May Newsletter from Jim Young

Dear Readers,

As May unfolds, we have the glorious opportunity for celebrating motherhood, past, present and future. And along with that, should we have any unresolved grievances with our mother, we can heal and put such feelings behind us once and for all. I've shared a short story of my own in this regard.

In any event, included in this month's newsletter is ample testimony to the mothers who have given us birth and nourished us into adulthood--sometimes even beyond. It comes in stories, testimony, humor and in a simple way to heal that which we feel we must. I join you in this celebration and embrace of spiritual consciousness.

Sincerely, and with great joy,

Jim

MOM AS A TEACHER...

My Mother Taught Me...

To Value A Job Well Done:
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

Time Travel"
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

Logic:
"Because I said so, that's why."

Foresight:
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

Irony:
"Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about."

Osmosis:
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

Stamina:
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

Weather:
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

Hypocrisy:
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

Circle Of Life:
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

Behavior Modification:
"Stop acting like your father!"

Envy:
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

Anticipation:
"Just wait until we get home."

Receiving:
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

Medical Science:
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

How To Become An Adult:
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

Genetics:
"You're just like your father."

Wisdom:
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

Justice:
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you"

MOTHER'S DAY HISTORY

The history of Mother's Day is centuries old and goes back to the times of ancient Greeks, who held festivities to honor Rhea, the mother of the gods. The early Christians celebrated the Mother's festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent to honor Mary, the mother of Christ. Interestingly, later on a religious order stretched the holiday to include all mothers, and named it as the Mothering Sunday. The English colonists settled in America discontinued the tradition of Mothering Sunday because of lack of time. In 1872 Julia Ward Howe organized a day for mothers dedicated to peace. It is a landmark in the history of Mother's Day.

In 1907, Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948), a Philadelphia schoolteacher, began a movement to set up a national Mother's Day in honor of her mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. She solicited the help of hundreds of legislators and prominent businessmen to create a special day to honor mothers. The first Mother's Day observance was a church service honoring Anna's mother. Anna handed out her mother's favorite flowers, the white incarnations, on the occasion as they represent sweetness, purity, and patience. Anna's hard work finally paid off in the year 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as a national holiday in honor of mothers.

Slowly and gradually Mother's Day became very popular and gift giving activity increased. All this commercialization of the Mother's day infuriated Anna as she believed that the day's sentiment was being sacrificed at the expense of greed and profit.

Regardless of Jarvis's worries, Mother's Day has flourished in the United States. Actually, the second Sunday of May has become the most popular day of the year. Although Anna may not be with us, Mother's Day lives on and has spread to various countries of the world. Many countries throughout the world celebrate Mother's Day at various times during the year, but some such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium also celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May.

Mothering Sunday...

The early Christians in England celebrated the Mother's festival on the fourth Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter) to honor Mary, the mother of Christ. Interestingly, later on a religious order stretched the holiday to include all mothers, and named it as the Mothering Sunday. People working out of their homes were expected to return to the "mother" church (the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm). It also became an occasion for family reunions.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE A MOM WHEN...

You count the number of sprinkles on each kid's cupcake to make sure they are equal.

You want to take out a contract on the kid who broke your child's favorite toy and made him/her cry.

You have time to shave only one leg at a time.

You hide in the bathroom to be alone.

Your child throws up and you catch it.

Someone else's kid throws up at a party and you keep eating.

You consider finger paint to be a controlled substance.

You mastered the art of placing food on a plate without anything touching.

Your child insists that you read "Once upon a Potty" out loud in the lobby of the doctor's office and you do it.

You hire a baby sitter because you haven't been out with your husband in ages, then you spend half the night talking about and checking on the kids.

You hope ketchup is a vegetable because it's the only one your child eats.

You find yourself cutting your husband's sandwiches into unusual shapes.

You fast-forward through the scene when the hunter shoots Bambi's mother.

You obsess when your child clings to you upon parting during his first month at school, then you obsess when he skips in without looking back.

You can't bear to give away baby clothes--it's so final.

You hear your mother's voice coming out of your mouth when you say, "Not in your good clothes."

You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you.

You read that the average-five-year old asks 437 questions a day and feel proud that your kid is "above average."

TAKE A CHANCE ON HEALING MEMORY...

Here's one way you can heal a memory of something that troubles you still--whether with your mother or anyone else, alive or since passed.

Sit quietly in a chair, back tall, feet flat on the floor, hands on your lap. Take some soft, deep breaths, releasing any tension you feel in your body. Start by breathing into your head and neck, feeling the tension leave as you do; then do the same with your shoulders, arms, hands, upper chest, etc. until you have relaxed your entire body. Don't worry about any thoughts that come into your mind. Simply acknowledge them and bid them farewell, much like you would cars passing you by.

When your heart is quieted, envision a spigot coming out of your heart, much like the spigot from which fine wine flows from a barrel. Sit with that image until you feel comfortable knowing that when you open the spigot nothing but unabashed love will flow endlessly out of the spout. Now, envision the one you want to heal a relationship with sitting in front of you, also with a spigot coming from their heart. Do nothing until you feel comfortable knowing that only love will also flow from theirs. Be gentle and kind to yourself and the other; this is not about fixing another or demanding forgiveness.

Once you are at peace, hand your significant other a crystal wine glass and invite them to drink endlessly from your boundless source of love. Just sit and watch them do so. You need not encourage nor entice them; simply wait and watch--and FEEL the energy of that love. And remember to breathe; this is more important than you may realize.

Then, as you see the other fill completely with your love, notice that you are being invited to drink from their heart. Go slowly; no need to rush or gulp. Simply sip a long, loving draught of love from their Source, until you too are filled to the brim. Take a deep breath now, and envision both of you sipping the ruby vestiges of love for as long as it takes to shift the feeling between the two of you from estrangement to the generous acceptance of one another just as you are. Bathe in the freedom to just be, as love abounds. Know in your heart of hearts that in this special moment,and in this special place, your relationship can be viewed from an entirely new perspective, and that you can now move on in life, unencumbered by any remnants of ill will. Feeeel the freedom to the depths!

When you feel ready, softly and gently bring yourself back to this realm and see what your feelings are now telling you about this relationship. Should the other person still be alive, you will be amazed at how your relationship has shifted for the better the next time you meet. Should he or she have passed, know in your heart of hearts that all is well. Truly, all is well...

You may repeat this as often as you like, until all the sense of separation has left you, whether with the same person or in any relationship you'd like to change. Indeed, let Love mother you. And let's not forget that no matter what our gender, we can all slow down enough to become aware of how we and others can be nourished, and do our part when called...

BE WITH JIM IN MAY...

Be sure to visit and chat with Jim at one of his presentations in May:

Sat. May 1, 7:45 PM: "Aware in a World Asleep," 7:45 PM. Parma Coast to Coast Discussion Group, Denny's Restaurant conference room, 4331 150th St., Cleveland, OH (right by the W 150th exit off 71)

Sunday, May 2, 6 PM: "Shh," Fellowships of the Spirit, Lily Dale, NY.

Fri., May 7, 7 PM: The Inward Way, Deeper Meaning Seeks Your Awareness, OMS (Ohio Metaphysical Society), Unity Chapel of Light, Tallmadge, OH.

Sat., May 8, 9 AM-noon: "Turning Yourself Inside Out-From Personal Nightmare to Spiritual Reality, Unity Chapel of Light, Tallmadge, OH.

Sun., May 9, 10:00m AM: "Mom as the Image of Mary," Unity Chapel of Light, Tallmadge, OH.

Sat., May 15, 10AM-noon: The Aristotle Group, Creative Life Church, Bayard St., Hot Springs, AR

Sun., May 16, 10:30 AM: "Live 2013 Now!", Creative Life Church, Bayard St., Hot Springs, AR

Sat., May 22, 9:30-noon: Manifesting Unceasing Prayer, (open to the public), Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church, 5025 Church Rd., Little Rock, AR

Sun., May 23, 10 AM: "Live 2013 Now!", The Unity Center of Truth, 5025 Church Rd., Little Rock, AR

Sun., May 23, 11:15 AM: "Shh!," Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church, 5025 Church Rd., Little Rock, AR

Sat., May 29, 11 AM: book signing, Nightbird Books, Fayetteville, AR

Sat., May 29, 6 PM: photo exhibition, Eureka Thyme, Eureka Springs, AR