Visting The Mount

It has been a little over a month since my Mom died and I decided to take my Dad and daughter to visit a lifelong friend, Fr Steve. Fr Steve or his religious name, Fr. Emmanuel, has been an amazing support, an open-minded theological expert, whose life's work has been to bring people of all faiths and spiritual orientations together as "one". This theme speaks volumes to me, as I practice this philosophy in my personal life as well as with my clients. The mount is Graymoor, a full mountain devoted to caring for the poor, the addicted and those with emotional concerns. Graymoor is nestled in the Peekskill Mountains of Garrison, New York. At the base of the mount, the sisters tend people providing seminars, reiki, massage, and when I was a child, they baked fresh Irish Soda bread and sold it for the use of providing programs for those in need. Further up the hill, the brothers tended the farms and worked in the hospital with folks who struggled with addictions. While farming is no longer part of the work, the infirmary is still quite active. As my daughter and I climbed from top to bottom to the top again, we not only had an amazing cardio workout, but had a breath-taking view of the Hudson Valley. This was a spiritually uplifting experience, combined with awesome discussions with Fr. Steve about his open-heart for fostering the spiritual nature of all. For my Dad, this was an opportunity to go back to a place of familiarity - in fact 60+ years of visits - also an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends. What is the message here? Find what brings you to your core self - the attributes that are important in your life; how to get in touch with those attributes and then to bring them forth. For me and many, being in nature calms the mind, creating an allowance for focus on the inner self. Knowing your inner self will allow you to bring forth your gifts. Now, go forth! Peace and blessings, Julie