Sat, 29 Nov 2025 03:43:32 -0600WeeblyThu, 21 Mar 2019 17:06:47 GMThttps://www.lucyvcantu.com/blog/bienvenida-primaveraThu, 21 Mar 2019 02:22:27 GMThttps://www.lucyvcantu.com/blog/welcome-spring

"Where flowers bloom so does hope.” —Lady Bird Johnson

​This morning I awakened to dreamy whispers spoken by my beloved sister, Rosa. Although I don’t recall the specific words, she seemed to remind me that my favorite season had arrived. Since her passing last September, she has either visited in my dreams or I have sensed her joyful spirit around me. And it’s always been to convey deep comfort or happiness. 

I miss her tremendously. The sadness since her loss has weighed heavy on my heart, especially during the cloudy days of winter. Today, Rosa’s nudges were like sunshine for my spirit, clearing away gloomy remnants and helping alleviate recent pain. 

Her early gentle whispers were quite playful. I smiled and made my way out of bed, anticipating the enjoyment of the Spring rituals I planned. My celebration of the new season began by lighting a candle, a prayer, and journaling what I appreciate this day.

I continued with my plans and prepared nectar for my hummingbird feeder. This Spring ritual of inviting these tiny creatures into my garden serves to demonstrate my reverence for the sacredness of life, it’s cycles, and nature. I hung the feeder in a pot on my window sill and felt happy knowing they will soon arrive. 

Later, I left to meet a friend for coffee. On my way, thoughts of my sister’s nudges surfaced and a stirring to write again emerged. I wondered about this inspiration. As I did, a car with the numbers 444 on its license plates passed by. This number has long been a symbol of Angels to me. Seeing it within moments of feeling inspired to write again was like a divine wink of celestial guidance. I took notice.

At the coffeehouse, my friend Mary and I nourished our souls while enjoying talk of family, dreams, life, and spiritual matters. She shared that she’d been writing earlier and planned to begin posting these blogs as soon as she launched her website. I was struck and immediately noticed this synchronicity, or meaningful coincidence. I told her of my recent guidance to write again. This Earth Angel encouraged me to get on with it and “just write”.

I left our meeting feeling uplifted and went on to complete my planned season’s ritual. I went to explore the Colleyville Nature Trail and enjoyed a walk there, contemplating my inspiration. As I left, I spontaneously decided to stop by Bob Eden Park in Euless where I’d seen bluebonnets just days earlier. Sighting these Texas state flowers was a definite sign of Spring. I could think of nothing better to celebrate the new beginning of the season and my inspiration to write again than to share these beauties with others. I believe Spring is a sign of abundant bright days ahead. May these blossoms inspire hope, joy, and love, just as my sister continues to inspire in me!

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]]>Sun, 01 Jul 2018 22:27:27 GMThttps://www.lucyvcantu.com/blog/una-abundancia-de-amor

Una Abundancia de Amor

“En mi familia, no había abundancia de riqueza, pero había una abundancia de amor.” Lauryn Hill

El Ángel en esta foto sienta en silencio en mi escritorio donde me saluda cada mañana al sentarme a meditar y escribir en mi diario. La encontré en una tienda de antigüedades donde había parado para tomar un descanso al viajar por el estado de Washington hace años. El hecho de que ella carga una canasta de manzanas la hizo un recuerdo perfecto para mi, así que la traje a casa. Desde entonces, ella me ha inspirado a través del continuo flujo de altibajos de la vida.

Siempre me ha gustado el simbolismo de la canasta de frutas. Representa la abundancia, la cosecha de lo bueno y suficiente. Pero hoy, la canasta de este Ángel provocó algo diferente en mí. Me trajo recuerdos de un sueño hace mucho tiempo que me despertó porque literalmente estaba llorando. Mientras limpiaba las lágrimas de mis ojos soñolientos, recordé el sueño en vívidos detalles.

En mi sueño, me estaba quedando en un hotel. Fui a sacar una ropa del “closet" y me sorprendió encontrar a una madre con su dedo índice a los labios, indicándome desesperadamente que no hiciera ruido. Luego señaló hacia algo detrás de ella. En las sombras estaba su esposo y sus dos hijos. Ella nerviosamente explicó que acababan de llegar de México y sabía que tenían que proceder con precaución por temor a ser descubiertos.

Me enteré de que habían estado caminando durante muchos días. Mientras la escuchaba, noté que sus ropas estaban gastadas, sudorosas y sucias. Sus rostros reflejaban fatiga extrema por las condiciones intensas que habían enfrentado.

Sintiendo que podía confiar en mí, compartió con entusiasmo el sueño de ella y su esposo de hacer una mejor vida para sus hijos aquí. Ellos eran muy trabajadores y habían trabajado en los campos en su país. Ahora estaban ansiosos de trabajar donde pudieran en este país. Al escuchar sus historias, me conmovió mucho su profundo afecto y tierno amor.

Mientras soñaba, mi corazón se agitó porque en la vida despierta había recibido el mismo amor de muchas familias similares con las que trabajé a lo largo de los años. Su amor es tan grande que naturalmente se extiende más allá de sus familias a los demás, una vez que se gana la confianza. Conozco a muchas personas ajenas a nuestra cultura que se emocionan cuando son aceptadas con todo corazón por nuestras familias.

El amor del que hablo fue expresado por la familia en mis sueños. Como medida de extrema gratitud por la atención que les había demostrado, me dieron humildemente una canasta de frutas que habían cosechado en los campos de su país. ¡La canasta era bastante grande y rebosaba de manzanas y fruta variada! Me quedé impresionado por su generosidad.

Al terminar de hablar, suplicaron que les asegurara que habían tomado la decisión correcta de venir aquí. Fue en ese preciso momento que sentí mi corazón romper. Yo sabía que su sueño de hacer una vida honesta en este país era honorable, pero también sabía la dura realidad de venir aquí. ¿Cómo podía decirles que pronto encontrarían actitudes inhóspitas y hostiles aquí?

Sabía que la verdad rompería sus corazones. Era muy doloroso y no podía decirles. En silencio, me invadió una profunda tristeza y empecé a llorar con tanta emoción, que desperté.

¿Por qué me inspiré a compartir este sueño ahora? Tal vez, solo tal vez, mi ayudante celestial sosteniendo la canasta de manzanas, sabía que había llegado el momento de compartirlo. A menos que vivamos bajo una roca, nuestros eventos actuales reflejan la dura recepción de los inmigrantes que llegan aquí. Siento que la hostilidad proviene de un miedo basado en percepciones erróneas limitadas y parciales. Ese miedo aleja el amor por los demás seres humanos. Sin amor, no hay compasión. Y esto, amigos míos, es lo que más se necesita hoy en día: una abundancia de amor.
 
Reflexión:
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Estos tiempos nos llaman a cultivar más compasión y bondad, especialmente cuando observamos noticias o personas cuyas conductas son cualquier cosa menos amorosas. Tales momentos son una oportunidad para sembrar y cultivar más semillas de amor.

Ábrete a crear una comprensión más profunda y la aceptación de las diferencias de otras personas. Considera formas de conocer otras culturas. Los libros de la biblioteca son un buen comienzo. Visita un mercado étnico. Ten conversaciones, haz preguntas, escucha, aprende. Prueba diferentes comidas. Las ideas son infinitas, pero hay que actuar sobre ellas para obtener resultados. Cuanta más acción basada en el corazón tomamos individualmente, más aumenta el bien colectivo.

—¿Dónde en tu vida puedes fomentar más amor y compasión?
—¿Qué intenciones de amor, no importa que grandes o pequeños, por sí mismo y por los demás, puedes establecer hoy?

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]]>Sun, 01 Jul 2018 22:06:55 GMThttps://www.lucyvcantu.com/blog/an-abundance-of-love

An Abundance of Love

“In my family, there was not an abundance of wealth, but there was an abundance of love.” Lauryn Hill

The Angel pictured here sits quietly on my desk where she greets me every morning as I sit to journal and meditate. I found her at an antique shop where I’d stopped to take a break while on business travel in Washington state years ago. The fact that she’s holding a basket of apples made her the perfect souvenir, so I brought her home. Ever since, she’s inspired me through the continuous flow of life’s ups and downs.

I have always loved the symbolism of the basket of fruit. It represents abundance, the harvesting of good and plenty. But today, this Angel’s basket elicited something different in me. It brought memories of a dream long ago that awakened me because I was literally crying. As I wiped away tears from my sleepy eyes, I recalled the dream in vivid detail. 

In my dream, I was staying at a hotel. I went to pull some clothes from the closet and was surprised to find a mother holding her index finger to her lips, desperately signaling me to not make noise. She then pointed to something behind her. In the shadows stood her husband and two sons. She nervously explained they had just arrived from Mexico and knew they had to proceed cautiously for fear of being found out. 

I learned they had been walking for many days. As I listened, I noticed their clothes were worn, sweaty and splotched with dirt. Their faces reflected extreme fatigue from the intense conditions they had endured. 

Sensing I could be trusted, she enthusiastically shared their dream of making a better life for their boys here. They were all hard workers, having labored the fields in their country and eager to work where they could now. As I listened to their stories, I was touched by their deep affection and tender love.

As I dreamt, my heart stirred because in waking life I had received this same love from many similar families I worked with over the years. Their love is so great, it is naturally extended beyond their families to others once trust is earned. I know many people outside our culture who are moved as they are embraced and wholeheartedly accepted by our familias.

The love I’m talking about was expressed by the family in my dream. As a measure of extreme gratitude for the care I had demonstrated for them, they humbly gave me a basket of fruit they had harvested in the fields back home. The basket was quite big and overflowing with apples and assorted fruit!  I was blown away by their generosity.  

As we finished talking, they begged for my reassurance. They wanted me to tell them they had made the right decision to come here. It was at that very moment that I felt my heart break. I knew their dream to make an honest living in this country was honorable, but I also knew the harsh realities of coming here. How could I tell them they would encounter unwelcoming and hostile attitudes here? I knew the truth would break their hearts. It was painstaking and I could not tell them. In silence, a profound sadness swelled within me, and I began to cry with such emotion that I awakened.

Why was I inspired to share this dream now? Maybe, just maybe, my celestial helper holding the basket of apples knew the time had come for me to share it. Unless we live under a rock, our current events reflect the harsh reception of immigrants arriving here. I sense the hostility stems from a fear based on limited and biased misperceptions. That fear drives love for fellow humans away. That fear has led us far from the truth we know in our hearts. Without love, there is no compassion. And this, my friends, is what is most needed today: an abundance of love. 

Reflection:
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These times call us to cultivate more compassion and kindness, especially when we observe news or people whose behaviors are anything but loving. Such moments are an opportunity to plant and nurture more seeds of love.

Open to creating a deeper understanding and acceptance of other people’s differences. Consider ways to get to know other cultures. Library books are a good start. Visit an ethnic market. Hold conversations, ask questions, listen, learn. Sample different foods. Ideas are endless, but we must act on them to reap results. The more heart-based action we take individually, the more the collective good increases. 

—Where in your life can you nurture more love and compassion?
—What loving intentions no matter how big or small, for yourself and for others, can you set today?

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