Friday, September 11, 2009
dear ones -
we are all part of the great river and flowering mountain. years ago when i met Ver Enriquez, NVM, and all the folks in the Bay Area who were drawn to the indigenous discourse, a seed was planted. slowly, as it was watered by friendship, reflection, analysis, ritual, email and listserve dialogues, conferences, publishing, speaking engagements, this seed began to grow in all of us.
now this seed is a full grown tree and its fruit a sweet nectar for our souls and our communities. for many years we whispered in each other's ear that we are looking for a healing community...that what we need is for all of us to truly come to know the meaning of Kapwa, Loob, Pakikiramdam -- all these Filipino values that make us beautiful creatures. none of this happens without community, without connectedness to each other's spirit.
our tears, our laughter, our sighs, our desires have been heard by our ancestors. for so long they must have waited for us to open this door to let them return from the other world so that they may bless us and help us fulfill our responsibilities in this life. when my paternal grandmother started visiting me as i began this work, she gave me the strength and courage. now i think of my maternal grandmother - the one i didn't get to know and, i sense, the one who is in need of healing. this ongoing work is dedicated to her.
we have to heal our ancestors as part of this work. think of the babaylans who were murdered, betrayed, fed to crocodiles -- all because their power became a threat to the new religion. the healing of history requires that we meditate on this. as history is written in our bodies, so must this history be reclaimed, rewritten and restored to its indigenous beauty and sacredness.
thank you for allowing me to share my heart today. love to you.
Leny
we are all part of the great river and flowering mountain. years ago when i met Ver Enriquez, NVM, and all the folks in the Bay Area who were drawn to the indigenous discourse, a seed was planted. slowly, as it was watered by friendship, reflection, analysis, ritual, email and listserve dialogues, conferences, publishing, speaking engagements, this seed began to grow in all of us.
now this seed is a full grown tree and its fruit a sweet nectar for our souls and our communities. for many years we whispered in each other's ear that we are looking for a healing community...that what we need is for all of us to truly come to know the meaning of Kapwa, Loob, Pakikiramdam -- all these Filipino values that make us beautiful creatures. none of this happens without community, without connectedness to each other's spirit.
our tears, our laughter, our sighs, our desires have been heard by our ancestors. for so long they must have waited for us to open this door to let them return from the other world so that they may bless us and help us fulfill our responsibilities in this life. when my paternal grandmother started visiting me as i began this work, she gave me the strength and courage. now i think of my maternal grandmother - the one i didn't get to know and, i sense, the one who is in need of healing. this ongoing work is dedicated to her.
we have to heal our ancestors as part of this work. think of the babaylans who were murdered, betrayed, fed to crocodiles -- all because their power became a threat to the new religion. the healing of history requires that we meditate on this. as history is written in our bodies, so must this history be reclaimed, rewritten and restored to its indigenous beauty and sacredness.
thank you for allowing me to share my heart today. love to you.
Leny
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