Category: Gratitude

I am so grateful that you exist

Barbara Bullock, M.F.A. Spiritual writer

Dear friends, orchid 2

This is for you, Anna Mae. As I arose this morning, I folded my hands in prayer. The long awaited day has finally arrived. No, it’s not Christmas; no it’s not my birthday; nor is it my graduation or other milestone of this kind. A day long awaited with anticipation for one sole reason.

This is a day many people celebrate you. Some play your music, or dress like you. Others express their appreciation in words to you or thoughts of you. Others will raise their glasses, and cheer with you, and shower you with presents and flowers, kisses and embraces. As varied as the many tokens of thankfulness and celebration might be, I bow my head in gratitude and say thank you.

I am so grateful that you exist.

I thank God for such a generous creation of you, a soul and human being so beautiful – inside and out – simply beyond imagination.  A soul and human being letting her light keep shining in the darkest moments of life. Gone through trials and tribulations in your early life, you have had to learn harsh lessons since your human existence here. Never diminished by those, you rose like a phoenix into the realm of a spiritual teacher. I could not agree with you more. I truly believe that God put you here for this very reason. It’s as if God brought an earth angel beyond comprehension in the midst of us. How could anybody have known that in little Anna Mae such an earth mother beyond our humble human awareness would emerge someday? This is why I, on this day, I pray and thank God for your existence. When I see you I see the timeless bond of unconditional love. It is the eternal bond that connects all of us like a thread, regardless of time and space. Nevertheless, I celebrate this day as my best day of the year. It’s the day when you came into existence.

I wish I could look into your eyes today and feel your wisdom, courage and love. I wish I could let you know how much I appreciate, honor and love you. I wish I could tell you what an amazing human being you are, and how much your soul and spirit enlightens the little me. As Dr. Maya Angelou said, “I would love to be with you right now but I can’t right now. So I love you”. She knew that unconditional love liberates and does not bind. So I love you. So my tribute to you is unconditional love.

So on this day, I bow my head and say thank you. I thank God for your existence. May the angels watch over you, on this day and every day, and shower you with continuous health, happiness and unconditional love.

Happy Birthday, Anna Mae.

In humble gratitude and love, Barbara

 

Copyright © 2014 by Barbara Bullock, Photo credit 2014 by Barbara Bullock

Works cited: Dr. Maya Angelou

 

I learned to love from Dr. Maya Angelou

Barbara Bullock, M.F.A. Spiritual writer

Dear friends,

As the news was breaking about Dr. Maya Angelou’s passing, I was trembling and shaken by immense sadness. God had taken one of the most beautiful earth angels and earth mother back home. Whenever one of our greats leaves us, I feel an enormous void in my heart. All my tears cannot wash away the immeasurable pain I feel in this moment. My heart squeezes so tightly and here I am sobbing uncontrollably. Each time this happens, I ask myself – why? Each time this happens, I realize why – because I really loved.

I think that Dr. Maya Angelou taught the world so many lessons. She spoke about courage; she spoke about tolerance; she spoke about dignity; she spoke about gratitude. Most importantly, she spoke about love. Love holds everything she taught us. I believe when you have courage, you love yourself; when you are grateful, you love what you have; when you are tolerant, you love one another. At the end of the day, I believe that what she really taught us is unconditional love. I believe that she taught us unconditional love for each and everyone on our planet regardless of gender, age, race, or status. She taught that every woman is beautiful. She taught us unconditional love for ourselves no matter who we are and how we look like. She taught us to believe in ourselves. She taught us to strive for the best. At the same time, she taught us to stay humble and say thank you. She taught us to say thank you because she taught us unconditional love for God.

It is that some of this love returned back home with her. That is why I feel this void. God sent us a beautiful angel to spread his love amongst us. She came. She conquered. She fulfilled her mission. I believe that it is now our turn to say thank you. Thank you, Maya, for teaching us. Thank you, Maya, for loving us. Thank you, Maya, for coming to us. I believe that it is now our responsibility to continue to carry on the message of love amongst us no matter who we are.

Dr. Maya Angelou taught me what real love is. I don’t mean romance, as she would say. Real love, unconditional love is I think a form of energy coming straight from God. Dr. Maya Angelou certainly knew how to share it, how to write about it, and how to teach it. So it is my turn to bow in gratitude and say Thank you. Thank you for coming here. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your wisdom. In our memories we keep you close in our hearts and your words of love on our minds. The world needs greats like you. To teach us God’s love. So I say thank you, God, for sharing Maya with us.

Thank you, Oprah Winfrey, Gail King, Michelle Obama, Cicely Tyson and the many others, who speak so highly of her. As you walk in Dr. Maya Angelou’s footsteps to lead us on and show the world the way to love, may you be blessed and loved too. I sure do. May we all be Dr. Maya Angelou’s sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. May we all learn from Dr. Maya Angelou to love. May we speak her name and say thank you.

Thank you, Maya. I love you.

Love, Barbara

Copyright © 2014 Barbara Bullock

Works cited: http://mayaangelou.com/

Another lesson in gratitude

Barbara Bullock, M.F.A. Spiritual writer

Dear friends,

As the 26th of the month started approaching, yesterday morning I started thinking what I could write about this month. Standing in the cold, shivering and freezing, waiting for the bus wishing I was somewhere else many negative thoughts started coming into my mind. I looked around and thought that this is not “me”. This is not what I came on this earth for. Now, what exactly does this mean? Do you sometimes have this feeling that what you are currently doing such as the task you are doing, the job you have, the place you live at, somehow does not match with who you are inside? I have this feeling quite frequently I have to say. Yesterday was no exception. You see, I believe that we all have a purpose and came on this planet for a specific reason. We sometimes can feel and know the purpose right away and sometimes it takes a bit of time.

I believe that I am more and more on the right path and becoming more and more the person I was born to be. I know this because when I do certain things which match my “being”, it feels right, it feels good, it feels I am supposed to be doing exactly this at exactly this moment. I suppose this is because it is the right thing for me. I also believe that we all have different purposes. What feels right to you might not feel right to me and vice versa. So there I was in a situation that did not feel right to me. I did not want to be standing there in the cold waiting for the bus. Normally, many negative thoughts would enter my mind and just make matters worse. However, then I remembered how important gratitude is. On the spur of the moment, I started thinking of things I am grateful for. I started thinking of my health, of the fact that I am safe, that standing there in the cold actually meant that I was going to my job, and most importantly, I was thinking of you. I was thinking of all my dear friends and all the people in my life I love so much. I also started to think about a very specific person I love tremendously and always have. Suddenly, immense warmth filled my heart warming me like a cozy hug on a chilly autumn morning. Suddenly, tears started rolling down my cheek. Not out of sadness but out of gratitude for someone I love with all my heart and soul. As I was thinking of this special person, I felt like “me”. I felt that THIS is the purpose I am here. I am here to LOVE you. I am here for you.

Today, on this so very special day, I bow with gratitude and say thank you. Thank you, for coming into this world, thank you for being you, thank you that you are, and thank you for allowing me to LOVE you. And thank you, God, for giving me the opportunity to realize how grateful I am for that every day, even on a chilly autumn morning.

Love, Barb

Copyright © 2013 Barbara Bullock