I AM a Hummingbird. Thank you Elizabeth Gilbert.

Posted by Barbara Techel
I AM a Hummingbird. Thank You Elizabeth Gilbert.
Image credit: Alexis Coram

Time stood still this morning when I listened to Robin Roberts interview author Elizabeth Gilbert who is celebrating 10 years of her book Eat, Pray, Love.

It was the moment a young woman stood up and asked Elizabeth how to follow her heart when her dreams felt scattered. She said that she came to New York wanting to pursue a media career. But now she realizes she wants to travel the country and teach Yoga, which feels off the beaten path.

Liz told her that there are people who are like jackhammers. They come here knowing what they want and they go after it and nothing gets in their way. Then there are the hummingbirds of the world who try this and try that, always searching.

She went on to say that our world rewards jackhammers. But the truth is, those of us who are hummingbirds are on a scavenger hunt. We are allowed to follow our curiosity. Her advice that just because this is who you were last year does not mean that you can’t be something different now. She said to the young gal, “just keep going. Just keep looking.”

This hit a very deep place inside me. It was exactly why I was in transition for three years which I will be sharing in my new book Wisdom Found in the Pause later this year.

I struggled with letting go of the chapter in my life I call my “Frankie Chapter,” (and I wrote about that time of my life in my memoir Through Frankie’s Eyes),wanting to move on after she passed. But not sure where I was headed, though something niggled at my heart that I wanted to explore.

Tears sprang to my eyes as Liz’s words rang through my mind and vibrated in my heart. I AM a hummingbird. I was so overcome with emotion.

And then it hit even deeper. As I wrote about in my memoir, Through Frankie’s Eyes I believe with all my heart that Frankie came to me two weeks after her death as a hummingbird.

It was late one afternoon almost four years ago when I was sitting on the deck, lost in thought about Frankie, that a hummingbird fluttered about a foot in front of my face. She flitted back and forth – back and forth. This had never happened before. I don’t know really how long this lasted, but the feelings that ran through me in those moments were hard to deny that it was her.

In my heart I believe it was Frankie sending me a message that she was okay – she was still with me – and that I would be okay. Because as I wrote about in my memoir I had tied my identity so close to Frankie and my work with her that I didn’t know how to move on without her.

As these thoughts swirled through my mind this morning I had another aha! that perhaps Frankie was letting me know that it was okay for me to be a hummingbird. She was showing me that I could go on to follow other dreams in my heart.

My heart smiles as it feels like another full circle moment. But mostly a confirmation that everything I felt those three years of transition was okay. We are allowed to pursue what we want and to take the time to figure things out.

I don’t know how Elizabeth Gilbert does it with her thoughts that resonate deeply with so many women. But I, for one, am so grateful for her. And I’m grateful for the little dachshund on wheels, Frankie, who I also believe just sent me another message to keep following my heart.

Here is the interview with Liz if you’d like to watch it yourself.

Thank you for subscribing to my blog updates.

The Carpenter and the Kitty

Posted by Barbara Techel

The Carpenter and the Kitty

John came home from a job site a few weeks ago where he is doing a kitchen remodel.

He told me about a cat that hangs out with him while he works. Of course, I wanted to know the cats name. He didn’t know.

But the next day he asked the owners. The cats name is Veteran because he showed up on Veteran’s Day a few years ago, and has stayed ever since.

Now, to hear John talk about this cat is where he makes my heart swoon. I can just tell that John loves the company of this sweet cat with the most endearing little face. Does it not look like Veteran is smiling?

Well, I suppose he is smiling just like I am when John tells me about Veteran after he’s been at the job site for the day. He enjoys the company of the little cat who sits quietly and seems to enjoy John’s company, too.

I even think this “tough carpenter” just may miss that sweet little cat when the job is done.

But you know, and don’t tell anyone…. John is really a big ol’ softy on the inside. And when that comes out, like it does when he talks about how he watches out for Veteran… well, as you can imagine, this is exactly what makes my heart melt.

And I fall in love all over again with the man I’ve been with for 36 years now.

Thank you for subscribing to my blog updates.

Synchronicity Chronicles: The Tree Goddess is Alive and Well in Me.

Posted by Barbara Techel
Synchronicity Chronicles: The Tree Goddess is Alive and Well in Me.
artwork by Maria Wulf

“She saw her reflection for the first time.” -Maria Wulf

Earlier today on my blog I shared my tree Goddess paintings that I completed over the weekend.

The tree Goddesses that speak to me of my feminine divine essence. They speak to me of truly embracing and appreciating all the many facets of who I am.

artwork by Barbara Techel

I was a bit nervous about sharing the paintings I did as I don’t consider myself a painter. But these tree gals are stirring things up inside of me — and it’s been interesting to watch it unfold.

And an hour later after I hit “publish” and sent my Goddess paintings out into the world, I walked to my mailbox.

I was about to discover that synchronicity was at work again. I opened a package I found waiting inside my mailbox. It contained a book called “Red Moon Passage” which I had sent to artist Maria Wulf about a month ago.

I had mailed her a copy after reading on her blog some struggles she was having around menopause. We are very close in age and I relate to so much of what Maria writes about. I thought she would enjoy the book, which had helped me and which talks much about enveloping our feminine energy.

She shared with me that she got much out of the book and many of the ideas will stay with her. And though I meant for her to keep the book, I smiled knowing there is likely someone else who needs to benefit from it, and I will pass it along when that time comes.

But it was the card that Maria enclosed that made me smile with recognition of how this universe works when we are in alignment.

It’s the image of the card I share and the quote at the beginning of this post – could it not be more fitting for what I just wrote about and my tree Goddess paintings?

The universe — always supporting us and reflecting back — this was so evident to me with the timing of my finished paintings, the post written, and the card received from Maria.

Indeed… the Tree Goddess is alive and well… and she is growing in new directions, reaching toward the sky, grounding herself in what she knows, and opening her arms to embrace all of who she is, and knowing there is nothing she has to prove — but that be-ing is where the magic and wisdom is at.

Thank you for subscribing to my blog updates.