We All Benefit from a little Practical Magic!

October is my favorite month. I love the crisp autumn air, the smell of cider donuts and apples, and the mystical way Halloween makes me feel. This is the time of year I pop "Practical Magic" into the DVD player and kick back with a few of those mini candy bars that I should be giving out to trick or treaters instead.

"Practical Magic" contains my favorite song, "This Kiss" by Faith Hill. Romance isn't the easiest for the Owens sisters. And may not be the easiest for some of us - but never stop hoping. There's something magical about making a True Love Spell and wishing for the person of your dreams to come your way, or to at least add some spark and spice to your current romance.

Women feel empowered by this movie. I love the scene when all the ladies get together to help free-spirited Gillian (Nicole Kidman) get rid of her abusive zombie boyfriend. We can always use a group of pals to help us "clean house" and sweep away life's pain. Sometimes they may be just aquaintances who will later blossom into good friends. Gal power reigns supreme in this flick, even when it depicts how catty us women can sometimes be to one another. Who wants to befriend a witch with a past? I've learned to take those sort of chances - it makes life much more interesting!

And let us not forget the value of midnight margaritas! We all should be dancing around our house in the middle of the night, margarita in hand, just like the Owens family. Although my husband might think I've lost my mind, this might be just the thing to jump start our energy and get us thinking creatively. Live alone? Have a sleepover with this goal in mind. These are the moments we laugh about and remember - where we share, bond, and forge friendships that weather nor' easters and more!

One of my favorite friendship memories is heading to Foxwoods late at night with my cousin and two dear friends many years ago. We played the slots for a bit then headed home into so much fog that we couldn't see to drive. We had to pull off the road and wait in the car in the parking lot of what appeared to be an old mental hospital. Yes - a little too much like the movie "Halloween"! We chatted in the car for a few hours, laughing and sharing until the fog lifted. Although it was a bit scary, I really didn't want the night to end. Times like these make you feel alive - taking chances and doing something a bit crazy - not to mention the terrific company!

Here's hoping your fall will be full of unexpected surprises, midnight margaritas and other crazy times with good friends, and just a touch of magic!

Leaping into Faith!

My Fall Wellness Series, "Faith, Hope, and Charity" kicked off last Wednesday evening with a presentation about Faith at the Peabody Institute Library in Danvers. With a crowd of just under 20 people, we tossed around the different meanings of faith - from one's religion to a belief in a supernatural power that controls human destiny to believing in ourself and others. Fitting for spiritful October, we thought about what happens when we die as suggested by various psychics including James van Praagh and John Holland. We laughed at how what psychics say and fortunes in fortune cookies often have more meaning than what our family or friends say to us. It must be that supernatural force behind them, right?!

Next, I shared a photo I took from a concentration camp in Poland depicting two sets of railroad tracks (one that led to being a prisoner and one that led to the gas chamber). I keep it on my desk as a reminder that although we should consider the road less travelled as Robert Frost suggests, sometimes we don't have a choice (deemed choiceless choices by Sonia Weitz, Holocaust survivor who lived in Peabody, MA). Choiceless choices and other difficult times often lead us to embrace religion and believe in the Divine or God. The value of community from your local church or some other type of group can never been overstated. Friends that will help you through life's toughest moments as well as its sweeter ones are extremely important.

While some of us believe that much in life is meant to be, we agreed that not everything is. People make mistakes -- it is what we do with what we are dealt that really matters. Although some good can come from bad (such as young Adam Walsh's death leading to his father helping catch numerous criminals on "America's Most Wanted" and the Adam Walsh Act about sex offenders put into law in 2006), it doesn't make us feel much better about the initial loss. Sometimes we may never know why things happen. Sometimes our woes can affect someone else's life and destine that person to a new calling.

A favorite quote shared by Teilhard de Chardin was "You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience." Being human is far from perfect. Thinking of ourselves as tiny spiritual beings floating on a cloud sprinkling happy thoughts to one another is much better than feeling human and powerless at times. When we think this way, chores like grocery shopping, cleaning up, making dinner, tasks at work, getting homework done - which often consume our daily life - become less of our focus. The meaning of life is what we decide to make of it and how we choose to live it. Laughter, cuddling your pet, looking into your lover's eyes - these small moments should make up your bigger picture.

Lastly, we reminded one another to let go of beliefs that don't help you and embrace new ones, including being part of a community where you feel empowered. Faith may make all things possible but LOVE makes it easier. Seek out those who help rekindle your flame and inspire others in return. Volunteer! Laugh at mistakes and missteps along your journey instead of getting caught up in them. Laugh a lot. Think about what faith means to you, and if you don't know, take some time to figure it out. You will probably feel happier as a result. And who can't use a little happiness?!

The evening ended with everyone picking a random fortune about their future from a special basket. (And I think those made more of an impression than our entire discussion! Guess I can't compete with the supernatural! Glad you all liked them!) Special thanks to Donna Maturi and the library staff for hosting me!

Hope you will join me for "Hope," the next segment in the series, on Monday, November 15th at 6:30pm at the Flint Public Library (Route 114) in Middleton. We'll talk about wishes, how to get through life's difficult moments, laugh as much as we can, and end by creating our own "wish list" to take home (generously provided by Jenna Amara from Mums Art Studio in Tewksbury). You don't want to miss this one!!