reality

Coming out from under my pile of boxes to pass along five links and one story...

1. Chris Pureka is an wonderful singer/songwriter from Northampton. Have a listen:

Download cpureka2-01.m3u

2. War Dance is a moving film about children in a northern Ugandan refuge camp, all of whom have been devastated by the twenty-year civil war in their country, most orphaned by the civil war, some who've escaped abduction after having been forced to commit unspeakable acts of violence as child soldiers. This film introduces us to a few of these children as they prepare and then participate in a nationwide music and dance competition. 

It's a beautiful and important film. After I watched it, I immediately went online to Shine Global to learn what I could do to help. 

What I really want to do is adopt one of the twenty thousand parent-less children. 

3.  Survivor Corps is an organization that is leading a movement to ban cluster bombs, the very bombs being dropped by Russians right now, the very bombs that are killing and maiming the children of Georgia. Go to the site to learn how you can get involved.

Here's one I found through the marvelous Superhero Journal site, a place where I always find inspiration and food for my soul:

4. Sarah Groves singing her song inspired by her recent trip to Rwanda. My god. Talk about devastation. If you haven't seen Hotel Rwanda, you must. Be forwarned: it is not for the faint at heart. 

Our neglect of Africans sickens me. You know why we don't care about them? There's nothing for us there, no natural resources, no oil to wet our grubby little hands. 

5. Here are hands that make magic from dirt. 

I will leave you with this: I held a vision that one day, my son would have a friend who'd come over to play. The doorbell would ring, I would answer it and greet the child and his mother but before I could even say a word, my son would race up behind me, calling out excitedly to his friend and they'd tear off to his playroom for hours. 

I didn't hope it would happen that way. I saw it as having already happened. As I pictured it in my mind, my body flooded with joy; my body smiled me and I surrendered in glee.

Well, that happened. 

Was it exactly as I had imagined it? 

No. It was better. 

A did come over. Fluffy did race up and call out to him. They did play happily for hours. Three hours to be exact. In that time, I puttered around upstairs, baking cookies with A's mom and her daughter. A's dad came over with some food and we grown-ups spontaneously cooked and chatted and sipped wine while A's sister played with Beegu in the yard and Fluffy and A continued to play downstairs. 

And then we all ate outside on the deck in green light as the late summer sun streamed through the leaves. Afterward, I put on a video for the kids and the grown-ups cleaned up and then piled in front of the Democratic National Convention where the next President of the United States was due to speak about change. 

At one point, I heard Fluffy say to A, We need to build that transport for our trip to Mars. Uhm, Mars? A queried. Yes! Fluffy answered confidently. This is reality, A. We are GOING to Mars. 

I want you to know, this is the first time since becoming a mom seven and a half years ago that we, as a family, had another family over for the social and the conversation and the laughing and the playing and the one thing easily and naturally moving to the next without strategic and high tension down-to-the-microsecond planning or facilitating or supervising a babysitter or enlisting Dave to hover or suggest or intervene or join. I was completely relaxed, in the moment, present. We all were.

There is so much out there in this world of ours, so much to call us to action, the action of creating art, community, safety, justice, salvation, play, connection, celebration.

Fluffy and A may indeed one day go to Mars. Me? I'm thrilled to be here on Earth, living this reality. 

Comments

[jess wilson]

my heart soars for you! for the doing and the being and the enjoying .. may there be so much more

[kristina]

so lovely to read the last paragraph after a long day of this that and the other thing-----may you enjoy many more such nights and soon!

[Lisa]

Kyra, the feeling of "normal" that you describe in that dinner scenario is so precious- enjoy it! The simple thing so many take for granted means the world to those of us who exist on a different plain. May these feelings become common in your life in the days and weeks to come!

[delilah]

So very happy for all of you!

[drama mama]

Oh Jesus. I am so f*cking happy for you all.

[kal]

That is so very wonderful, Kyra. Hooray!

[goodfountain]

By the way, Sara Groves and I were college friends. She has a lovely voice but I've not followed her music career. Beautiful song.

[goodfountain]

Fabulous about Fluffy and his friend! Fabulous!

[gayle]

thank you for instilling hope

[Niksmom]

Blown.away.

This speaks so much to the power of the mind when harnessed with the intent of the heart!

[kristen]

oh, and, thanks for the links!

[kristen]

Oh god, Kyra, I am shedding tears of joy over here for you and Fluffy and Dave and the fabulous spontaneous glorious afternoon!!! Yes, what a wonderful world...

[DimitraDaisy]

Three cheers for Fluffy! And for Fluffy's mummy and daddy of course.