Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Universal energy

I took a yoga class last semester.
Now when a yoga article makes the news, I notice.
I read one recently, that talked about all of us having the same energy in us that had been present at the Big Bang that began our universe.

I don't know if this is true...who does? But, after losing a loved one, it's comforting to think of that person's energy still being around.

This semester, I'm fulfilling my science requirement. The first portion of the semester focused on astronomy, and the life cycle of stars.

A high mass star transitions from a nebula, essentially a "pre-star," consisting of a cloud of interstellar dust and gas, into a protostar. In maturity it becomes a main sequence star. As the main sequence uses up it's fuel, it becomes a red supergiant, before finally exploding in the form of a supernova after it's gravitational field collapses.

A supernova explosion is so powerful that it has a tendency to throw other stars in its general area, elsewhere.

Having lost friends and family, I was struck by the similarities between our stars and our loved ones:

Our loved ones are our shining stars...and once the gravitational pull of their love is gone, all of us surrounding stars do tend to scatter...find different orbits and gravitational pulls.

Recently, we suffered the loss of a dear friend. His children live in different states, and live very different lives. Without the gravitational pull of a loving father, I worry about those distances becoming permanent.

Is it kinder to let nature take it's course and leave these young star-lings to their new orbits? Or do we pull out our telescopes, radars and space stations to convey messages of love and concern and try to bring them together?

I'm never sure.



Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Catching up

it's been awhile since I've updated.

The pluses?
Kelsey is still in autistic support at our preferred school site. Due to the excellent interventions of her mainstream teacher, has friends this year! Real friends, who pass her loving notes and pictures, include her in recess activities on the playground. She began guitar club, and is learning t play acoustic! Brandon, our youngest, has joined Kelsey at her school, but in mainstream classes. A "choice" necessitated by the intention of not letting our home school principal a second crack at discrimination one of our kids. We're thrilled with the result. He's thriving there!
In the last nine months, I've completed fourteen more college credits (working on six more this semester).

The minuses?
I stayed a week at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with my son who needed emergency surgery (necrotic and gangrenous appendicitis), nursed a mother who fell and broke her wrist, dealt with impetigo (x3) with my youngest daughter who continues to come home infected from school.

My mother in law continues to wander deeper into Alzheimerville.

We refinanced our mortgage, bought a new van (the old one putzed out on us). Payments are a challenge.

We lost a dear friend, who left us far too soon, due to cerebral hemorrhage following a massive stroke.

Life is hard, but family is worth everything. When this semester is over, I am going to sleep for a week....before painting the house.

How are things with you?