Being a Loving Operative

A friend and I were trying to schedule a visit last week, when she said, "I don't want this to feel like work for you, I know how many people you see." Chris's comments got me thinking.

Do I feel burdened or tired out by being with others?

No! In fact, at 57 years of age, I only do what I want these days. When I say "YES!" to you, it is because I mean it. So, this month, I am having fun helping my friend Dave plant his giant garden (he talked of 2500 lettuce plants, I think we will settle for 500) teaching Jack and Doe yoga in their yard, beside their gorgeous azaleas and advising Sam Young on his upcoming gubernatorial campaign.

Today, I hosted a Day of Refreshment for Women, where participants discussed such issues as how to discern the next step in our life, how to know when we are serving out of compassion vs. compulsion and how to be brave enough to be vulnerable.

Monday, a wonderful woman came for the day, for massage and lunch. Tuesday, I gave another massage, and received this message from 'the body': "That was just what I needed, thank you. Feel much lighter and glad in my body today, got up before everyone, took a tub and stretched, also wrote in my journal for the first time in a long time. Thank you, B! Was good to hear about India, and you. I am glad you are back in the neighborhood."

How can I possibly consider any of this work? I am having such fun.
Last month, when I was briefly in London's Heathrow Airport between flights, I saw a man sweeping the terminal with a big plastic sign taped on his back. "CLEANING OPERATIVE" is what it said.

I'm pretty sure he was what we refer to in the US as a custodian or janitor, sometimes called a "sanitation engineer." I wondered if he liked being referred to as a CLEANING OPERATIVE?

Following his lead, I guess you could call me a "LOVING OPERATIVE."