Melissa Cynova There is a website that I really enjoy. It’s almost a spiritual thing for me. It’s called “Humans of New York” and it is a collection of pictures by a man named Brandon. Brandon takes these amazing pictures of every kind of person, and asks them questions about their lives. Questions like, what was the saddest moment of your life. What are you proud of? What do you love about her? Who are the flowers for?
The pictures paired with the mini-interview give us a snapshot into the persons life. My friend, Lauren, said this weekend, that she felt that God or the Universe or whatever was the piece of each of us that is alive. That vibrates. That connects. We all have a part of the divine with us, and can recognize it in others. When there is community, when all of those pieces are together – the divine is there, too. Only more bigger….er. There is the divine spirit.
I think that Brandon’s photojournalism captures a moment of that spirit. Whether it’s a picture of a man’s shoes – and the caption that he and his partner had just had an abortion, or a little girl grinning from ear to ear in her Easter Hat – those moments of brilliance, of sadness, of authenticity and clarity are windows into our souls. We can relate to each other and recognize the divine in each other.
What the hell does this have to do with tarot readings? A lot, actually. This is one of Brandon’s pictures.
What this picture and story say to me is something that I encounter time after time when I give readings. Our wants don’t stop. A year ago, I was unemployed, sad, alone and scared. This year, all of that has changed and I’ve got everything I ever could have wanted. I have a wonderful job, my Person, great kids, etc. I’m really happy.
Except when I’m not. If I forget to remember what I have instead of what I want, happy slides out of focus. I want. I want new shoes. I want a nap. I want more money or a better car or more time or whatever. The fact that my needs are met and that I’m truly happy? That goes away. I forget that I can hear in one ear. When is enough really enough? If I keep moving the finish line, will I ever truly be content?
One of the things I like about tarot readings is that they can be a bucket of cold water right in your face. I gave a reading once to a lady who said, “My kids think I drink too much”. I said, “Well, you do, and you know that, and they know that, and it’s going to kill you if you’re not careful” It was a hard reading, but the client needed to hear that, and the bucket of cold water may have changed her life.
I give readings, and I say things like “What are you doing? You’re missing everything!” and “When will you be satisfied? ” I walk away from these readings and realize that not only was I speaking to the spark inside of them, that message was for me, too.
It can be an easy thing to be happy. It can be the hardest thing in the world to be happy. Whatever it is that makes you happy, recognizing it is a choice. Holding onto it is a choice. Defining your life and your story by what you have instead of what you don’t? That’s a choice, too.
xoxoLFT