Tara Lemieux is a mindful wanderer, and faithful stargazer. Although she often appears to be listening with great care, rest assured she is most certainly‘forever lost in thought. She is an ardent explorer and lover of finding things previously undiscovered or at the very least mostly not-uncovered.

Author: Tara Lemieux

A Simple Map for Life.

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”― Steve Jobs

There’s no road map for life—nothing to help guide us to happy.

Living, real living, is more about love and adventure—and for that, sometimes you’ve just to wing it.

Follow your heart, and be good to yourself…fall in love, and make a big difference.

Take chances as you embark on life’s journey, and be mindful to offer forgiveness.

And when it is that you find your heart’s passion—follow it fearlessly to that happily ever after.

Good night, and good dreams…my most beautiful friends. And thank you for the gift of you being you.

When Facing Fear, Sometimes You’ve Just Got to Stay in The Room.

“A further sign of health is that we don’t become undone by fear and trembling, but we take it as a message that it’s time to stop struggling and look directly at what’s threatening us.” —Pema Chödrön, The Places that Scare You 

I remember my very first hot yoga class. I was in shape, and had not yet faced the physical limitations that would manifest over that next year—an intrusion that would forever reshape my context of life and of living.

In the months following, I would watch each day as bits and pieces of my own mobility crumbled and faded. And, try as I might to grasp firmly on—there was just no way to keep those pieces of me from slipping through.

Walking through a hallway alone, I found myself reaching with one hand to the wall—in a desperate hope to gain some stability.

It’s true, you know, what they say—you never quite know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Isn’t it ironic how the absence of presence can become so profound?

Fear is a funny thing, you know. Like rising waters, it will claim any space left open for filling. And in its wake, Fear leaves a panicked desperation—an emotional drowning determined to drag all of our hopes and dreams down with it.

For me, my greatest fear has always been the unknown.

And each time I felt Fear’s pace closing in—like a child, afraid of the dark, I squeezed my eyes tightly and hid….counting the moments, when the sunlight would break through the window again.

Fear is just like this—capturing us in the middle of our darkest nights, creating worries for things that may not ever exist. 

I let my fear keep me from those things that mattered most of all…those very things that made my life worth living.

I thought back to that very yoga class, where I sat in a puddle of my very own sweat…heaving and gasping to my nearly last breath. And my dearest teacher, noting my distress…leaned in and whispered something I shall never forget,

“Tara, my dear—breathe gently, and just simply stay in this room.”

Indeed, when facing life’s greatest challenges–sometimes all that we can do, is to simply ‘stay in the room.’

To be still, to sit with our fears—to accept, without the need for doing. In our stillness, we soften…and we learn to let go.

When facing fear, our instinct is always to do—but sometimes, the best thing is to simply ‘stay in that room.’

Namaste my most beautiful friends.

Let Me Be…Me.

“Dear God,” she prayed, “let me be something every minute of every hour of my life. Let me be gay; let me be sad. Let me be cold; let me be warm. Let me be hungry…have too much to eat. Let me be ragged or well dressed. Let me be sincere – be deceitful. Let me be truthful; let me be a liar. Let me be honorable and let me sin. Only let me be something every blessed minute. And when I sleep, let me dream all the time so that not one little piece of living is ever lost.”― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

To my most beautiful son, and as you take that first big step out into this world…

Pay attention to the moments, my dear – the littler ones are often the best.

And always keep those eyes set wide to open, even in times when you’d much rather tuck away.

Life can be difficult, my dear, I know…but I promise you, it’s often in some of our darkest moments…that life shares with us its greatest gift…

And, it’s ok to feel afraid and sad, at times – but know this, you are never alone…

Because, with each new step you take out into this world — a piece of me will always be coming along with you.

You are my light, my most beautiful son…and you shall always be the better part of me.

Because, you see…my gift…has always been you.

Now go out there, my love…live….and be something….every minute of every hour of your days…

I am so very proud of you…

Love, Mommy 

A Tale of Two Puppies.

“And the blind man said to the deaf man, “Do you see what I hear?” ― Wayne Gerard Trotman

Isn’t it amazing how very much our perspective influences our reality? 

With just a simple shift of ‘vision’ our world takes on an entirely new and most dazzling ‘hue.’

I am often reminded of this in those moments when I feel myself getting swept away into the churning sea of my own wandering thoughts.

Sometimes, we spend so much time focusing on that one single thought…the emotion of that moment…that we fail to see that all that is right there waiting so patiently to be seen.

This world comes alive in the most magnificent of ways, when our minds are still enough to finally breathe.

It’s only then that we finally realize, to the mind that is still this whole universe surrenders.

Namaste, and much, much love today.

China’s "Cancer Villages" – Pollution’s Devastation Coming to Light.

From Investigative Reporter, Deng Fei – A Mapping of China’s Worst Hit “Cancer Villages”

 “One hundred and fifty years ago, the monster began, this country had become a place of industry. Factories grew on the landscape like weeds. Trees fell, fields were up-ended, rivers blackened. The sky choked on smoke and ash, and the people did, too, spending their days coughing and itching, their eyes turned forever toward the ground. Villages grew into town, towns into cities. And people began to live on the earth rather than within it.”  ― Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls

I try always to be uplifting in my posts, but this story…compels me closer.

It’s a story about the impact of pollution on our environment, specifically, discussing the ‘cancer villages’ of China. And, it’s a story about living on the earth, rather than within it.

We are a disposable society. Everything we eat, drink, and even wear…at some point becomes our trash. Our homes, our cars…and even our work spaces – have so sadly become mechanisms for increasing this ‘world problem.’

We are leaving our dirty ‘footprints’ everywhere.  

And, it’s time to start doing a little something about it.

There are dozens of ways to make a small change in each day, and these smaller changes…in time…create a much greater impact.

Environmentalists have long campaigned for the Chinese government to recognize their role in these ‘cancer clusters’ – the results of poisons leaching into the soil, water, and air. But it wasn’t until 2009, when investigative journalist Deng Fei helped to bring this issue to the world view.

And he did it by simply creating a Google map of those areas hardest hit.

This single image has garnered world-wide attention, and a call to action for the Chinese Government to respond to its citizens. And today, the Chinese government finally has admitted to this problem. 

The admission came by way of a report by China’s Environment ministry, which stated,

“In recent years, toxic and hazardous chemical pollution has caused many environmental disasters, cutting off drinking water supplies, and even leading to severe health and social problems such as ‘cancer villages'”

Journalist, Deng Fei had this to say;

“China is suffering from the negative impact of improper economic growth patterns. And the country will continue to pay the price for heavy pollutants in the future.”

And though, China may seem such a world away – we are still living and sharing in this one single environment. 

A Dream of Possibility.

“All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.” T.E. Lawrence

Every child has dreams. Even at the youngest age we are prompted by our school teachers to answer that first life’s question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

And when Dergin Tokmak answered, “I want to be a dancer,” well – it wasn’t quite met with the same level of unconditional encouragement and support.

You see, Dergin was not like all the other children. At just one year old, Dergin contracted polio – leaving him partially paralyzed from the waist down. And even though, everyone argued about the feasibility of his little boy dreams – each day, Dergin continued to follow his very own heart.

And today?

Dergin is a featured ‘dancer’ with the Internationally acclaimed Cirque Du Soleil show “VAREKAI” – proof positive, that when we follow our hearts, anything is possible.


This is a story about a boy who challenged and defied his own physical limitations to pursue his dreams of becoming a dancer.

And this, is Dergin Tokmak.

A Little Something Worth Clarifying.

“Everybody’s got the potential for great good and great wrong in them, but it’s the choices we make that define who we really are.” ― Charles de Lint

 
I wrote and article just recently on elephant journal – one that highlighted Nipun Mehta’s most wonderful commencement speech and his response to the Time Magazine article “Me, Me, Me” generation. 

You can read the article right here.

As I have been facing a bit of criticism for my views, I wanted to address these here. First and foremost, I believe in each child’s potential – I *see* potential in every single face that greets me. 

I see potential and hope in each day. 

That doesn’t mean that I am blind to this worlds woes, rather it means—I choose to face them in a uniquely different way. I am this way, in part because of my experiences—which have most carefully, and humbly taught me the lesson of true compassion. And likewise, because…in seeing hope and potential…I am also able to see that there is always another way. 

As well, I mentioned in my article that my son would be changing out his kid clothes for that of a military uniform. Why did I include this statement as well as the other examples? Because, I wanted to show that in addition to data…there is always context. This article failed (in my opinion) to show the full context of our children. 

Don’t simply state the your statistics regarding the prevalence of social media—unless you are also willing to share statistics on compassion. 

I am so very proud of my son—and it truly breaks my heart to see any comments that would diminish the brilliance and selflessness of his own heart. 

Also, I do believe very strongly—that you most certainly can be a soldier and still have the capacity to bring this world closer to peace and compassion. I, for one, am that example.

I hope that my words help to shed a little more light on my last article—and if it offended *any* of you, I do offer my most sincere apologies. 

But, I won’t ever change my opinion—as I will always see this world’s potential. 

Because, this is my choice, until my last dying day…

On Memorial Day.

This is reprinted from an article written by American humorist, and long time 60 Minutes commentator, Andy Rooney.

This brought tears to my eyes, because…well, most of you will just never know. 

“A Memorial Day Worth Remembering.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, the day we have set aside to honor by remembering all the Americans who have died fighting for the thing we like the most about our America: the freedom we have to live as we please.

No official day to remember is adequate for something like that. It’s too formal. It gets to be just another day on the calendar. No one would know from Memorial Day that Richie M., who was shot through the forehead coming onto Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, wore different color socks on each foot because he thought it brought him good luck.

No one would remember on Memorial Day that Eddie G. had promised to marry Julie W. the day after he got home from the war, but didn’t marry Julie because he never came home from the war. Eddie was shot dead on an un-American desert island, Iwo Jima.

For too many Americans, Memorial Day has become just another day off. There’s only so much time any of us can spend remembering those we loved who have died, but the men, boys really, who died in our wars deserve at least a few moments of reflection during which we consider what they did for us.

They died.

We use the phrase “gave their lives,” but they didn’t give their lives. Their lives were taken from them.

There is more bravery at war than in peace, and it seems wrong that we have so often saved this virtue to use for our least noble activity – war. The goal of war is to cause death to other people.

Because I was in the Army during World War II, I have more to remember on Memorial Day than most of you. I had good friends who were killed.

Charley Wood wrote poetry in high school. He was killed when his Piper Cub was shot down while he was flying as a spotter for the artillery.

Bob O’Connor went down in flames in his B-17.

Obie Slingerland and I were best friends and co-captains of our high school football team. Obie was killed on the deck of the Saratoga when a bomb that hadn’t dropped exploded as he landed.

I won’t think of them anymore tomorrow, Memorial Day, than I think of them any other day of my life.

Remembering doesn’t do the remembered any good, of course. It’s for ourselves, the living. I wish we could dedicate Memorial Day, not to the memory of those who have died at war, but to the idea of saving the lives of the young people who are going to die in the future if we don’t find some new way – some new religion maybe – that takes war out of our lives.

That would be a Memorial Day worth celebrating.

Written By Andy Rooney Copyright 2010 CBS. All rights reserved.”

Too Beautiful Not to Share: Shared Words, Shared Worlds.

 “I don’t want to live in the kind of world where we don’t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand. I cant change the way anybody else thinks, or what they choose to do, but I can do my bit.” ― Charles de Lint 

Some many years ago, while waiting for her flight, then delayed, in an airport in Albuquerque, New Mexico–Arab-American poet, Naomi Shihab Nye found herself in a most unexpected circumstance of distress and misunderstanding.

For you see, an elderly woman – wearing the traditional Palestinian dress – was wailing against the cold airport floor, inconsolable and unable to be reached.

She was called there by an airport announcement, “If anyone here understands Arabic…”

And thus began her journey into kindness.

Not everything is always as it seems. There is a human heart shining beneath the veil. If only we just take that one moment to believe and to see.

Naomi was so moved by her experience, that she did what most writers do – she took out her pen, and created.

And now, this lovely poem has circled the globe many time over and again – and is a reminder that this…my dears, is a shared world, indeed.

Shared Words, Shared Worlds

–by Naomi Shihab Nye, May 03, 2013
 
After learning my flight was detained 4 hours,

I heard the announcement:
If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic,
Please come to the gate immediately.

Well—one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there.
An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress,
Just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly.
Help, said the flight service person. Talk to her. What is her
Problem? we told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she
Did this.

I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly.
Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick,
Sho bit se-wee?

The minute she heard any words she knew—however poorly used—
She stopped crying.

She thought our flight had been canceled entirely.
She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the
Following day. I said no, no, we’re fine, you’ll get there, just late,

Who is picking you up? Let’s call him and tell him.
We called her son and I spoke with him in English.
I told him I would stay with his mother till we got on the plane and
Would ride next to her—Southwest.

She talked to him. Then we called her other sons just for the fun of it.

Then we called my dad and he and she spoke for a while in Arabic and
Found out of course they had ten shared friends.

Then I thought just for the heck of it why not call some Palestinian
Poets I know and let them chat with her. This all took up about 2 hours.

She was laughing a lot by then. Telling about her life. Answering
Questions.

She had pulled a sack of homemade mamool cookies—little powdered
Sugar crumbly mounds stuffed with dates and nuts—out of her bag—
And was offering them to all the women at the gate.

To my amazement, not a single woman declined one. It was like a
Sacrament. The traveler from Argentina, the traveler from California,
The lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same
Powdered sugar. And smiling. There are no better cookies.

And then the airline broke out the free beverages from huge coolers—
Non-alcoholic—and the two little girls for our flight, one African
American, one Mexican American—ran around serving us all apple juice
And lemonade and they were covered with powdered sugar too.

And I noticed my new best friend—by now we were holding hands—
Had a potted plant poking out of her bag, some medicinal thing,

With green furry leaves. Such an old country traveling tradition. Always
Carry a plant. Always stay rooted to somewhere.

And I looked around that gate of late and weary ones and thought,
This is the world I want to live in. The shared world.

Not a single person in this gate—once the crying of confusion stopped
—has seemed apprehensive about any other person.

They took the cookies. I wanted to hug all those other women too.
This can still happen anywhere.

Not everything is lost.”