Smile!… The Visit Continues

FRI., JULY 12, 1996, 10:30 AM
HAMA’S CABANA, HONOLULU

Yes, o son, I do say Smile… and focus on the delights of this place, a place now to visit. This was not to be your home, but it was an important starting place for your teaching career. There is not as much nostalgia on this trip. Conditions and places, like the Punahou campus and this home, change and improve, but they become less like what you remember from “the early days”. One of the characteristics of this old age that you are entering is the tendency to see the goodness of the past, therefore not valuing, as much, the changes that are, objectively, improvements. You need wisdom to know when to accept and when to resist this tendency.

Don’t give up in relating to your Dad. You note that your Mother has given up on thinking, and your Dad is resisting that “easy way”, but his mind gets easily tired, from listening to Teachings and being asked to remember aspects of earlier life and comment thereon. You’ll just have to be aware of this disability and moderate the time spent in these interactive ways. Just don’t give up.

You don’t know quite what to expect in the upcoming visit with Mark. Try to see where he is, spiritually, directly and indirectly. He still wants to serve Me, and what he’s doing now is a way. Be supportive… and also inquisitive about his future.

As expected, this visit helps to reinforce your knowledge that your home place is certainly best for you. In the midst of this popular, attractive place you recognize, and try to put down, a yearning to be home. Resting and relaxing wears thin quickly, you find. You expect, then, that your retirement shall not be full of travel to wonderful, exotic places. When you have what is best for you, why search further? But for now, Smile! … the visit continues… nearly half through.

The walk you completed had some vigor to it, and it was without pain. Consider, again, building a bit more walking into your daily life when you’re back home. Your Dad has lost both the ability and the desire to walk, as was his custom in retirement for these many years. Consider that this could happen to you, in the future, so walk more… and smile as you appreciate this minor capacity. Oh, yes, you’ll have a lot of lawn to mow when you’re back to the Farm… good exercise, certainly.

Continue to hold My admonition to see life in positive ways. You read, see, and listen to news, and how easy it is to be concerned about all of the evil, negative happenings. Hear, yet again, that I want you to focus more on the good happenings and the positive interpretations of reported tragedies. Every happening has potential for helping your spirit grow… closer to Me. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”. I am with you in all that happens. (Finish this after the visit with Mark).

( 11:16 AM / 5:42 PM )

It was a good visit with nephew Mark, seeing where he is and hearing about the life that he now finds exciting and worthwhile. You noted that it wasn’t a particularly neat-looking farm, and yours certainly compares well, though smaller in what you’re now doing for food. Yes, it will be good to send him some Ruminations that have focused on the need for an amended Christian/spiritual perspective on ecology and the balance of life. Perhaps he’ll be ready to be a “consumer” of Our writings once again.

It was quite clear as you drove along that leeward side that some sides of islands show forth a stark tropical face. The absence of regular rain does make for an unexpected tropical appearance… more like some portions of the Southwest. The valleys are beautiful… but not appealing as a place to live. Your place, your Farm compares very favorably with most of what you see here. So smile that you and Mark have had a good conversation… and that you’ve experienced some stark beauty, which makes you feel good about your home.