  ‘our Father’s house has many rooms.’  How else to say to the mental landscape at the beginning centuries’ count that there are other worlds besides this?  As it was,  this concept could only be grasped by the selected few.

Even now when tempers rage as to whether we are evolving or were hatched fully grown and believers to boot,   there is no common ground where intelligence can gather itself and say,  we are open to new knowledge.   It is a sad commentary on the work of those who have toiled hard and long to bring us to the place where we can say yes,  the divine spark is harbored in all of life.    God in a rock.   No doubt it will take some cataclysmic event to bring people to their knees and say it is time for all of us to seek knowledge from where it comes.  No need to sell our souls for a pittance.

There are some who come to earth different than the average person.   These mavericks are placed by destiny here and there to add a richness to the evolution of mankind.   They march to their own drummer and speak with words when questioned that have meaning to those who search themselves for affirmation.   Often they are thought to be behind everyone else, though when questioned possess an intelligence beyond what institutions could teach.   These are the ‘angel unawares’ that the Good Book speaks of that nobody reads but most display.

Those who speak of life elsewhere generally only envision life like ours.  Perhaps we can entertain thoughts of life in terms of other than linear measurement?   Perhaps we can think of life with illusions not manifest?   In terms of perhaps dreams dreamed and thoughts having their own reality?  Jane Roberts, in her series of Seth books in the 70’s spoke of ‘unknown realities’ where concepts of immortality can only be given meaning in terms of worlds unknown to us.    The knowledge of metaphysics adds a rich layer to physical life and we must revisit  our ancient heritage which  speaks to us of cosmic values.

It is time for Joseph Campbell’s heroes’ journey for each and everyone.   It starts with one small step inward in search of our common divinity.

Photo by John Hallissey

Are you connected to your home?  Would removing you from it remove you from your memories,  to what you have learned, to what you love not because of how it looks but because of what you have invested?  A wandering brother once said that he never felt like I did and he had lived in many houses because of his work.  To be a home it must be invested with the soul of one, with the emotions and with the love.

It should take two people to build a home and a family.   But in many cases, too many of late, it is but one.   It can be one of meagre surroundings.   It can be of any type, in any country, in any place.   But with the place should be invested the emotional growth and in recollection, should be one of acceptance.   If the place is simply a house,  a place to sleep in and a place to leave, we have a rootless society, with no connection either to themselves or to their place of origin.  And their origin means the place where they became aware of themselves and respected for their persons.

When a place is created that is secure in the minds of the children, when what is created is of love, then what is given is a freedom to fly and then to come back.   Not necessarily to the physical place but to the secure emotional place within that has given them a rooting.  Those with no penchant for traveling will in time realize that rooting is taken with them and is not lost.  But for those whose hearts are secured within the place they have given their best, have taken their responsibilities to the highest and best they could envision, these attributes give to the children and the adults a confidence that world events cannot shake.   It gives them a grounding where the earth itself becomes home and a love for it that never dims.

They will forever hear in their minds and hearts the voice who greeted the morning and was servant to the day.   This is where the heart rests.   They will feel their connection to their earth no matter where their home is.   They do not spend their lives looking for a place to call home because they were rooted when it was necessary by those who loved them.   They will find wherever they are that they are at home.  The earth will never be an alien place, a foreign place.

Where the heart is will always be home.

Those of us who have hopes, hold tightly to them.  I have found  during this life that there is insufficient time to enclose them all.  There is not enough time to focus on them as well as our commitments.  And we don’t know this up between the eyes at the time we make our first commitment.   Because we are honorable peoples, we stay the route and run out of time which takes us with it.   The commitments we go into, with part of us still wishing hopes fulfilled,  take energy into their cause.   So the girl who wished to write teaches her children and they become fine writers.   And she who created in the kitchen for her brothers teaches her children how to create with their hands, with their minds,  in the pleasure of the fields in all weather.  She teaches the glory of creation with reverence.  We learn what we can do with what we have and are richer for it.

We watch our children make commitments with their desires running alongside, to find that they must shelve portions of them we term dreams (because they are not yet physical) and tend to the needs of commitments.   And then we wish that each generation will be aware of consequences when decisions are made that prevent desire’s fulfillment.   Failure?  Giving up?   No,  just reality doing a check.  Humans must be a priority, especially when we make them.   What values would have gone into a dream are instilled instead, in commitments.  We learn early that our hearts teach us in ways the world cannot.

And the dreams of value,  either genetically impregnated or morally ensconced,will have their day either here or elsewhere.   And the dream being of noble quality demands a someone of noble quality to carry it.   If the progeny carry their commitments with honor, their dreams will be carried by a someone with honor.   Our hopes, if passed to one with memory who cherishes these, will be fulfilled.  And we will be the person of quality who dreamed the desire into being.  When we have worked the dailyness,  laid the groundwork,   done the footwork, and have ploughed the field to make it ready to work, the hope will be a reality.

All of Life is carefully balanced.

Photo by John Hallissey