Namaste Friends!

 This morning I witnessed a sad moment in time and it made me stop and think about how important it is to send love and blessings to the many troubled souls that are walking this planet.   In my little bubble, life is good.  Sure, I have the occasional hiccup that throws my life out of balance, but nothing like what many experience on a daily basis.  I am grateful for my life, but I have a deeper knowing that until all of us are safe, happy, and free, I have an obligation to try to help others find the same joy I feel in my life.  We are all one.  Hari Om. We share the same breath, the same planet, the same present moment in time.  If one of us is suffering, all of us suffer on some level.  When it is out of sight or mind, it is easier to tune out the nag in our heart.  But nonetheless, it is still gnaws at our craw.  We still feel a void in our life, and it is because there is still too much suffering.

This morning I dropped my little boys off at school only to turn the corner and see another parent doing the same.  He pulled up, parked his truck grabbed his little girl’s pink backpack and began to walk around to the passenger side of his truck to meet his 6 year old daughter.  Suddenly,  a black car with tinted windows pulled up, rolled down his window, and shouted some expletives at the dad.  The dad turned around, and recognizing the driver, immediately headed toward the car causing  traffic to halt in the middle of the street. He threw down the pink back pack and irately started yelling more expletives back at the driver in the car.  Fingers were flying, horns were honking, and then the black car sped off with too much speed.  I turned to look at the little girl, who was crying on the sidewalk, stunned, cold, and scared.  Her father came back to her, angry still, and she pointed to the back pack in the street.  Meanwhile, the black car flipped a u and came screaming back down the road past the father and daughter at high speeds with his finger in the air.  The back pack was flattened. 

I don’t know the situation around that story.  It doesn’t matter. Point is, that little girl had to witness that ugliness, and undoubtedbly she will feel that scar for a long time.  She needs lots of love right now.   Her father and his acquaintance are angry elves and they need love too.  And that story is just a snap shot of a moment in time.  That was just in Littleton, Co.  Those same moments happen to often in Everywhere, Global World.

I had a unique experience just the morning before. Itook a tour of Urban Peak, Denver’s homeless shelter for teens.  I was blown away by how much good this establishment does for Denver’s youth.  I am embarassed to say I hadn’t heard of it until one of our teacher training candidates Sheila Jenkins asked me to take a tour of it with her.  She is taking the training so that she can be certified to volunteer to teach yoga to these teens.  I walked through the bunkrooms, the cafeteria, the kitchen.  I saw several kids doing their chores.  One boy, Darrahad, took me to the star board to show me the three stars he earned, one for trying his hardest to pass the math portion of his G.E.D.  It was his highest score yet, but he still hasn’t passed.  There are over 1,200 homeless teens in Denver alone.  Mostly because they can’t take the abuse they receive from the foster homes they are placed in so they hit the streets.   On average, foster kids have at least 15 differnt foster homes before they are 18.  One boy I was told about was in and out of 52 homes before he was through the system.  They need love.  This is National  Homeless Youth Awareness Month.  This month Urban Peak is working with Whole Foods and Karma Yoga Center to help their shelter.  You can round up your grocery bill  at Whole Foods and the proceeds will go Urban Peak.  Bring by gently used clothes, coats, winter wear, etc. for the teens and put them in the Urban Peak receptical at Karma Yoga Center.  Let’s Love on them.

The world needs love.  We can love the world in many ways.  I mentioned two options above, but there are many ways to help.  Send blessings and prayers if nothing else.  Keep a light of hope and love in our heart.  Lend a hand when you can; try not to judge others, but look to ways to educate and uplift our brothers and sisters.  Volunteer, donate, practice random acts of kindness just because.  When we all are happy and free, then peace will reign on this earth.  At least that’s what I am holding in my heart.

Sending Love to All

Katrina Gustafson Broyles.