Zukeasha: Phoenix Rising

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” Helen Keller

I hadn’t planned on an interview last night because I have felt behind and guilty for not catching up sooner. [Oh the things I allow my brain to do to me sometimes.] Funny how, once again, I was humbled by the realization that people are put into my life at specific times because they show or tell me something that I need to hear. Of course, I would like to hope that the reverse is true – that perhaps I offer others something that they need at the time.

Truth be told, I had gone up to Amber Island to see Moto if only for a brief moment and an amazing hug.

In so doing, I had the great fortune of meeting Zukeasha, hearing her story and documenting the mythical phoenix as it rises from the flames into the beautiful serenity of a lotus. Before I dive completely into Keasha’s story, nerd that I am, I feel compelled to offer a brief note on the phoenix.

The phoenix is a sacred firebird documented in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indians and Phoenicians. Described as a bird with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet (or purple, blue, and green according to some legends), the phoenix has a 500 to 1000 year life-cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs that then ignites; both nest and bird burn fiercely and are reduced to ashes, from which a new, young phoenix or phoenix egg arises, reborn anew to live again. The new phoenix is destined to live as long as its old self. Some stories suggest that the new phoenix embalms the ashes of its old self in an egg made of myrrh and deposits it in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis (literally "sun-city" in Greek). The phoenix is said to utter a cry that is a beautiful song, and the tears of the phoenix are also believed to have healing properties.

Lotus Flowers grow in the deep mud, far away from the sun; however, the Lotus eventually reaches the light becoming the most beautiful flower ever. Regarded in many cultures and eastern religious as a symbol of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth, the characteristics of the Lotus create a perfect analogy for the human condition: even when its roots are in the dirtiest waters, the Lotus produces the most beautiful flower.

When she was a little girl, Keasha dreamed of becoming a doctor; as an adult, she found herself working for a corporation, like so many others, the soul of which is driven by financial gain. Instead of having the opportunity to develop close relationships with patients needing a gentle touch or warm reassurance, she found herself in a sterile cubicle – the antithesis of her childhood dream.

Like everyone else in America these last few years, Keasha felt the overwhelming burden of our troubled economy. With a daughter to support, leaving her corporate job was not an option despite the fact that she was miserable being there. Like so many of us have felt at moments in our lives, she was stuck: The weight of responsibility often outweighs the desires of personal ambition.

Faith and Divinity conspired, and one afternoon Keasha found herself in a meeting with one of the corporate human resources personnel. In the lingo of the corporate machine, she was being “let go.” Instead of being plagued with anxiety about how she would manage financially, how she would provide for her family, she allowed that door in her life to close with a rush a relief so clear that the individual letting her go was startled by Keasha’s calm demeanor.

On the path to becoming a respiratory therapist, Keasha is living her adult version of that childhood dream. Listening to her talk about school and the direction she is headed, I couldn’t help but feed on her excitement and energy. She said she feels like she is doing something meaningful with her life because instead of having a career that focuses on earning more money for other people, she will be doing something to help people in need.

Think about this – breath – breathing is the very foundation of life. When we stop breathing, we die. As a respiratory therapist, Keasha is moved by the thought of helping people breathe and improving the quality of their lives.   

The tattoo of the phoenix, rising from flame into the serenity of the lotus, symbolizes this dramatically positive change in Keasha’s life. She told me that with everything going on, she came to the profound realization that she might not be able to change or assert control over certain circumstances, but she can make changes in herself and her response to whatever circumstance in which she happens to find herself. One paramount key to this realization for Keasha has been self-acceptance and learning to love and embrace the essence of who she is and all she will continue to become.

On a personal note, what inspired me most about Keasha is the role model she is for her daughter. The three of us – Moto, Keasha and myself – went off on a tangent about children’s television programming. During our conversation, she and I agreed that we liked Dora the Explorer much better than the Disney Princesses because Dora is independent. She has a map, a back-pack and a monkey and, unlike the princesses who tend to rely on men for their rescue, Dora takes the old proverbial bull-by-the-horns and figures it out herself. We agreed that we much preferred Dora as a role model for our daughters for these very reasons.

I couldn’t help but think about what an amazing example Keasha is for her daughter. While she was in a job that she despised, she did not quit or walk away because she had responsibilities and commitments to fulfill and uphold. And when the divinity of the universe conspired in her favor and closed that corporate door, she confidently and gracefully walked through a new door, negotiating all the twists and turns leading her to the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. What an incredible gift to give to a child – especially one shared between mother and daughter.

Because of the choices she has made (not the “do as I say, but not as I do” hypocrisy), Keasha is a shining, living example for her daughter to never give up on her dreams, to work diligently, to be responsible, to be committed, to never give up, and that when one holds tightly to faith and hope, nothing is impossible.

Alchemy

It might seem as though I have been slack in the writing department. I assure you, I have not. Whether or not it gets put on paper, my brain is constantly writing. Ideas flash through the grey matter at alamaring (not really - it is not a schizophrenic flight of ideas and to steal from my favorite Sheldon Cooper - "I'm not crazy. My mother had me tested!")

While I am playing catch-up on my interview transcription and blog posts, I thought I would share one of my recent columns from the paper - that would be The Pickens County Courier. I have a weekly column and if you subscribe and say you are subscribing because of my column, I might get a raise or at least begin making above minimum wage (wink, wink - nod, nod) ... Geez! I am on a Sassy role this morning. Must be the high octance coffee.

This "post" might not relate to tattooing per se, but it does relate to one of my tattoos (story to come) and I think it will connect as this project unfolds. That said .....

I imagine most people are fairly conventional when it comes to relationships.

Two people meet and begin dating. They take ample time to get to know one another, to develop trust, emotional intimacy, strong communication processes. Maybe they also develop a physical intimacy built, again, on trust and communication. They share their individual needs and wants and begin to dream of a future together making those hopes and desires a reality.

At some point, they decide they want to get married, so they get engaged. The engagement process is typically proportional in time measurement to the months and (or) years leading up to the engagement. The couple gets married and settles into life together. Maybe they start a family. They evolve as a unit built on a foundation of unconditional love and acceptance. Mutual respect and appreciation.

I’m certain it will come as no surprise to my regular readers that I see love from a slightly unorthodox perspective, which is to say that the romantic in me believes in love at first sight and soul mates. The notion that God, in all of his infinite wisdom, has divinely created perfect matches that he unites when the timing is correct.

Recently I reread my copy of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist (an AMAZING book if you’ve never read it). In hindsight, I believe that I was drawn to the novel at the perfect time last year. My Mom had recently been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and my world felt like it was crumbling around me. Looking back, it was also around this time that my marriage was slowly unraveling, stitch by stitch.

The book offered me a renewed spiritual peace from which I was able to cope with the massive changes taking place in my life at that time. It made me feel grounded and it gave me hope for the future.

As I read back through it, the following passage caught my attention: “At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him …. he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke – the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert. Something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well. She smiled, and that was certainly an omen – the omen he had been awaiting, without even knowing he was, for all his life.”

“It was the pure Language of the World. It required no explanation, just as the universe needs none as it travels through endless time. What the boy felt at that moment was that he was in the presence of the only woman in his life, and that, with no need for words, she recognized the same thing. He was more certain of it than of anything in the world. He had been told by his parents and grandparents that he must fall in love and really know a person before becoming committed. But maybe people who felt that way had never learned the universal language. Because when you know that language, it’s easy to understand that someone in the world awaits you, whether it’s in the middle of the desert or in some great city. And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.”

I find myself exploring this possibility because – without even being consciously aware of it – I have ascribed to this philosophy my entire life. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: I believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that everything – good or bad – just or unjust – happens for a reason.

Everything we experience in our lives – the challenges, the triumphs, the failures, the setbacks, the joy and sorrow, pain and heartache – all of these things mould and shape us into the people we are supposed to be. Following the Biblical analogy where God is the potter and we are the clay – being ever shaped into the most perfect form of ourselves at the exact moment in our lives when it is imperative.

There was a time when I thought my hopelessly romantic nature was silly. Childish. My perspective, however, has shifted. I believe in the divinity of soul mates because I believe that God’s love is limitless.

The biggest problem in my marriages has been that I have lacked God as a foundation. Ever the control freak, I wanted to be in charge of every detail rather than giving it up to God and allowing Him to take the reins. I lacked faith, instead allowing myself to be consumed by fear and uncertainty.

I am saying good-bye to fear as the guiding force in my life, and replacing it with Faith, Hope and the knowledge that, with God, nothing is impossible. 

Blessed and Thankful

My mind, body and soul have been flooded with thoughts and emotions pinging, zigzagging, and ricocheting off of one another such that I feel like the Pin Ball Wizard.

Those of you who continue to follow me on this journey will come to know that I am a devoutly spiritual and faithful person. While I sometimes find myself bogged down by self-doubt or anxiety, like a cat that always lands on its feet, I find my focus and press forward toward whatever goal I have set on my horizon.

Hand in hand with my passion for writing (mentioned in an earlier blog post) has always been a love for reading. I have an insatiable appetite when it comes to written words – devouring books like a starved man in desperate need for nourishment.

Believing that everything in life happens for a reason, at the perfect time, applies to books as well. I have purchased books, brought them home with every intention of diving into the pages, only to be distracted by one thing or another. That book might sit on my nightstand for a week, six months, maybe even a year, before some current inside starts to stir and the next thing I know, I’m sitting with that book in hand.

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, is one example of being drawn to the exact book, the precise words, the spiritual nourishment I needed at the perfect time. It accompanied me to the mammogram and needle biopsy that diagnosed my mom’s breast cancer last May. And while I was unable to focus on reading at the time, it was in my bag while I impatiently waited for her surgeon to deliver a report after the lumpectomy.

So many thoughts and ideas in The Alchemist resonated with me at that time, making such an impact that it has become one of those books that I read over and over again. The pages have been marked with my own questions and notations – multiple passages emphatically underlined in pencil:     

“Because there is a force that wants you to realize your Personal Legend; it whets your appetite with a taste of success.”

“In order to find the treasure, you will have to follow the omens. God has prepared a path for everyone to follow. You just have to read the omens that he left for you.”

“But the sheep had taught him something even more important: that there was a language in the world that everyone understood, a language the boy had used throughout the time that he was trying to improve things at the shop. It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired.”

“When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it.”

“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.”

Making the decision to start the Soul to Skin Project has already started to carry me places I never imagined. With every fiber of my being, I believe this is what I am supposed to be doing at this precise moment in my life.

Like everything else I do, I am approaching this with unbridled enthusiasm, passion, love and purpose. Writing a book has been my dream since I was a child. Over the years I have come up with a million excuses for why I couldn’t do it. I didn’t have time. I wasn’t a good enough writer. People wouldn’t be interested in what I had to say.

I have come to the point in my personal and professional life when I am choosing to abandon my fears and doubts in order to pursue the dream that has always been inside of me. As I sit and write this I am awestruck by the surrealism of this very moment, everything leading up to it and the endless possibilities awaiting me in the future.

Thank you to everyone who has looked at the Soul to Skin Project blog, who have read the posts, who have ‘Liked’ the Soul to Skin Project page on Facebook. The outpouring of support, encouragement and love is truly humbling and amazing. I sincerely hope you will continue to follow this project, that you will share your thoughts and comments, continued support and encouragement.

Every morning that I wake up, I thank God for the blessings in my life. When I looked at the page views for the blog and had an email inbox full of Facebook ‘Likes’ and comments on the Soul to Skin Project, I was overwhelmed with feelings of positivity and possibility and immense love.

Today I feel especially blessed and incredibly thankful, and I would like to say thank you to everyone out there who has filled my soul with love, blessings, support and encouragement. None of this would be possible if all of you didn’t collectively care about this too. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!