RISING TRIBES

Hair

it was a hot and muggy night out in the brooklyn streets.    the mother finally gets her kids to sleep to the sound of their one fan blaring in some calming noise and blasting hot air into their faces.  she kisses her man, scoops a generous amount of ice-cream onto a cone,  and walks down the stairs to sit at her stoop, feeling half guilty about the kids not getting any mint-chocolate chip ice cream, but fully enjoying it all to herself.  just as she is about to give it one more lick, the woman shows up.  though it had been a while since the woman had made an appearance at the mother’s stoop, they instantly recognized the glare of eachother’s eyes.  they knew their truths would be out on the table like a fresh deck of cards.  so there was no sense in hiding it.  both were curious to see where this encounter would take them, so without a second passing, the woman sat next to the mother as the stagnant night air seemed to be cut by the slightest cool breeze….

the woman:   mother!  it looks like you are not keeping up with the hairstyles you  used to have when you spent more time with me?  you sure look busy.  too busy to look good.

the mother: honey, if i can get those 15 minutes of sleep that it takes to do my hair, trust me, i’m goona take them!  as long as its clean.  though i’ve had a few days of overdue hairwashing before, truth be told. how about you, you still worry about your hair that much?

the woman:  a woman has to be in touch with her sensuality, mujer!  and my hair is an essential part of me as a sensual being, i take care of it because it makes me feel good.  i only get this body once you know!

the mother:  you got a point.  what’s happen to me is that my priorities have changed.  i find myself deeper and deeper into the world of giving.  and yes, often that means that i forget about myself, and that is not ok, but this giving world is actually quite a meditative practice.  because i don’t always want to give!  but when i do, and i let go of me a bit,  i grow a bit more.  i would rather meditate for 15 minutes in silence all by myself than do my hair!  different priorities…

the woman: girl, you need to take time for yourself!  watch, after you do that awesome side french braid hair due you used to rock back in the day, you’ll feel soooo good!  and you’ll look in the mirror and say to yourself “i still got it!” and that is going to elevate you to higher meditations mama!

the mother: you’re funny.  i won’t lie, i miss that hair style! Though in honesty, something that has really changed is that I am not so interested in what’s going on outside as much as being focused on what is going on in the inside. I have learned to pay attention to the smallest influence and feeling that i have inside, and actually locate its root, place that feeling in the right context rather than just react to it.  You know?

the woman: no, i don’t!  everything is a reaction, what is wrong with that?

the mother:  well, i tell you what’s the issue here, every reaction i have is a mirror to the children, and they will learn from my behaviour.  For example, if i am tired and don’t address that, i start acting real strange…real pissy, grumpy, rude, and the b. i. t. c. h. starts coming out, and it doesn’t matter who is there, you are gonna get it!  the root there is that i have been on the go for days without a chance to renew myself and my energy, if i don’t address the root cause, then my behaviour will be filled with negative reactions.   And my children suffer, i suffer, my partner suffers. The children learn that its ok to not take care of yourself and instead act disrespectful.  So, even if i am rocking a dope hairstyle and i’m looking soooo good, inside I am not feeling that great.  Back to my original point, I choose sleep before I choose hair style!
the woman: girl, i remember when you were a b.i.t.c.h.! It was fun!  we all got one and we all gotta make sure she’s sticks around for when you need her.  Plus, doing your hair and spending time with me would rejuvivate you to heaven, and then you can come home all relaxed and fresh for your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Lol.  My point is don’t let go of what is good!

the mother: you are persistant!

the woman: i am a woman!  and too often you mothers forget that!

the mother: well, same goes for you, though you don’t forget, you just don’t know what its like to be a mother!

the woman: i may not know what it is like, but i do know that you are not just that!  a mother is a part of you, but you are a woman, if you weren’t one you would not have these babies!

the mother: true, except that you haven’t experienced the process it takes to become a mother as a woman.  Once you are a mother, you are always a mother, it becomes an absolute part of who you are.  It is inseparable.  You become one WOMOTHER.

the woman: WOMOTHER! there you go with your made up words!  i disagree though.  you must separate them.

the mother: why?

the woman: because your children will leave your side one day, and then what?

the mother: then I  will still be a mother.

the woman: a mother that doesn’t need to make PB and J anymore.  lol.

the mother:  a mother that is going to spend some time doing her hair!  lol.

the woman: mama, are you seriously going to wait 20 years before you touch your hair!?  my point is that you can give the mothering thing all you got, forgetting that you are a woman, and then as the years pass by, your mothering career changes and you are left with a “who knows what”  wondering what to do next.  So before you get there, do me a favor, go braid your hair!

the mother: and my point is that I am changing, not only because I’ve become a mother, but because part of being a woman is learning to change, and accepting that. if you define womanhood by rocking a dope hairstyle then you will always be stuck on how the outer world defines you, rather than honing to your inner womanhood and the wisdom that comes from your inner strength.  Girl, there are days that my hair is a mess, and the house is a mess, and i don’t want to cook, and everything is upside down, but  knowing how to take 10 minutes to get in touch with my inner wisdom turns everything right side up, and it gives me the strength to get what needs to get done and still be joyous.  Being a woman for me is knowing how to define myself and be always in touch with my deepest truth, so that if i go outside and my hair is not done I can still walk in joy and in love with myself and those around me.

the woman: ok.  you got me.  though there is still something you can’t deny; your sensual self.  the woman that knows it is exeptionally wonderful to smell good.

the mother: hmmmm. smelling good?  i’ll have to get back to you with that.  i got to go get some PB and J’s ready.  mua!

Rising Tribes

i have joined a writing group.  two other sisters sit next to me twice a month, share their heart, give feedback to mine. and by the magic of women gathering, i am weaving words easier these days! During our gatherings i workshop this blog.  I set goals to commit myself to creating a space for my voice, my truth.  bring together  the utterance of my voice and how you might experience it.   So far (on our two gatherings) i have gotten a fill on how to maintain focus.  in addition, i truly love sharing space with mothers.  learning how  different mamas maneuver self with motherhood, society’s expectations with deep self truth.     i gotta say though, what really has been a catalyst to my focus was a simple yet poignant question from one of the sisters.   it came as a response to my vision for this blog, she asked  “What is a tribe?”

as she uttered the words i thought  “YES! i finaly get to tell someone!!!!” and “Oh crap, now i really have to own up to my vision.”  i took a deep breath, i had a quick flash of the past  seven years, and another one of the next seven…then, answered.  so for tonight, in honor of the one person that may be reading this right now, here is my 10 point rendition of “what is a tribe?” in the voice of mamaluna and in the vision of risingtribes.

1.  a group of beings committed to each other’s empowerment  and evolution.

2. mothers who know to be sisters, sisters who know to be friends, friends that know to be mothers. fathers that know to be a holding hand. brothers that cry, children that teach.  community that cares, warms, feeds, breathes, sings, dances, laughs into continuum.

3. an ancient, wise, oral spoken story, danced and prayed to a beat of drums, flutes, tambourines, earth, in a circle of mothers, elders, children, fathers, youth, uplifted by truth.

4. a group of people that care for the earth, communicate with all its beings with respect and reverence, and commit themselves to care for all.

5. a family whose values lie in nature’s wisdom, whose children are the elders and the elders the children.

6. the dogon, the dagara, the tzeltal, the inuit, the tzotzil, the klahoose, the coastal salish, the navajo, the pima, the hopi, the nahuatl, the olmec, the zapotec, the inca, the zulu, the maori, and the thousands of tribes that are still thriving in our world, who are continuously under attack by systematic oppression, and corporate greed, but who pray with full hearts towards the well being of all, even those who hurt them.

7. a group of people that are self sufficient, working  collectively toward the health and well being of all, who are mindful and considerate of every one’s needs.

8. a happy people, happy to each do their part towards the betterment of all.  That sees the health and expression of each individual’s heart and creativity as the health of all.

9.  a community that ensures a joyous, supported and nurturing home birth, that supports a child through her every day learning, that holds the hand of a brother that is struggling, that reviews its collective if there is someone suffering, that continues to care for elders as it cares for its children, that honors each individuals efforts.  a community of self love.

10. a community free of systematic oppression, free of greed, free of fear, free of doubt,  free of destructive hierarchies, free of competition, free of judgement.

i honor all of the tribes that have survived the constant waves of humanity’s fear, grateful for their continuous teachings and living energy. i believe with my heart that in all of us there is a being of light, a being that can heal themselves, heal this world, and come forward to rebuild the broken ties of our human web.  One family at a time, as rising tribes.

In light of this post, check out The Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, who have began to mend the web,   leading the way towards the rebuilding of peace.

Cafe!

Its 1am.  I have no business being here, with these words, with dancing fingers and baggy eyes.  I am called to share, though I might be cursing this tomorrow at 6am ( i did say tomorrow…i am delirious).  i have been thinking so many things as of late.  I came to the decision that my ideas, my creativity, my brain supernovas are worth their existence.  So I am trying to record them onto my partner’s old cell phone (a $500 worth sony ericson that has been off for two  years, as we no longer need cell phones, yep you read right, we don’t need cell phones!).

Perhaps the device will propell me towars realizing some of them.  Though, knowing my life right now, “realizing” is a term that doesn’t really fit my daily schedule (if  i can accomplish half of my to do list, i’m doing good).  Its been good though, I’ve spent five years not having the time to really think about “ideas”.  I don’t regret not having the personal “brain” time, as i was very happy in child play world.  but i am my own person still, not just their mama.  so i am hanging out with my brain more often these days and entertaining what bubbles up. ..i’m daring to give the “ideas” life, perhaps you’ll get to see some of those soon…

fingers are done.  and so is my brain.  for now.

Its True

This is how bad things are right now.  And I am just absolutely astonished at how many people are suffering around the world.  I mean, there is some really crazy stuff going on right now, and the economy is just one little part of that.  All of it  makes me think, the best thing we could be doing right now is keeping united as a family, as community, and being of service where ever we can.  I am planting some corn this year, and lots of squash and potatoes.

A Town in Crisis

Here and Writing

So it seems that I am not a code kind of person, and thanks to our beloved Tech dad we are up and running.  I stayed up way too late last night getting posts and categories set, but here I am in the dark morning getting ready for my volunteer shift at our local Free Store.  Which is by far one of the greatest community organized projects!  So much stuff gets donated there, from new to super reused, so much that there are times that a lot gets trashed any ways.  But without the Free Store, our dump would be filled with all kinds of treasures.

…On my return from my shift, some of the treasures I found today..

Aldo suede boots, puzzles, felt book and a good book

Children's books and a train whistle

Stack of wool swaters