mulberryshoots

February 26, 2011

dad, upgraded to take-off . . .

When we arrived to attend a small family service after my father passed away, the rental car agent asked if we wanted a free upgrade to a larger car with GPS. We said “sure.” Here’s the license plate of that “upgrade.”

The irony of this license plate is that my Dad was an astrogeologist who was at the right place at the right time: distributing moon rocks that astronauts gathered on the moon in the space flights taken in the 60’s. He was even quarantined for three weeks in a Gulf Airstream trailer with the astronauts when a glove blew a hole while handling the specimens. In an era of the novel, “Andromeda Strain,” it was thought to be prudent to isolate them, just in case. So, I guess the Cosmos thought it would be humorous for us to receive this last salute before my Dad took off into the wild blue yonder of the Universe!

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February 25, 2011

my father, myself

That my father was a difficult man is a commonly shared viewpoint by most people who knew him. He died at the age of 89 in 2008. He was an astrogeologist at the right place at the right time. The minerals he discovered from craters in Arizona and Germany were called “tektite” and “coesite”, scientific precursors that put him on the world map when the United States sent men to the moon. They collected moon rocks in addition to taking giant steps for mankind. My Dad was loaned to NASA from the U.S. Geological Survey to train the astronauts what to look for when they were on the moon. “The Andromeda Strain” was published around the same time. When one of the robot gloves handling the moon rocks blew a hole, he was quarantined with the astronauts for three weeks in a silver Airstream trailer.

His single-minded dedication to science made him moody and impatient in real life when he was away from his lab. Once when he was in his eighties, I asked him what single thing accounted for his success. Without hesitation, he responded “Intuition.” A scientist is exposed to lots of data, his, theirs, other people’s, historical. Following his intuitive sense for where to look for the minerals, how to read the data and what conclusions to draw came from his inner sense, his heart, as much as it came from his brain.

I thought this was worth remembering because it aligns with something unspoken he has imparted to me and through me to my children: to follow your instincts no matter what. To trust yourself even if it means taking an independent or minority viewpoint. It can be lonely sometimes. It’s also a good idea to have enough humility to be able to distinguish the difference between just being stubborn and being true to one’s integrity.

He was a Tiger Dad as much as anyone. We just didn’t know it at the time.

February 25, 2011

my maidenhair fern. . .

maidenhair fern: "hi, how ya' doin'?"

I have a maidenhair fern that has seen me through lots of ups and downs in my life. It requires consistent watering and care. I mist it every morning when I get up, even before I have my breakfast. Through the years, I have noticed that its health and appearance mirrors how well things are going in my life. Even when there doesn’t seem to be a change in how I take care of it.

When I am frazzled and external things are not going well, the fern has brown bits and yellowing leaves. When things couldn’t be going better, the appearance of the fern is just radiant with light and health. Sometimes when I’ve gone through a particularly hard patch, the fern looks droopy and dry. During times when it was looking rather hopeless, I have to admit that I have gone to the nursery and bought small maidenhair ferns to transplant into the mother pot. Soon, the maidenhair fern looks robust and gorgeous again.

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February 24, 2011

a white egret appeared. . .

a white egret that visited us in May, 2010

The white egret bird is symbolic of many things in many cultures: its white color symbolizes purity, a symbol of infinity, creator of light, going with the flow of Mother Nature rather than resisting her. In Native American cultures, it is a seeker and hunter and symbolizes wisdom. In Chinese spirituality, this white bird stands for strength and patience in a long life.

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February 23, 2011

uncommon hours. . .

welcome to "uncommon hours"

“If one advances confidently in the direction of (her) dreams, and endeavors to live the life which (she) has imagined, (she) will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Paraphrased from Henry David Thoreau

In the 19^th century when Thoreau reflected about life in his cabin near Walden Pond, he probably wasn’t thinking about women. In those days, women put the care of others ahead of themselves. Some of us still do and want to, which takes up most of our lives, and while we are in our prime.

In this day and age, as many of us find ourselves with children who have grown up or with careers that have run their course, we look around at ourselves and feel vaguely that something is missing. Even if we have most of what we always wanted. Or, if it doesn’t come close.

Either way, we have not had a chance nor had the time to realize these yearnings. It could be a book you wanted to write. Or books you always meant to read. Learn to play the piano. Or, finally make “Boeuf Bourguignon” from Julia Child’s recipe. Raise a garden with your favorite plants or have fun with animals like the pet you once had.

Look inward to your intuition. And rely on yourself to be fulfilled.

This, in a nutshell, is the purpose of this website: to relate about what we hear from our inner voice. When we pay attention we wake up feeling joy because we are taking care of our own contentment.

This website invites you to tell your story and by sharing, inspire others to follow their own path.

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