"Excuse me, ma'am, but I just must tell you..."

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I just must tell you..."

"Love is the vital core of the soul. And of all you see, only love is infinite." - Rumi

Those were the words I heard as my eldest daughter and I unpacked the cart to place on line at Whole Foods last night. The man paused a second.  He was an elderly man. He shook his head and finished, "God has really blessed you. He has really blessed you." He looked away and carried on with his order. He did not speak another word or glance over, again.

My heart swelled.  This was not the first time I heard this exact statement while being out with my girls (or the oh-so-common, "Wow, you've got your hands full").  At the supermarket.  And it was not the first time that same day I was sent a clear, divine message.  

My day was sprinkled with spiritual alignment and peppered with human junk. But let's not sugarcoat; I was having a difficult afternoon.  I decided to take the girls out to break up the day of being inside.  Yes, all 3. And I don't do that often, by myself. Usually it's just too much work and hectic packing and grabbing things and grabbing kids and rushing and forgetting something, to justify a quick trip out.  But, this time, I thought it would be nice. And I felt it was needed.

First, we went to Petco. One of the employees stopped us as we walked in the doorway to ask me if I needed any help. I told her we were just looking.  She told my eldest daugther she loved her dress.  As she walked away, my middle daugther said, "Do you love mine?"  The woman came back, laughing, and commented on her dress and her jewelry (she was adorned with the usual: multiple bracelets and a necklace). We smiled at eachother and the woman walked away.  A moment later, she appeared, again. She told me my children were so polite, so good. She said that every parent wonders if they're doing a good job. She told me I had done a great job so far, that it was evident in the way they spoke and acted. She may not realize, but those words, those two minutes she expressed something she witnessed as true and real for her, turned my entire day and night around. I felt really humbled. I felt appreciative. And I felt happy.  After she walked away, I smiled to myself and sighed, knowing she was a divine conduit, passing a message to me when I needed it. I felt the weights of the human junk, and the day, lift away and absolve into the illusions of time and space. 

Our time at the pet store was an absolutely incredible experience.  I allowed myself to be fully present, experiencing the animals with the kids.  It was so exciting.  The colorful beta fish, the geckos lying together slung in a tree branch, a chameleon hanging upside down from the top of the tank, the snake that followed our fingers along the glass, the ferrets curled up in balls snuggling, the hamsters and mice, the birds, the cats and the aisle of different fish.  Watching the girls as their eyes grew in wonder and awe instilled a sense of belonging, appreciation, adventure and love into my heart and filled my soul with a joy I cannot describe in words. Time seemed to melt away and absorb into a space that filled with realness and connectivity and good feelings. 

We left Petco and went to Whole Foods.  We grabbed a few random items and something to eat for dinner, and that's when we were met with the man on line ahead of us.  We ate there, stopped at a local garden center, picked out some sunflowers and a canna plant, and headed home. It was a quick trip out but it had a lasting impression on me.  

I was renewed, rebirthed and reinvigorated. It was then that I realized that things that seem like obstacles or challenges in our mundane daily lives are actually blessings and something to be grateful for.  Sure, it's hard raising 3 kids and all the sacrifices it takes. Having no personal time. Making difficult choices. Not sleeping (for years). It's physically and emotionally and mentally demanding and exhausting. This reminded me of the exercise I like to call, "What would you be without...?"  If I look at my day, and see it as challenging and something negative, I ask myself, what would I be without those things that make it hard? Well, without my kids? Life would be empty. I couldnt - and wouldn't want to - imagine life without them.  I would never trade my life with anyone else's.  Even tho it's unconventional, chaotic at times, and really hard a lot of days. But in moments of struggle, it's easy to "forget" the Truth. For ego to shadow out purity and love and alignment or connection to our Source.  We may lose sight of the blessings and the joy and the abundance we have been gifted with.  These 3 kids are my life, I am so honored and privileged to parent them. They're beautiful souls. And if I can remember that... remember how blessed I am... during the hard times, the hard times become transformed into beautiful ones.  Memories to cherish.  Moments of clarity. And I can gain the ability to see them for who they are as individuals. And guess what? As I opened to seeing them, they flourished. They literally blossomed before my eyes. They were happy. Receptive. Open. Playful. Caring. All of their amazing qualities came out, effortlessly, and we all shared a really pleasant time together. It was easy to appreciate them for all they are (and aren't). And to feel good.  As I became lighter, so did they.  It's so true that our children are often a mirror to our inner world. 

Yesterday's experience was a very important reminder to me, and I was touched by divine light and love, with "strangers" passing on angelic messages for me.  "See? We are here with you. Open your eyes. Keep going, Camille. It's all right. Everything is perfect. Do you see? Here is your validation. Your efforts are not in vain. Your hard work is paying off. Look at these beautiful children. So blessed, you are. There are people that would give up their life to have children, to experience this miraculous bond. We are here with you. We are here for you. You are never alone. You are always wrapped in love and safety and light. Remember to rise above, and See with eyes that are clear. Shed the physical, remain light. Remember Who You Really Are. You were created and infused with the same energy that created Worlds. Be present. Let your inner child play. Enjoy these moments. Enjoy every day.  Live full today... love full today... and everyday."

My God, I am so blessed. [shaking my head in wonder] And the "things" (or people or situations) that make life challenging are what make life sweet and worth living and experiencing. All we have to do in any given moment is shift our focus and our perception back onto the positives. I am beyond grateful for all the divine intervention that had a hand in making my yesterday a day to shake me from my slumber, undress me from my Human, and open my eyes, again, to the beauty of Spirit. And Love. To help me move past the growing pains I was experiencing and stuck in lately - stranded on a deserted and lonely plateau - to expand and emerge more excited and in-touch than ever before. 

Thank you to the folks that touched my heart and whispered to my soul on a random, ole' Tuesday on Long Island. I am certainly blessed. By all that surrounds me. 

*Namaste.