The Two Whos

Steve Jobs, creator of the Apple computer and Pixar animation films, gives an inspiring speech at the 2005 Stanford University graduation ceremony about “dropping out” and “dropping in” to life. He encourages his audience, as they get ready to start their careers, to do what brings joy and meaning to their lives rather than to live someone else’s dream.

Such a message is powerful to embody: How do we  live a purposeful and meaningful life?  ; How do we hold onto a bigger perspective and faith in the mist of loss and difficulties?  ; How do we  not  let the ‘norm’ or ‘common sense’ age us into a rut?  He says, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish” In  other words, let our heart stay young and passionate.

On Wednesday, Yun got a big surprise!   The students in her class baked a cake for her birthday.  With a couple of candles lit, they were singing “Happy Birthday”, then indulged in the home made chocolate cake….  Yun was standing there, holding back her tears.

You need to know these students.  They are single mothers or fathers who  have never graduated from high school.  They have lost their jobs, are on welfare with ~$300 a month income to support the family.  As part of the deal, they must attend “school” to learn vocational skills.  In this particular program, they are attending the adult GED (high school Graduate Equivalent Diploma) where Yun teaches interpersonal communication skills.

Teaching interpersonal skills for  success in life and work to professionals is one thing,…. teaching people who are on welfare such skills is another.  Their daily concerns are how to pay the rent, how to have enough food to feed the kids, how to catch a ride to school or how to get $5 in  gas to go from point A to point B.   They could not care less about interpersonal skills, different perspectives, understanding and acceptance, and managing emotions. These are values that Yun believes to be the keys to living an empowered and productive life.  So, managing the class is challenging.  They simply do not listen!!!  They talk at will to whoever they feel like.  A practice assignment would take 5 or 10 times longer to explain.   However,  after they have built a  rapport,with Yun.  they have shared many of their incredible life challenges  that they otherwise would never have shared with anyone else.  Yun knows the deep struggles  some of them are enduring. Working with them is a humbling and honoring experience for Yun.  It is also a frustrating one at times.

On this particular day, as they are eating the cake they have no money to buy but have managed to bake, one of the students stood up and said: “Ms. Li, we may not pay attention, but we love you!”  So sincerely expressed that Yun was speechless…

How could anyone ask for more? In many people’s  view, these young adults “should” listen and practice more and do more, so they can be more successful and productive to society.   That’s just one  view.  Yun feels that what they  need most is acceptance  and compassion for who they are.  Only after that,  can they know what to do to reach their goals in their own way.  They have incredible strength sitting in the classroom while knowing there are only a few bucks left to feed the kids for the rest of the week!

“Accept and respect people no matter how different we think  they are.”  This is the  lessen Yun’s students have taught her again and again.

“Bye for Now” from The Two Whos

In our fast paced lives, much goes unseen!  We rush here, we rush there…to this appointment that appointment, meetings, meetings, meetings.  Our cell phones continually connect us to work and family and friends.  We are never OFF.  We are always on the move.

So , it was with great pleasure that Cece had a few moments this week to be still and watch.  The first was at her yoga teacher’s studio.  She was a bit early for class and just sat still for 10 minutes or so.  There was no cat to pet or talk to, no  people…she just sat.  As she did this, she noticed  something she had never seen before and it was so beautiful!   The changing sun light was reflecting so beautifully on the screen and shades on a widow .  She could see various colors of yellows and ochers that created a pointillist picture ….. hues  and shadows of leaves rustling in the gentle breeze.  She saw the silhouette of a hummingbird feeder and as she watched,. she saw the little figures come flitting by to get a drink. Beauty …..in a moment that would have gone unnoticed had Cece not had the opportunity  to slow down.

The next evening she was visiting one of her clients.  8pm is a quiet time generally in people’s homes…and there was her client freshly showered,  in her pajamas and sitting in her wheelchair.  She was leaning forward onto the window sill with one hand under her chin. She was looking and looking out the front window. Cece watched this from a far for a while and was doing this and that with her other clients and staff.  Finally she came and sat with this woman who was still looking.  Cece was curious as to what she was looking at and asked her.  “Nothing” came the answer, “just looking and watching.”  Cece sat with her in silence for a long time…just looking and watching.

And so perhaps, when we can slow down and just look and watch, we can see things without judgement….  that we would have passed by…. so quickly.

“Bye for Now” from The Two Whos

Blueberries are in season and they bring  back fond memories for Cece.

Growing up, Cece used to go with her family,  over the summer, for a few weeks  on Fire Island. Fire Island is virtually the same  now,  only accessible by  water,  very remote,   and with very few  services on the island. It was a time and place  to be quiet and enjoy the ocean and take long walks along the beaches to discover the treasures that had washed up along the shores.

Cece remembers picking her first wild blueberries during this time.  They grew recklessly  in the reeds that were set back from the ocean amidst tall sand dunes.  This could be why Cece loves blueberries and it just  so happens that this seasonal fruit is in abundance now…even in our desert home of  New Mexico!

Today,  Cece shares with you her favorite recipe for Blueberry Muffins. She has adapted it to be a more healthy option.  But, never fear!  Healthy does not mean tasteless and Yun can honestly confirm that they are delicious!  Cece has served these to many  guests and they love them!  One day, when Yun visited , Cece served her a blueberry muffin.   Another guest asked Yun. “Would you like butter on the muffin?”  Yun said: “Why?  This is so delicious and anything on top of this  would ruin it!  ”

These muffins are  a great snack pre or post work  out and have a nice balance of protein, carbs and fat.  They are delicious any time.

Cece’s Amped Up Blueberry Muffins

Bake at 400 degrees  for 22-25 minutes…makes 10 very large muffins

• A. 1 1/2 cups flour-minus 2 heaping TBS of flour

• 2/3 cup flax seed flour

• 1 TBS baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 scoop of protein powder (Cece uses Spirutein unsweetened vanilla-

soy).

• B. 2 TBS  Natural raw turbinado Sugar

• 1/2 tsp. allspice

• C. 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup light butter

• 1 large egg

• 2 egg whites ( or egg beater whites)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 3/4 cup fat free milk

• D. 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

• 1/3 cup blueberry pie filling (Just freeze the remainder in little

cups and put in the freezer for future muffins).

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.  Combine A in a bowl.  Combine C in a bowl minus the milk.  Keep milk a side.  Alternate milk and flours into the buttery ingredients.  Once fully combined, fold in D: blueberries and pie filling until  incorporated.

Using a spoon, heap batter into muffin papers in the tins.  They should come up high over the rims of the cups.  Mix B. and sprinkle over the top of the batter in the muffin cups.

Bake for 22-25 minutes at 400 degrees.  These will be moist muffins.  Let sit until cooled.  They are even better the next day after the blueberry flavors develop…if they last that long!    These also freeze well.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Content:  1 muffin 230 calories.  Pro 7 g;  Carbs 36 g;  fat 6g;  Fiber 6g.

“Bye for Now ” From The Two Whos

Cece grew up in a family that valued the early morning as a time that could be very productive.  Her family shopped early and went out to do things early…her dad, to this day,  at age 83,  still walks early in the morning  in the wet land preserve near their  childhood beach on Long Island. 

So it is no surprise that in her adulthood, Cece still adopts the early morning time to get things done.  She is often up at 4am to work and pray and have her writing time….and then she will go out for an early morning ride.

On this day, when she went out riding it was literally the crack of dawn.  It was the first full day of summer and she thought back to previous  years and how she used to do sun salutations on this day every year.  But here she was on her bike.  Balancing and propelling herself through the universe that is the out of doors.  How happy she was to greet the new day…to see the wonderful sunrise with its glorious rays of light peer out from behind the puffy cloud…to hear each bird singing its distinct song….to smell the wet earth that had been parched only a few short hours earlier…to hear the leaves rustle…and the river flow down stream…and to greet  the dawn of a new day!

When time is not an issue…Cece sees so many nuances that she would not have even noticed had she been watching the clock and squeezing in this appointment or running to do that.  Instead, she had the quiet and solitude of this new day and could look  and listen to it unfold around her.

Soon, into her view,  came people… of all different shapes and sizes…the homeless packing up from an overnight stay on the bosque… a city worker getting ready to begin his day, bicycle commuters and runners, walkers and those waiting to unload their 18 wheelers.  She greeted them all with a “Good morning!” and smiled at them in their  surprise!   Perhaps they thought this happy woman was a bit mad to be so happy this early in the morning.  Or perhaps they wondered what she was so happy about?  Well, what exactly was she so happy about anyway?

Well, it was nothing that money could buy.  It was just the joy of being surrounded by the beauty of this earth.  She was reminded of a moving Navajo prayer that goes like this from the Prayer, First morning:

…I will walk in places where every kind of plant is growing

I will walk in places where all sorts of flowers are blooming

I will walk among dew and pollen

Pollen and dew will touch my feet

They will reach my legs

By these the breeze will blow through my hair

By these the breeze will  penetrate my voice

By these the Breeze will touch my sight

By these the breeze will enter my head

By these the breeze will affect my travels

Happiness will come, behind me.

Happiness will come , before me

Happiness will come, under me

Happiness will come ,above me

Happiness will come all around me…..

All is happiness

All is happiness

All is happiness

All is happiness.

——————–

“Bye for Now” from The Two Whos