Speaking of Spirit

  Marcello Casal Jr./Agência Brasil via Wikimedia Commons   As I was searching for a topic for my post this morning, I happened on the transcript of a conversation I had had with my oldest granddaughter, Addie, when she was not quite three. (She is now 13!) The conversation is simple, yet, speaks volumes! "Hi, Nanaaaaa!"   "Hi, Sweetheart! How's my girl?"    "Gooooooood!"    "Did you have fun today." (Dead silence, but the sound of movement. Prompted by my daughter, Addie finally answers.)   "Yes, I made a snowman with two eyes and a nose."    "How wonderful!"   "I love you, Nana!"   "I love you, too, sweetie!"   "Ok, later gater, drive safe, go slow, careful, don't fall down. (kiss, kiss) Momma, it's your Mom!" Ten years later, I can talk to my youngest granddaughter, Ellie, who is about the same age as her cousin was all those years ago, via Skype.  O...

Why is it that we find contentment to be so elusive? Why can't we simply be happy?  I believe that much of this feeling of discontentment comes from the media. The world of advertisement keeps us all in a constant state of want. Consider the copy in these ads: "The joy of winning." "Things go better with C..." "Smart way to go places." Without even knowing what is being sold, you can come to the conclusion that if you purchase whatever is being sold, you win; things will be better; and, you will achieve your goals.  No wonder being content is so difficult!  Now, add to the copy photos of smiling couples, sexy bodies and images of wealth and privilege. What you end up with is a formula for keeping the public wanting more, constantly. Let's face it, the job of advertisers is to sell. How do they get people to buy product? By seducing the public into thinking they need whatever it is that is for sale. The truth is, we don't "n...

Our ancestors left us so much wisdom...understandings of life and the world around us that, as we "developed," we negated. Interestingly enough, much of that wisdom has been re-discovered by scientists who now can prove the truth of what was once known. In studying about my ancestors and the wisdom that comes from the various cultures in my family alone, I have realized that as humans gained more knowledge and abilities, they lost something.  I lost the teachings of my Eastern European, Irish, German, Welsh and Indigenous ancestors because my ancestors were so indoctrinated into modern society, they did not want to pass the old-fashioned ways onto their children and grandchildren.  In some cases, they were ashamed of what others looked on as backwards beliefs. So, we stopped planting by the Moon.  We stopped nursing the babies in favor of bottled milk.  We stopped growing our own fruits and vegetables in favor of packaged food. We stopped talking to Creato...