Sharing Spark Stories

I went to executive coach Ipek Serifsoy’s house a few days ago to discuss Ken Robinson’s book The Element with a small group of people. The book looks at what happens when people’s aptitudes and passions coincide. I am excited at the depth that Robinson brings to the concept of the “Spark.” Greg Kerlin, an astute observer in the conversation, commented that most all of the examples in the book were of super stars like Olympic gold medal winners, rock stars and mathematical geniuses. What about everyday people who are in their element in the world, marry their talent and motivation? I immediately thought of my 34 year-old nephew Forrest, who could take anything apart and put it back together better than it was before, since he was six. He was excited by art and film from a young age, also. Now he is using his mechanical aptitude working for Firestone as a master mechanic, coming up with ever more efficient and ingenious methods of solving the problems presented to him. He’s in his element, having developed one of his many sparks, happily living in Central Pennsylvania with his wife and daughter.

I look forward to hearing about your sparks, or the sparks of people in your life.

Earth Day and the Singing Trees

I believe in the power of creativity to beat the odds we are up against. Earth Day is a reminder that we each can help to protect and steward the beautiful planet we are privileged to live on. I’m excited that the unveiling of the Aspen Hero Singing Tree mural in Denver on Sunday, April 25, coincides with the week of Earth Day. I’ll be attending this celebration, thanks to Maria Feekes, who organized over 800 people from homeless shelters, villages in Peru and Denver high school students to create this symbol of unity. The Singing Tree Project was inspired by then 8 year old Meredith Miller in 1999, who said “What if the whole world made a painting together?” The Aspen Tree is the 12th in a series murals of a tree on the earth in space. Over 9000 people from at least 16 countries have participated so far. The Singing Tree project incorporates three of Nature’s principles – it can be reproduced; it has a clear goal with local conditions dictating the form, like water getting to the ocean; and it honors the importance of interdependence, focusing on the role that trees play in human life. Through coming together to create something new and beautiful, where the whole world is invited, we combat the negative forces of division and destruction that plague our world. This unity through creativity will beat the difficult odds we are up against at this time. See Facebook’s “Singing Tree Project” and The Singing Tree Project

Odds of today

Today I talked with a grandmother who is raising her six-foot eighth grade grandson who got kicked out of mainstream public school. I gave her good news about the focus, positive action and risk-taking that the boy was achieving in our mural for the Juvenile Probation Department, after he started out foul-mouthed and resistant. She was the second grandmother I talked with this week who is raising a grandson on her own this week That can’t be easy. “God loves you for being there,” I said to the grandma.

In thinking of about the adults who don’t abandon children, no matter where they are – I say again, thank you, thank you, for the sake of the innocent children, for the sake of the Village, for the sake of all of us.

That struggle dimmed, however, when I got a call from my beloved friend, Ayesha, the hospice nurse who took care of my mother the last months of her life. Ayesha suffered from a stroke three months ago, her left arm and leg becoming paralyzed, and then she had two heart attacks a month later. Her call came to let me know that the doctor had found lymphoma. What to do or say in the face of such odds? All I could do was to get a clear picture of Ayesha in her apartment and then I sent golden light, tinged with pink that surrounded her and absorbed the pain and fear. We remembered old times painting murals together in McKees Rocks and sitting on the patio in Mt. Lebanon, sipping tea. Focusing on love and fellowship aleviated the odds for just a moment. Perhaps that’s all we can do.