Winter has finally reached Colorado. It has been dark and cold for a week. Now, today, Saturday, February 10th, a layer of white blankets the world around us as I look out the windows of SunWater Spa in Manitou Springs. Each gleaming pine needle is a brilliant sculpture and I’m reminded of a line in a poem: “Snow is the warm blanket of love that covers and feeds the earth.”

        Then, suddenly I remember: I have to drive home!! . . . up the windy mountain road called Ute Pass . . . and I feel myself go numb/frozen all over!

        Two weeks before, during our first winter snow, driving back from a meeting in Denver, as I carefully and slowly came south on Highway 25, I arrived at the area called Monument Hill, which  is famous for it’s strange, sometimes severe weather patterns. The snow was blowing sideways here, and was piled up everywhere on the highway. Cars were slithering in all directions. Suddenly, tail lights started coming on everywhere down the hill. (Later we saw the 6 car pileup just ahead.) I started tapping my brakes . . . then held them down solid . . . nothing! Out of control, I slid down the hill, first smashing into a car on the right, then together we slid into a car on the left, spun around, and slid to a stop in the middle of the road. Two fire trucks were there immediately….in the area because of all the other accidents, and they guided the cars around us until we could get off the road. My nervous system kept me in a numb/frozen place inside while I ran around, gathering information from the other drivers and making sure everyone was OK. A fireman helped me rip a piece of metal off my car so it was drivable and I slowly headed for home. I was still numb . . . capable of doing whatever was necessary in crisis, but feeling nothing.

  At Costco, I stopped for gas an the first person I saw was Randy, an Acupuncturist, who said: “What’s going on with your eyes?” I told him about the accident and he said he had some Chinese herbs in a formula called “Car Crash”. “Let’s figure out how to get them to you.”

        Finally I made it home and, as I walked in the door, the phone rang. It was my doctor friend, Chandra, calling about something else. When I told her about the accident she said: “I’ll be there in two hours!” She picked up the herbs from Randy and drove up the Pass to check on me. After a soothing dinner by the fire, she put me to bed, washed up the dishes, and left me sleeping. WAS I TAKEN CARE OF OR WHAT?

        Three days later, dear friend, Robert, helped me get the car to the Autobody shop in Colorado Springs and when the appraisal came back at $5,319! Robert, knowing I didn’t have that kind of money in my bank account, whipped out his credit card and said: “I’m her financier.” (Taken care of again)

        Now, two weeks later, and I suddenly realized I have to drive up a mountain in the snow, the now familiar numb/frozen state came over me again! Well known author, Steven Levine, says: “We have lots of little griefs and accidents. If we don’t attend to them, they are held in the body. Then; WHO ARE WE?” Immediately I went back into the Spa, went into a bathroom for privacy, and called my therapist, Susan Blue. She worked with me for almost 45 minutes til I felt myself slowly thaw . . . breathe . . . feel the resolve in my spine, and was able to slowly drive up the Pass . . . arriving safely home. Whew!

        That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! I wanted to make the point about how physically and emotionally we are affected by the Earth’s weather patterns. When it’s dark and gloomy, have you ever felt a strange depression come over you? It even has a name: SAD’S Disease . . . a physiological response to Mother Nature.

        A school teacher friend/client came to see me last week, flopped herself onto the massage table, and, with tears in her eyes, cried: “The children are so angry! They’re hitting the teachers! One of them just punched me in the ribs!” I wondered what’s going on in families. Is SAD’S disease throwing whole families off balance? Yes! Steven Levine says: “Please be kind to each other through these times.” And let’s remind each other to breathe . . . while being very careful . . . maybe replanning our day sometimes so we don’t drive in dangerous conditions . . .  and . . . opening our hearts to each other and to this “warm blanket of love” that the earth needs so badly right now.

 

        Soon I will be leaving for a place where there is no snow . . . Kona, Hawaii! Oh yes, the dolphins and warm water will heal any shock or fear residue left in my nervous system. It’s a trip planned many months ago at the invitation of my friend, Shawn Gallaway, the singer who came to Manitou last year. He has teamed up with a lady in Hawaii who grew up with the dolphins there, and, together they’re sponsoring a group of us to swim, play, and sing with these beautiful beings. I’ll take pictures and tell you more when I return.

So I wanted to let you know I’LL BE OUT OF MY OFFICE FROM FEBRUARY 22nd TO MARCH 5th. Judi will still be picking up messages and booking appointments during that time s

Am I blessed or what!

 

Speaking of Shawn Gallaway, he’s returning MAY 10th through MAY 20th this SPRING!

Plans are just starting to come together. We have our first major team meeting tomorrow. It turns out Smokebrush Theater and the City of Manitou Springs are sponsoring him, plus twelve Ukrainian people being brought in by our Psychologist friends; Barry and Janae Weinhold, in a week long celebration called: MANITOU CHOOSES LOVE. Oh, it’s going to be an amazing, heart-opening experience!

       We are looking for DESIGNATED HUGGERS and BICYCLE RIDERS for various times in the week right now. Are you interested? Let me know: 719-213-1066. As the details come together I’ll keep you posted.

 

      So . . . is that enough excitement for one post??

      I’m sending you big hugs as my heart opens to this beautiful white stuff:

       SNOW, . . . DOLPHINS . . . CELEBRATIONS OF LOVE, and . . . YOU!!!

                                                      Kathleen