Beloved,

Although some of the nights are below freezing, there is Spring in the air. WE had buds on the trees but they needed to retreat yet they are back. The weather men are predicting 70 degrees for this weekend. My grandson Michael came over yesterday to do spring work that I can’t. He did the raking where the leaves accumulated over the winter even though the leaves were picked up last fall. He put the boarded sidewalk in between the garage and house so I can now walk barefoot from front to back. He helped create a space for my scooter in the garage where it will be protected yet accessible should I need it. I now have my trunk in my car back for carrying other things. But most of all, he rescued my kayak from its storage next to the garage and it is now on the beach just waiting for me to begin the kayaking season again. I am so looking forward to it.

This morning I saw a solitary bird out on the water and as I was looking through my binoculars, I realized it was a duck that I had never seen before. He turned out to be a Grebe with a white section on his bill and he is also a diver. Every now and then, I see a solitary duck on the lake and it is as if they come to remind me that being alone is not all that bad. I mentally or sometimes talk out loud with them, thanking them for coming to see me. These messengers remind me that life is the same for all living beings. There are times of community and then there are times of being alone. Neither is good or bad, it just is. They are another reminder to me to be in the moment as this moment will not come again.

I love the Animal Speak book by Ted Andrews because it gives keynotes and a deeper aspect of what the animals are trying to tell you. When an animal shows up out of place or one that I have never seen, I know there is a message for me. I am going to share it with you as I know you may see a duck in your future and you will know what it is trying to tell you. The Keynote is: Emotional Comfort and Protection. Because of its connection to water, it is linked to the feminine energies, the astral plane and to the emotional state of humans. The duck is the most common waterfowl and water is necessary for all life on earth. Nothing can live without it. Ducks remind us to drink of the waters of life as well as to nurture our own emotional natures. Ducks may reflect a need to find comfort in your own element and with those of life mind and spirit. All ducks have a grace upon water, and they can help you to handle your own emotions with greater grace and comfort. They serve to teach you how to maneuver through various waters of life.

This confused but intrigued me. Read to the end.

Featured Teaching
The Blossoming of Acceptance
by Matt Kahn

It’s okay to feel angry, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel sad, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel fearful, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel confused, even if it’s not okay with you.

It’s okay to feel desperate, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel compulsive, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel heartbroken, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel jealous, even if it’s not okay with you.

It’s okay to feel judgmental, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel misunderstood, even when it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel uninspired, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel ashamed, even if it’s not okay with you.

It’s okay to feel denied, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel empty, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel left out, even if it’s not okay with you.
It’s okay to feel hopeless, even if it’s not okay with you.

No matter how you feel, you deserve more love, not less. When love is not a feeling to chase or hold in place, but the compassionate support that befriends each emotion and embraces how you feel, you are able to find the companionship you desire without abandoning yourself in the process.

In every breath, you deserve more love, not less. This is how acceptance blossoms for the well-being of all. It is the way of heart-centered consciousness.

I wish we could have this judge in every city or town in the USA. I know a video of her would not have the impact she has in person but maybe she could be an example to others of what can be done so they can do it.

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/watch-this-judges-speech-bring-trouble-teens-to-tears/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=13-04-2016

How would you respond if you were in this subway? It was fun watching the faces of the people.

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/four-sets-twins-stage-time-travel-prank-nyc-subway-watch/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=13-04-2016

I am sure not only was this young boy affected but all the kids that were invited and did not show. Things like this go viral and are the greatest teaching tools we can give to our young generation. An event like this is what I wish our media would show rather than all the attention going to the ones that screw up. More kids need to know that it is OK to be nice.

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/arkansas-boy-surprised-by-troopers-after-lonely-birthday/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=13-04-2016

I cannot look this animal up because it is too rare to be in Animal Speak. I wonder how many other species there are that I don’t know about. Doesn’t Earth offer us so much variety?

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/lil-pika-critter-photographed-first-time-20-years/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=13-04-2016

—
Love and Light

Mary Grace

http://www.IAmMaryGrace.com
http://www.TheWoundedChalice.com