Laurel Rund's inspirational writings about her Emerging Voice - musings on life. Her work is displayed on the Essence of Laurel website, including Laurel's Art from the Heart and her book Emerging Voices Living On.
Students, Teachers, and Parents, sharing in a Vision of Peace
Peace is loving with a reason • Peace is living with care • Peace is healing • Peace is surrounding us with an open heart and Peace ends the violence and wars in our society.—Nikky Welch / 1999
The “Only Hearts” Art/Peace Project, inspired by 3,500 Sarasota, FL students as a millennium peace project, offers a format through which students of all ages can share their ideas and action steps towards world peace, cross-cultural harmony, and conciliation.
The original project begins with the participants painting their vision of the world they want to create inside our heart template. On the back they are asked to write about how they will achieve their goal. A next step, using their talents in the arts, sciences or humanities, students are asked to score a presentation for their school and/or their community.http://onlyhearts.org
A new component: An art-assemblage project available in 21+ languages. Participants of all ages are asked to write one word in the center of their heart project download that represents what they want to manifest for the Well-Being of themselves, family, and community. This is a process that highlights the power of personal and collective visioning. http://Love-it.today
Conceived by artist/designer Dwij David Gittens, these are educational, empowering and insightful activities that are FREE to DOWNLOAD from the Internet for use in classrooms, after-school programs, and by cultural organizations. Successfully used around the world, the President of John F. Kennedy University in Buenos Aires, Argentina wrote “We consider that the Only Hearts Art/Peace Project is of great interest and social, cultural and academic relevance and recommend it to private and public organizations both national, provincial and municipal to do the same.”
The “Only Hearts” art/peace project has been used by thousands of participants around the world; linking with others who are weaving a global matrix of peace and conciliation. “Hearts Around the World” is our vision for an ongoing exhibit that reflects this intention.
Our quest as we launch this renewed “Only Hearts” Art/Peace Project website is to reconnect with a larger audience of young peacemakers and also to meet-up with the students from our seventeen-years-ago launch, discovering how their dreams of yesterday match with how they vision the world today . . . and what they are teaching their children about peace and conciliation.
Thank you for your support and sponsorship,
dwij – David Gittens
About dwij - David Gittens
Dwij - David Gittens is a Sarasota based artist/designer who has worked on projects in many cultures. His Only Hearts Art/Peace Project, a collaborative creation that articulates the insights and visions of 3,500 Sarasota students on the topic of world peace, cross cultural harmony, and conciliation, is used by educators, students and parents around the world. The project was begun as an inspirational grassroots undertaking in 1999 for the millennium.
The links to the, FREE TO DOWNLOAD, Only Hearts Art/Peace Projects are:
As a gift to myself just before my 70th birthday, I attended the Hay House Orlando “I Can Do It” conference. For me, it was a meaningful and inspirational time, which included a poignant memorial service for Dr. Wayne Dyer who had just passed away – he was scheduled to be the opening night keynote speaker.
I have wanted to write about one particular experience I had at the conference for quite some time, but felt stuck, unable to put into words a description of my transformative soul retrieval journey led by Dr. Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D.* Dr.Villoldo explained to the audience that a soul retrieval journey is a time where one enters into a sacred space to heal the past and chart a new destiny.
After conducting some rituals with the audience, it was time for us to quiet down and go into a meditative state.With my eyes closed and in response to the guided meditation, I was led to a path in the woods, where at the entry of the path, we were told that a power animal would meet us. A large buck greeted me, and as I focused my eyes on this strong, superb animal – it suddenly morphed into a hawk who spread his wings and guided me through the woods to a clearing.
I was asked to sit down on a rock in the center of the clearing and wait. Dr.Villoldo said that a spirit would appear behind me, and to feel its presence. I slowly turned around to greet this entity. Upon turning I saw an elderly Native American woman with braids; her face glowing with kindness, crinkled, caring eyes, and a gentle smile. Her loving energy enveloped me and entered my heart. I reached over and felt compelled to trace my fingers across the wrinkles on her face and around her eyes, which felt like I was following a map of her life. The shaman asked us to walk away from the clearing with our spirit and to return home through the forest path.
But, before leaving the forest, Dr. Villoldo directed the participants on this soul retrieval journey to transmute and absorb our power animals and spirit into our beings. The hawk, the buck, and the Wise Old Woman morphed into my human form and spirit. I then left the forest and was guided back to the present moment – the soul retrieval was over. I felt peaceful, calm and wondered what did this all mean? My intuition told me that I had retrieved my “wise old woman” – my WOW as a lesson about recognizing the strength, wisdom, gentleness and grace that lies within me. It was about honoring my age.
When I returned home from the conference, there was urgency within me to create an image of what I had seen, and then to write about the experience. The soul retrieval journey was emblazoned in my head and heart, and set a tone of acceptance and joy for me as I stepped into my seventh decade with gratitude. "The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.” Robert Frost
I felt exhilarated when the recreation of what I saw during the soul retrieval journey came to life. It hangs on a wall in my house and has great meaning to me. But, each time I put pen to paper to write about the experience, I felt blocked. Somehow I knew that there was an unseen purpose for this story and that I needed to be patient until it showed itself to me.
Woman of Wisdom (WOW)
The Epiphany
One morning, at least three months after the conference, while driving my car through an area that is populated with lush moss-filled oak trees, I had an epiphany.I slowed my car down – as I always do when passing under the arch of these glorious trees – and greeted them tenderly with a “hello trees!” There is something about this particular street which has “talked to me” since I first drove through it several years ago. I never fail to purposefully slow my car down and greet the trees, taking time to be present with them and to honor their magnificence. It always leaves me with a sense of peacefulness and gratitude. It makes my heart feel good.
As I drove on, I began to think about the dichotomy between how we see trees and “see” our elders. The purpose for this piece had finally percolated up; it literally showed itself to me and my writing block was lifted!
It’s interesting how many people have come to love and honor trees. I know several devoted tree huggers. People have sat in trees for months to protect them from destruction. As they get older, trees reach across to each other and their branches touch – intertwine. They share their energy, their power and offer a place for humans to be shaded and rest under their glorious limbs. They build a community. And, there are many stories held within each tree – what it encountered as it grew into maturity.
“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach, undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.” Hermann Hesse
When we pass a tree that has become glorious in its old age, we look at that tree in awe as we revere its strength and beauty whether or not its bark is missing or cracked, or its branches broken off.
Here’s the epiphany - I believe we humans are very much like trees. We show our age with wrinkles, changes in our bodies and its imperfections. And yet, as we grow older we, too, have a community to build and a story to share. Our culture, however, has often stated that when people get older they are “past their prime” and become invisible. Maybe it makes some people uncomfortable with their own aging process, or maybe heartlessness has replaced caring.
There are many lessons to be shared and taught by our elders. Our society all too often disregards the journeys and stories of the aged, and places its attention on youthfulness. Yes, life is about hope, youth and building a life, but it is also about the wisdom one has gained throughout the years.
Gabriel Garci-a-Marquez, author of “Love in the Time of Cholera” said about the essence of aging:“Age has no reality except in the physical world. The essence of a human being is resistant to the passage of time. Our inner lives are eternal, which is to say that our spirits remain as youthful and vigorous as when we were in full bloom.
Being an elder, a Woman of Wisdom, a WOW, has given me a new perspective about aging. I’ve learned as I moved into my seventies that what you feel like inside your human form has nothing to do with the date of your birth. My spiritual being is ageless.
Just like my gray hair, wrinkles, aches and pains, life is filled with joy, growth, challenges, heartaches and bumps in the road. These are the things that build our character, wisdom and courage. This is how we learn and grow, and find our purpose.
Each day, year and decade should be honored. Very much like the rings within the trunk of a tree, they represent and record the events which we have experienced on this journey called life.
Today, go hug a tree and then talk with and hug an Elder. For all of us – being talked with, touched and hugged is a heartfelt and essential part of life. Experience the gift of age! "Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art." Eleanor Roosevelt
My very best, Laurel Diane Rund
Jean Houston on the Beauty of Aging with Oprah Winfrey
The Universe is giving us Another Chance for Transformation - so let us take this time to shift our inner and outer world and go beyond our current reality. This I know for sure ... we will get through today's health and financial crisis. Right now our world feels upside down, surreal and apocalyptic. My belief is that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and when we come out of the Covid-19 health crisis, the human race will be less self-centered and separated from one-another. Self isolation has created time for reflection; an appreciation for that which is less material and more meaningful - such as family, friendships and the heroes who have put their life on the front line to do good and be of service. Witnessing the kindness and courage of strangers gives me faith in our human race. There will be a new normal, and I choose to believe it will be a more connected and loving one. As Chief Seattle said: "Humankind has woven the web of life. We are one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect."
In 2009, I attended an art class and one of the assignments was to go outside to draw a real-life tree. There was a tree on the golf course behind our home which was a favorite of mine. I would sit on the lanai and watch it stand tall during all kinds of weather conditions - from sunshine to lightning storms. In my mind's eye, that was the tree I immediately knew I was going to draw when I got home.
Drawing paper and pencil in hand, I went out to get a closer view of the tree in order to draw it. My heart sunk when I couldn't find what I had come to call "my tree." Unbeknownst to me, It had been taken down and replaced with an ordinary palm tree.
This came at a time of personal loss for me, the death of my first husband. Loss comes in all kinds of shapes and the loss of that tree added more grief to my already hurting heart.
Crestfallen, but knowing I had to complete the art assignment, I searched for a photograph of the tree and proceeded to draw it from a photograph and memory. When you look the piece I created, the tree in the middle is the drawing and the photograph is on either side of the tree.
As so often happens after a piece of art is created, I felt compelled to write a poem. Thus, Strength and Glory - Elegy to a Tree was birthed.
Upon presenting the poem and artwork to my art teacher; she said this would influence and transform how she would assign a tree drawing to future students. Whether that actually is the case is not the story.....The tree is the real story – I will always honor its life, its strength and its glory. Laurel D. Rund
When I picked you from afar, I knew that you would gift me with life. With intention and purpose, I floated into your womb... absorbing your molecules and making them mine.
While tethered to you, I was cared for and fearless as you willingly provided nourishment, safety and unconditional love. I was enveloped by the sounds in the depths of your belly, and your heartbeat and mine beat together in a life-forming synchronistic rhythm.
Within the safety of your womb, I grew from a seedling into a tiny being ... swimming, kicking and moved about unabashedly.
The nine months I had with you had prepared me to meet the challenges of life, and the time of gestation was quickly coming to an end.
I tried to hold on, to resist this part of my journey, because I had a knowing that our time together on earth, outside your womb, would be cut short.
Nonetheless, you pushed me forward. Your body urged me to move into the world, like an ocean wave crashing towards the shore. As I gulped in my first breathe of air and cried out, you breathed a sigh of relief, knowing with certainty that I would survive.
And, then, you imprinted me with a sign of your love when you bestowed upon me the unique and beautiful name to which I answer. I am and always will be your Laurel Diane.
Not until the afternoon of my life have I finally come to understand the importance of the time we spent together in those first nine months. Although we had only one precious year left to be together, your loving imprint became permanently affixed to my heart.
You, my loving mother, have always helped me come full circle ... even as my guardian angel.
Laurel Diane Rund
Mother’s Day – the Vortex
“When a daughter loses a mother, the intervals between grief responses lengthen over time, but her longing never disappears. It always hovers at the edge of her awareness, prepared to surface at any time, in any place, in the least expected ways.” ―Hope Edelman, Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss
Mother’s Day is a day to honor and be honored. It is also a day which I have struggled with my whole life; having lost my mother when I was 13 months of age. Some holidays, which are celebrated by most with joy and happiness, are triggers of sadness for others. Perhaps what I wrote to my mother will touch someone else’s heart who struggles with the day as I do.
“A mother’s death also means the loss of the consistent, supportive family system that once supplied her with a secure home base, she then has to develop her self-confidence and self-esteem through alternate means. Without a mother or mother-figure to guide her, a daughter also has to piece together a female self-image of her own.” ― Hope Edelman, Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss
Sometimes the Universe sends me reminders that I should pay attention to. Such as to be grateful for the moments and people who have impacted my life.
While doing a search on my computer for a poem I had written, a piece "Golden Nuggets," which I wrote in 2010 popped up. (There are no accidents!) To be honest, my mood was dark and it needed to be nudged, no pushed, to one of gratitude. The words were just what I needed to lift up my chin ... to listen to my soul and let in the light.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding you right now, there are always golden nuggets to lift your spirits. Namaste, Laurel
Golden Nuggets
On February 4thof 2009 my husband Marty and I made the decision to bring in hospice. After a year-long illness, we acknowledged that the battle was over …it was time to let Marty transition with ease and grace.
I had been a caretaker for a year, living in fear and terror … a lonely and sad time in our 44 years together. A lightning storm struck and left us with nowhere to hide. We were exhausted, saddened and crushed. Actually, Marty seemed relieved, because in truth he was fighting to stay alive for the kids and me. He was ready to leave. I was numb and didn’t know what to expect.
The point of this is that at the worst time in my life, a social worker from hospice came into our home, our lives. She counseled and offered solace, but the most important thing she told me was that during this dark time, I should remain open and observe because I would see and encounter “golden nuggets” which would remain with me forever. I don’t know why my befuddled head heard this advice, or why I was able to retain what she said, but I did.
Because of that advice, I was able to see and feel the kindness offered by those who surrounded us that final week. Moments arrived of humans “being” the light that they are. It was as if a switch went off in my head, my heart … and my vision cleared. It was the beginning of my transition as well. I was, at such a sorrowful time, opening up to allow life in.
There have been many “golden nuggets” in my life this last year. I am grateful for each and every one of them … big and small. Because every nugget has helped pave the way for me to “be.” Loss and grief are a part of life, which everyone will encounter, and experience. But, remain open my friends… there are golden nuggets which are occurring every moment around you … embrace them, be in them, experience them. These treasures are part of your life’s story.
“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky” Kahlil Gibran
Trees give me comfort and hope ... their strength and courage is symbolic of my life's journey. They spread their roots and connect to each other as family, and give shelter to strangers.
Trees weather life's storms, take delight in the sunshine and the nourishment of rain. Their growth comes from their roots, up through their trunks, into their limbs. New leaves blossom. Flowers grow. And trees continues to look to the heavens, reaching for the light. What a metaphor for life!
𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘𐩘
As I move into another chapter in my life, my quintessential beliefs continue to nurture my heart and spirit. Time is moving quickly, yet almost standing still waiting for my next adventure. As new branches and leaves blossom... so, too, does my creativity. Words and art are embedded in me, waiting to be nurtured in order to emerge.
I listened to my soul at a white stone ceremony* on New Year's Day, and the word "clarity" showed up as my 2019 mantra.
A white stone ceremony can be a pathway. When you listen to spirit and ask for a word it will be revealed. As you begin to listen to your inner spirit this will guide you to your highest good.
What does "clarity" mean to me? It reminds me to take time to breathe in life, to learn new things; spend time with family and friends, and to be of service to others. It also means finding clarity of purpose and a vision for the future.
So with clarity in mind,I made a big decision this monthto leave the art show circuit and find other ways to exhibit and sell my art. The Universe let me know that I had made the right choice by immediately finding a wonderful buyer for my booth.
Release and let go is what I did when the Essence of Laurel booth went to a new home after my very last show. Amazing timing I must say!👍
I know that the photographer who bought the booth will make it his own and enjoy the adventures he will have at shows, as I most certainly did. I call these encounters "tales from the booth." Hmmm ... now that's something to write about!
For quite some time, my writing has been tightly contained - stubbornly blocked. Words are in me somewhere - and will blossom naturally, with all the elements coaxing them out. The light, the dark, the music, the quiet, the storms, the sunsets, the possibilities given me each new day.
No regrets. "Yes" to new adventures and what's to come. At 73, time is a most precious gift and should be used to its fullest. Stay tuned. Laurel 💫💜
This was the pivotal question asked by a hospice minister at my husband's bedside almost ten years ago, as his life was about to transition. "Are you a human being having a spiritual experience or a spiritual being having a human experience?" It was that question which marked the the beginning of my own spiritual journey because I had no idea what I believed.
Nancy Colier LCSW, Rev. Psychology Today
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Most of us have heard these words from theFrench philosopher, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. And for most of us, there is something about this idea that resonates at a very primordial level. Something in us knows, deep in the gut or the heart, perhaps at an unconscious level, that we are made of more than just the sum total of our thoughts, feelings and the life situation that we are living at the moment. We have a sense of being larger or more infinite than just our little "me." And for most of us, the idea that we humans are vaster than just finite and personal egos feels relieving, even if we can't quite access the knowing of it directly.
It seems that we come into this world with an innate wisdom and knowing of our infinite and spiritual nature, but through our conditioning and just life as it unfolds, we forget who and how magnificent we really are. You could say that we get smaller, and begin believing that who we are or what we are made of is just a resume of the roles we play, our successes and failures, the opinions we hold, and the problems we need to solve."
