How my world works

Yesterday, I got a call from the woman in New York who is our publicist. She had an opportunity to offer me: a journalist for major print media was looking for someone with children (that would be me) to comment on how to get children to wash their hands in light of the (latest) wave of medical concern called MRSA - a staph infection that is highly resistant to known courses of antibiotics.

I was unsure, since it has been many years since I've had any concerns about getting my children to wash their hands. Most of them are now old enough to have children of their own! Nonetheless, she and I agreed that I did have things to say; that she would contact the journalist, and in the meantime I'd prepare for the conversation. Time was of the essence.

Our telephone conversation ended and I went online to explore MRSA. Given that I grew up with a mother who is a nurse (which makes me almost a doctor!), such things are always of interest to me. Several thoughts came to mind as I read what Google offered on this new infection.

Protecting our children and hand-washing:

* The most powerful form of teaching is modeling. Children do what we do - not what we tell them to do. When parents engage the behaviours they want their children to replicate, their success rate if much higher.

* Hand-washing is just one in a series of connected behaviours that provide an overall way of moving through the world. Bathing, brushing their teeth, washing their hair, wearing clean clothes...all these are notes that come together to create the song of wellbeing that we want our children to be able to sing. You can't have the song without the notes.

* For me, the larger question is: if all bacteria and viruses exist in the body and can only proliferate in hospitable ground, how are we creating children who are susceptible to such proliferations? This begs the much more important question (to me)of exploring how our current perspective on our children (their value in our culture) and our existing parenting practices (parents shape the lives of their children) are affecting the internal states of our children such that hospitable ground prevails. For example, to what degree do our children feel stress; feel connected or disconnected from their environments and the people in them (i.e. two working parents); are angry and/or fearful (i.e. bullying at school). These internal states create vulnerability that allows for hospitable ground for these 'outside' infections to take hold.

So far, not much out of the ordinary...and here's where it got interesting.

As I read through the pages, I came across one particular page that while reading, the image of one client kept coming to mind. This is a woman who has had breast cancer and its surgery; and who has been challenged over the last few months with what the medical professionals were insisting was a return of the cancer and yet, she knew that it was not so. Increasing frustration and discouragement ensued, as the medical professionals insisted on a continuing course of chemo with no other conversations available. Although this woman did not know what her body was experiencing, she knew it was not cancer. At the mercy of the 'system', she did what was required of her.

As I read, this woman's image would not go away. I kept seeing her face, in the situation in which she and I had last engaged together. I chose to send the link to this page to a colleague who had been working with her in a coaching situation and offered it for their consideration.

Today, I get an email from the woman who had read the page, printed it up and taken it to her doctor earlier today. It turns out that she does not have cancer: she has MRSA and is now being treated for it.

Who would have thought that the original call was really about creating a pathway to this information for a woman who was losing hope? And here I thought it was about a public communication event.....

I love the way it works! It never fails me. I can trust that when I allow myself to engage; when I pay attention and trust what moves through me; and when I am willing to act, regardless of how bizarre it may appear in the moment, magic happens!

Given that we are all the godforce in expression in a physical universe, how could it be otherwise?

Breathing is good.....