Open or closed?

Over the past few months as I've been focusing in on the role of intuition in our lives, I've become aware of a new sense of openness. I describe it as an expanding awareness of the world around me and the options around me. The more curiosity I have about what I will encounter next seems to lead to a more enjoyable and interesting experience of whatever that next event is. For example, tonight I walk into the Gelato shop (La Scala in Fountain Hills, it's amazing!) and ask the owner behind the counter how business has been this summer. She begins to tell me about her plan to develop and organic farm, starts pouring green oolong tea for me and shares her excitement about her future dreams of bringing organic produce and meat to her customers. All I did was walk into a store, ask a simple heartfelt question and I got to hear about another persons dreams and share her excitement...what a reward for so little effort.

On the drive home after gelato tonight, my 12 year old son commented that he was sure he would be bored tomorrow at the Cezanne exhibit lecture that we will be attending at the Phoenix Art Museum. He had already told me he was interested in going with me, because being an artist himself and being a frequent visitor to art museums he's always up for a trip to the art museum. But, the mention of a lecture took him instantly to thoughts of boredom. I asked him if he knew the difference in being open or closed? I told him that when you are open you are curious about what's coming next and keep open the possibility of learning something new from the experience, but that when you are closed you have already decided what your reaction to something is going to be and so not only do you close yourself off to learning, you also set yourself up for being bored. I asked him whether tomorrow he would prefer to learn something and be interested or whether he would prefer to be bored. He said of course he'd rather learn something and be interested. I suggested that the choice was his to make. Then I asked whether it was annoying having a psychologist as a mother and he said after 12 years the "lectures" were getting a little old! Later in the evening before bed when I asked him again whether or not he'd be open or closed tomorrow, he told me a story..."Well, it's like when you get that box in the mail with the tape down the center seam. You start to get it halfway open and you realize that it's not Christmas yet so you'd better wait. I'll probably be half open." I laughed and he said "Well, that's just reality, Mom, it happens." God bless him, he's so right...given the situation we can choose how open or closed we'd like to be...with awareness the choice is ours. It's wonderful having a child who's smarter than I am.

Open or closed, the choice is ours.

Be happy and well,
Sari Roth-Roemer