Saturday October 6, 2007
I’m preparing to attend my second day of a 2 day conference with someone whose work I have admired since my first year in medical school, Rachel Naomi Remen. (She wrote the books “Kitchen Table Wisdom”, and “My Grandfather’s Blessings”) So far it has been wonderful. Last night I had my last California campfire, as I head East today after the conference.
It has been a wondrous week here, and it also feels fine to move on. Interestingly enough I am so happy with this life, on the road. I feel more alert, self reliant and confident then I have in awhile Even being with Rachel Naomi Remen yesterday, I was in touch with my own gifts, not only in awe of hers. The work she does has always touched me, and felt aligned with what was my original calling to medicine. My calling to serve… I forget to think about my work as service, although it is. I am leaving here with a different sense of my work, how I do it now, how I’d like it to evolve, and holding the awareness of it being a ‘call to serve’ feels vital to how I go forward from here.
The other day I shared some about my struggle with being comfortable with the language to describe mystery, and what feels sacred to me. Being here with this powerful and amazing woman, who did her medical training 40 years ago, who in 1965 was the only woman on the pediatric faculty at Stanford, and experiencing her devotion to serving her fellow physicians, patients, and health care workers in general is an honor beyond description. But to hear her tell of her own struggle with how to speak the language of holism, of discovery and community, within the professionalism of medicine has inspired me to use the language of my heart. After all that is the only language that deeply communicates and connects me to what mattes most…
I want to name a couple of things that have happened over the past few days that felt like Grace. (See, I’m practicing my heart language.) When on a hike, the afternoon following the sighting of the young buck, I came upon a momma deer and her 2 young’uns. They were grazing alongside the trail I was on. We just hung out together for about 10 or 15 minutes. She would only let me step so close before she’d nudge them a little further along the trail. Must have been some tasty morsels though, as they didn’t scamper off fearful of me. No, theywere just wary, and required that I keep a distance of about 30 t0 50 feet. It was awesome! On that hike I also saw a scorpion, lizard, lots of hawks, a covey of quail, and a 6 point buck. Needless to say, he didn’t let me get as close as the rest of his family (or so I imagined them to be ) did… It was an amazing experience, and Yellowstone is next! YOWZA!
Finally, the day I decided to lay low, after leaving the Kaffe Klatch Kafe, I asked a woman (I had seen her in the café earlier) on the street if she knew of any massage therapists in town. Part of needing to slow down was a lot of achiness, and muscle tension from all of the driving. Well, turns out she was a massage therapist, and because of the synchronicity of my request, worked on her day off in order to relieve some discomfort in a weary traveler. A blessing, to be sure, as it was a powerful treatment, and left me feeling much renewed…
Better sign off for now. Love, peace, and blessings to you all…
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2 comments:
Hi, Lorian. I've so enjoyed reading your musings, and have read and been very touched by Rachel Naomi Remen's books. Wonderful that you decided to go to her conference. Your descriptions of driving alone, and walks in the woods, bring back so many memories for me, and your comments on technology (assuming it'd be so easy, when it isn't) made me laugh. I still remember thinking a Blackberry was called a Blueberry. Why not? It's an equally tasty fruit. Thank you for sharing all this with us.
warm hugs,
Jeanne
Good words.
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