His name sounds as Finn. He has beautiful blue eyes and the blondest of blond hair. He shares his name with Fionn Mac Cumhail. This is frequently anglicised as Finn Mac Cool. Finn Mac Cool is one of the most celebrated heroes in Irish myth.
Little Finn will be tall and beautiful. Now he is small and beautiful. He is learning to talk. He is learning to put distance between his immediacy. There will be a time when he thinks about his life rather than allow it to flow. He will learn to dance rather than be the dance.
Being around children reminds me that they feel their experience moment to moment. When they look they see what is before them. They do not judge their experience. They are their experience. This is why they are so delightful even if sometimes they behave as if this world belonged to them and them alone. They know this world belongs to them until they are told differently. This is their real understanding of this world. It is we who have forgotten. They are there to help us remember.
I am standing at the edge of Lough Allen. I have come to visit Corry Strand.
This is where I meet this giant among toddlers. My partner Barbara has met this child before. His Mum had come to hear a concert or play at the Glen Centre in Manorhamilton. While Mum watched the play Barbara minded child. When he became fractious and upset she walked him down the main street. She held him close in her arms and sang Gershwin. He settled at the sound of this melody sang softly into his shell like ear.
He quickly learned my name. He quickly gave me the gift of his trusting heart. It came as a delightful surprise to find him placing his little hand in mine. He had decided he and I would take a stroll along the sand. We walked and came to sit by the remains of a campfire. He told me stories. These were one-word stories.
These were one word stories facilitated by finger pointing. He reminded me of the old Zen Master who tells his student "I am only the finger pointing at the moon." Here is my little Zen master teaching me the simplicity of seeing.
One story is "stone." The other story is "dog." Each is direct and immediate. There is no sense of fear. There is only the continued pointing of the finger. He makes the stones come alive. He sees them before ever they have labels.
Too soon there will come a time when he lives in labels. Too soon he will think he knows what a "stone" is. Soon he will forget how he once saw the wonder of that "stone" and that "dog." He will swap wonder for knowledge. He will swap what is partial for what is holy. He will become a rational person rather than the mysterious little being he is.
He reminds me of Yoda in Star Wars. The force is with him. He is a wise little being with a hand that shows art in every gesture. He shows me the gladness of the ever-present moment. He is selfish as all children are. This is their world. However, they love to share it with you. This world is their playground and they want you to play here too.
On this shore of Lough Allen he reminds me of that other shore. This is the one we seekers long to sail for. It takes us to that timeless shore where we are forever young. My work is to do what Finn does best. I spend time patiently allowing myself to enter this mystery of life. He is still held within it. I am the amateur and he is the pro-fessional of presence.
He is a fount of wisdom. He does not have the words. He only has his finger. He uses this to conduct dialogues with this mystery of life. He allows the music of life to play through his little body. I am only a part of the orchestra and too often I feel apart from the music. He plays all parts expertly and is the music.
Time will be when he will forget he is the play of God. Time will wrap around him and he will be taught to "do life." He will be taught that life has to be earned. He will be advised that it is more important to earn a living rather than be alive to love. He will be taught his creativity does not fit with economics. He will become productive and competitive rather than celebratory and abundant. He will give up his wondrousness for acceptance.
He will forget that he is forever enough. If he is lucky he will meet with other wise men and women who will tell him to "risk all for love." He will forget that love is all he needs. He will turn from love in action to love of activity. His is the fall from the grace of being to the non-grace of persona. We are all destined to fall from this grace. He will be loved but he will feel separate from all that is.
When he is older he will, I hope, take another hand. He will stand on another shore. He will remember to look at the beauty of what is without labels. He will no longer see it the way that we lost in social consciousness see it. He will, I hope, one day see again via his heart. The way he sees now. When this happens he will be a giant among men. He will be Finn. He will be fair of face and fair of hair.
Thank you Finn for your instruction. I am blessed to have shared your wisdom. You are already a giant among men. You are a child of the Universe. Never forget little one. May the force be forever with you and may you stay forever young in that little heart that you are so ready to share.
? Tony Cuckson 2004
Tony Cuckson is an Anam Cara. This Celtic term means "Soul Friend." He specializes in providing insight for the spiritual journey, Blessings for YOU, words of wisdom and finding inner peace. Visitors to Irish Blessings Matter website and Tony's Blog get the opportunity to develop a purpose driven life through articles, newsletters and other programs.
Get your free report called "7 ways to it's a wonderful life" at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com/, or go to Tony`s Blog at http://www.irishblessingsmatter.com/ for YOU Blog, where you will find links to information related to spiritual parenting, spiritual coaching and spirit in business.
best cleaning company Highland Park ..The story of Cain and Abel stands very close to... Read More
"What does it profit a man to have gained the... Read More
Mormons like to give testimonies. Unlike Mormon testimonies, I will... Read More
Our Creator is an infinitely loving and generous provider -... Read More
Natural laws exist that serve to maintain order in the... Read More
One of the most frightening things... Read More
I started reading the book "The Purpose Driven Life" about... Read More
Getting the most from a Tarot card reading relies on... Read More
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, "Go, assemble... Read More
If any man be in Christ, he is a new... Read More
There are no better people to be around than those... Read More
It has long been surmised that emotional trauma can lead... Read More
Carl Jung, 20th century psycho analyst and dream researcher, said:... Read More
Did you happen to see the made-for-tv movie, "Jesus," that... Read More
I am beginning a journey starting tomorrow. I have decided... Read More
Have you ever heard something that really "resonated" with you?... Read More
The Mind in an Advanced Thought System:The center of our... Read More
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself... Read More
To a shaman a kachina isn't really a doll or... Read More
I don't know of anyone who really liked taking tests... Read More
There's a lot of talk in meditation circles about emptying... Read More
Whether we admit it or not, we operate by emotion.... Read More
In an edition of Reader's Digest, I stumbled upon a... Read More
Existence of God: facts and figures Does God exist?If you... Read More
Spiritual health is generally an overlooked aspect of healing. However,... Read More
high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..Your mind-body team is made up of your mind and... Read More
Most of us know that the universe - God's universe... Read More
I have studied many of the great Religions, Quantum Physics,... Read More
"It's a big challenge. It's a journey into the unknown.... Read More
Sometimes we're already free but we don't realize it. We... Read More
"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught... Read More
I am a big believer in the strength of a... Read More
Why do bad things happen to good people? Surely this... Read More
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on... Read More
If you have a longing to connect with something higher,... Read More
Tony was a professinoal salt-water fisherman. He explained how he... Read More
Just for a moment think of what is stopping you... Read More
To find out how psychic you are, try answering the... Read More
For the last 35 years, I have been working with... Read More
Everyone is busy nowadays. It's hard to find time for... Read More
For some of us, EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN!!! If you... Read More
Is life challenging you to take a bigger leap? Are... Read More
1. Identify a woman who is "like minded," who has... Read More
It is my personal view that the reason we call... Read More
Existence of God: facts and figures Does God exist?If you... Read More
We have all heard the phrase, "follow your nose". This... Read More
Some of us might hear from time to time that... Read More
There is a concept in Jewish mystical thought known as... Read More
Stress & Spirituality ? How Spirituality Affects Stress LevelsTake a... Read More
Symbols and symbolism are popular in almost every civilisation, culture... Read More
Spirituality |