Five Questions...

yesterday, today and tomorrow

Gracious Graciel of Evenstar Art sent five lovely questions, designed 'specially for me to answer... Five quite straightforward questions, which I nevertheless found fairly difficult to respond to because I was determined to give no more than one answer per question and, as we know, that's so hard for me to do {*wink*}.

However, here they are... One question, one answer. Unless otherwise requested.

1. You have just come into a substantial amount of money and wish to return a portion to the Universe as a thank you. Which worthy cause would you donate to and why?

This one. I grew up in one of the best land-based whale watching spots on the planet. And have also on more than one occasion enjoyed the privilege of swimming with dolphins in the wild. These remain some of the most special and profound encounters of my life. They are just so beautiful and graceful and perfectly evolved for their lives in the ocean and I feel so strongly that our planet would be diminished without them. It breaks my heart that we are wantonly destroying them and their habitats. I can't do much. But I wholeheartedly support the efforts of those who fight their corner.

2. Quite obviously, you have a Goddess soul. What is your special niche power and how do you offer it to the world?

Hmmm... not entirely sure about this. I think my special power is being able to see and reflect others. Especially their as yet unlocked potential. I hope I offer it through the facilitation work I do and certainly little gives me more pleasure and satisfaction than the moment when someone finds it in themselves and I see the light come on in their eyes. It's a privilege to witness that.

3. If you were a flower, what kind and color would you be? why?

Oh this was a tough one. I love flowers and there are many I'd like to find myself in. I considered gardenias, wisteria, jasmine, frangipani... all flowers I love. Simplicity, fragrance and the fact that the flowers bloom prolifically but briefly is what they have in common I see now. But I finally settled on the yesterday, today and tomorrow. Also known as morning-noon-night and kiss-me-quick, this shrub blooms long and generously and flowers start off a deep rich purple, lighten to a softer lilac, and end up almost pure white. All three colours appear on the plant at the same time and I love that about it. It also smells divine. Why this one? Well, I like that it's evergreen, the flowers are simple and change throughout their lifetime and each version is beautiful in its own way. It's a plant that epitomises joyful abundance to me but can pass unnoticed unless someone detects the fragrance and pauses to look more closely. It's actually related to the deadly nightshade and taken in small doses acts as an expansive hallucinogenic (apparently!) and can be poisonous in large doses (which I hope is not like me but it might be, because I can be quite intense and some find that a bit uncomfortable). I also love the past, present and future aspect, which make it what it uniquely is in a "whole is more than the sum of the parts" way. My past, present and future are integral to who I am too, and there is nothing in them that others might not have experienced but it's the particular combination that is uniquely mine, and me.

4. Is there anything in your life you wish you could have done differently?

Truly, no. See the answer above. I am who I am because of my choices and what I've experienced - good, bad and indifferent. Joys, yes. Hurts, yes. Mistakes, aplenty. Regrets, no. I wish perhaps that I'd acknowledged my creativity earlier in my life and acquired some skills that I could use now to live a fully creative life (I was a swot, never studied art of any kind, even informally, until I was in my thirties) because it's harder for me to do that now. But my life is not over and I love that I am exploring and learning, and uncovering a whole new aspect of myself.

5. Name 3 things you MUST do (that you have not done yet) before your life is over.

I honestly couldn't think of anything I feel I MUST still do to be completely fulfilled. There are however many, many, many things I would still LOVE to do. These are three on my current list:

• Attend a creative retreat in the States - I've been thinking about this for a while and am hoping to make it a reality in the next year or so. A visit to North America and Canada to see loved ones is long overdue and I'd like to combine these. I believe a retreat like this will give me the opportunity to connect with kindred spirits (some of whom I might already have "intermet" and count as friends) and also properly unlock the creative in me in a safe but expansive space. And what fun!

• Write a book - don't really have a clue what it will be yet but I feel I have one in me somewhere.

• Fall giddily, wholeheartedly and joyfully in love with someone who truly sees me and loves me in return - for who I am, not despite who I am. I'm not sure I've gathered the courage for this yet but it's on the list now, which is progress.

Thank you Graciel! I enjoyed playing along and answering your thought-provoking and fun questions. Read Graciel's own lovely answers here.

[Purple beauty from Flickr]