Writing Wings For You

Marie Lukasik Wallace ~ # I LIVE Poetry – I'm passionate about life and writing and all things creative and poetic!

Tag Archives: GOLD in the SOUL


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The Beauty of India – the Soulful Women

One of the most moving portions of my trip was engaging with the people of India.  When they look into your eyes, they see your soul.  They don’t glance away.  They look deeper.  There is a genuine desire to “know” you and honor the divine in you, thus where the word Namaste comes from.

As part of SHEROES United, I got the privilege to go into the Himalayas and bring Humanitarian relief.  But honestly, visiting them, I got humanitarian relief.  Relief that there are still such genuine, kind, loving people in the world.  These are people who are gracious and grateful for the smallest of blessings.

After we spent time with the children (a beautiful earlier post), we received the beautiful blessing of meeting the moms of the kids, plus other women who had heard of our arrival.

Our wonderful Drum Goddess, Katie Jo, pulled out her drums and then we were  off to an adventure of bringing the beauty of sound to the village women.  One woman would strike the drum with a small stroke, and Katie Jo would encourage them to strike it hard.  The sound then filled the room and soon the dancing broke out, and we saw the women’s hearts soar with the beats.  What a wonderful sight to see these women laughing and dancing with so much joy.  We gave the drum to the grandmother who really encouraged  all to dance.  But the most beautiful sight of all  was when I looked to the back of the room to the faces of the sons and grandsons of the woman who had witnessed their moms and grandmothers dancing in spirit.  What a sight to see!

I will forever be changed getting the honor and privilege of being a part of watching spirits soar.

(p.s.  The last picture is one of our drivers…look at the GRIN! The power of the drums is evident on their faces.)

 


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Soul Quest -India

india at the schoolsIndia was a spiritual buffet, a great feast for the soul.  There were so many new tastes and smells and sounds and heart tuggings in one space.  One must venture out of their own back yard often.

Where to begin?  Ahhh, that is a most spicy question with so many answers! There is so much to say and only so much time to write.  I’ll start with my favorite and let the words pour from my soul.  There is enough juicy material for a very long time.  Our group started the adventure as a way to work on our books, to experience and support one another.   We ended up writing new chapters in our own life stories…One of our goals was to meet the children in the Himalayas and bring supplies to the homes of the people.

Upon first sight, I fell in love.  There is so much GOLD in the SOULS of the children. Their hearts are so tender an and full of hope.  Their thoughts are on what they have, not what they lack.  The first thing they did was sing a song of “We Shall Overcome.”  The sweet sounds of innocent voices aware of their situations but not letting it hold them down was uplifting and even enlightening.  Their music sounded like an angels choir.  Nothing is sweeter to my ears than the sounds of children gathering to sing.  My heart was full.  Then they sang their national anthem, while a young man full of passion and vigor beat a drum in accompaniment.  When the children heard the drums, their smiles grew wide and they belted the song even more.  After the song, each of the children got to beat the drum.  Sound is a powerful, soul changing tool.  I watched in amazement as each child first did a light tap on the drum, and then a strong beat that bellowed a big sound.  BOOM! I witnessed the empowerment that the drum sound gave to each child.  A shy, timid, young girl sat taller in her chair that day.

Then I was so blessed to teach them a hand game learning patterns and rhythms.  Kids love these games, and I was reminded of my love for “playing” with the children…sometimes forgotten in a public education back in the states because of rigorous curriculum.  The teachers were gracious to give us their time, and the head master said one of the first things he wanted to do was buy a drum for the children.  They were elated!   There was much gratitude as we passed out the stickers and books we had brought.  For them, it was like Christmas.  I was in deep gratitude knowing that the gently used books I brought would be cherished, and we had not only made a small contribution toward their education, but we brought smiles and built a bridge.

  I LOVE PEOPLE!!!  (especially children…yes, I’ll always be a teacher at heart…and I will be forever changed.)    Namaste.  Mariemarie in sari