Gautier is a very small town. Sometimes I love that. Other times I miss the anonymity offered by a bigger city. I do not, however, miss the traffic offered by a bigger city, so I guess it is a trade-off. It is impossible to run any kind of errand here without seeing people you know. It is further impossible to run an errand without meeting new people that you weren't sure you wanted to get to know in the first place.
Allow me to explain... Last week, I dropped Sarah off at Dance Xtreme for her jazz class. While she was in class, I decided to run to our local grocery store, Jerry Lee's. I generally make a trip to Wal-Mart in Ocean Springs because it is much cheaper, but on this particular evening, I was more concerned about the time factor. I only needed to pick up a few things to get us through the week. As I picked my way through the produce section, several people approached to speak to me... A dad of one of my daughter's friends who coached softball with me one year... A parent of an ex-student... Another parent of a current student... I chatted with each one, while people went around us continuing with their shopping. During the course of one conversation, I mentioned that I needed to hurry, since I had to retrieve Sarah from dance class. Thus, I bid the parent, "Good-bye" and continued down the bread ailse.
As I turned the corner to the salad dressing ailse, a lady quickly approached me, buggy in front with two small children trailing behind.
"Excuse me, M'am? Did I hear you say that you had to go back over to the dance studio tonight?"
I scoured my memory for how this stranger could know my proposed evening schedule before realizing that she must have overheard my conversation in the produce section. "Yes," I replied, "I have to pick up my daughter after I leave here."
"Would you mind paying my daughter's tuition when you go back by there? I need to get these two to bed and I don't think I will make it back by there. I'll give you the money."
"O.K.", I responded as I waited for her to locate her checkbook in her purse. "What is your daughter's name, so I can make sure they know who the tuition is for?" She relayed her daughter's name, and I wrote it on my grocery list.
Much to my surprise, the woman offered me $40 cash from her purse. I took the money, and the lady thanked me. Luckily, I finished my shopping without any further interactions with anyone except the checkout girl.
Of course, I went back to the studio to pick up Sarah and paid the child's tuition. But, I wondered... Do I just have a really honest face? Why was the lady confident that I wouldn't take her money and buy a nice new blouse? Or, more likely, why was she certain that I wouldn't flake out and completely forget?
I dont' know that I have discerned any real answers to the above questions, but I do believe that we emit certain vibrations that attract people to our lives. Now, probably, in that instance, the only vibration I emitted was out of my mouth when the lady overheard, "...have to pick my daughter up from dance", but I'm certain there are laws of attraction at work that are beyond anything in the physical realm.
My family teases me that I emit a "Sped vibe". Much as I would like to debunk that myth, I have to admit it is probably true. Special needs people seem to gravitate toward me in all public places. If I am around and someone has mental retardation or mental illness, we seem to be drawn together. I don't mind really. I'd rather be known for emitting a "Sped vibe" than emitting the "drunken womanizer vibe" that some women seem to radiate.
I have been reading a book about alternative healing recently in which light visualizations and energy vibrations are used to facilitate healing. I'm not sure I understand all of the concepts, but much of it is very interesting. I have been having some health challenges of my own, lately. So, for once, the tables are turned in my house. I am much more comfortable in the role of
"supportive mom" than patient. I am scheduled to have laproscopy surgery in December. In the meantime, I'm open to a healing. If God decides to bring on the burning bush, parting of the seas, touching the hem of the garment, take up your bed and walk type miracle, I'm willing to accept it. But, if the plan is for me to have the procedure and gain a little more empathy for my girls and what they go through during hospitalizations with CF exacerbation, then I am open to that too. I just know that I need to be really conscious that I am emitting the "Trust the Process" energy vibration. When I am trusting, I am in faith. That is where I need to stay focused.
I have often wondered how I ended up back in Gautier... While living in Florida and Virginia and people asked me where I was from, I would reply, "I'm from Mississippi. It is a great place to be from." Implying, of course, that I didn't ever want to live here again. Now, I believe that I am here doing something important. I am connected to people in ways I would have never had an opportunity to be in a bigger city. Sharing our humanness, truly connecting with people... It seems to be readily available in my small town.
Namaste'~
The pictures are from my brother's visit with his wife, Kim. He has recently married and we are so happy to welcome her to our family.
