Dear Reader:

There is a rarely used word in our English dictionary lurking around our consciousness that defines another level of our “humanness, our existence. As strange as it might seem to include this word/definition into a Valentine’s blog….it actually fits quite snugly.

The word is ALCHEMY. There are two definitions available….one dating back to medieval times concerning a chemical process and the other a metaphor that deals with our transformation of being human, being present, at a higher level of awareness.

One definition says: Alchemy is the medieval forerunner of chemistry, based on the supposed transformation of matter. During this time the term was concerned particularly with attempts to convert base metals into gold.

Today this medieval practice is a metaphor for a “seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or a combination.”

In a sense Valentines Day is an “alchemy” of humans bravely transforming themselves “into gold” for another’s awareness. In other words,we are making ourselves and our affections available to another.

“We are giving our heart to another in a “seemingly magical process of transformation and creation.”  

In Awakin Weekly last month one article was titled: Presence: The Quality of Consciously Being Here by Kabir Helminski. The author talked about the “magical” process we go through to bring God’s Presence into our lives to the point that other people can hear and feel God through us. Like the chemists of old…we are turned into gold.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

“Presence signifies the quality of consciously being here. It is the activation of a higher level of awareness that allows all our other human functions – such as thought, feeling, and action – to be known, developed, and harmonized. Presence is the way in which we occupy space, as well as how we flow and move. Presence shapes our self-image and emotional tone. Presence determines the degree of our alertness, openness, and warmth. Presence decides whether we leak and scatter our energy or embody and direct it.” 

The author clarifies that “Presence” is not just a physical human attribute but is God reflected through the human being. When we are wholly present for others we feel freed from separation, from duality. We are truly one in the spirit.

On this Valentine’s day let us give the most precious gift we can to our loved ones….a gift that doesn’t necessitate buying cards, chocolates, or flowers. Our gift of “gold” is simply being “present” for those we love.

So until tomorrow…let’s visit friends or family, make telephone calls, email, text…whatever our choice of communication needed to let others in our lives know we are “present” for them….a constant valentine.

Happy Valentine’s Dear Readers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Susan sent me a picture of my adorable Valentine niece, Ady Grace….so pretty! Happy Valentines Ady Grace!

*As I was cleaning out my pocketbook yesterday a slip of paper with some writing on it fell out….as I re-read it I then remembered what it was and why I wrote down. Friday as we were driving around Kiawah Island….we started talking about how the land looked before construction and development moved in back in the early seventies.

Brooke and I saw the virgin beach and forest one time through a home-town friend of her’s who was working on the first stage of the development in 1972… We will never forget seeing a deer romping in the surf. It looked like what it must have appeared to the Native-Americans and now….wow!

Honey commented that her daddy often said “Always buy land’cause the Good Lord will make more money but He ain’t making no more land.”  (Honey’s sculptor of her daddy)