Today I Got Ganesh

Waaaay back in December a colleague that I mentor informed me he would be traveling back to India to visit family for a little more than a month, an annual tradition for he and his wife. I would miss our regular conversations, but I wished him safe travels.  Then he gave me cause for pause.  He offered to bring me something back from India.  Anything I wanted he offers and my mind immediately goes blank. 

I was reminded of a story about my son.  One of his preschool teachers became quite fond of him and he got to go to her house for visits periodically.  She and her husband were rather well off and on one occasion she asked if I minded if she bought him a gift and would I be uncomfortable if it were expensive.  I have no such reservations, if she wanted to spoil my son, have at it.  They have a special relationship and I know she was trying to demonstrate that.  That night when I picked him up, she said that she had taken him to the toy store and told him to select anything he'd like. They left with a $3 toy. It was too much for his 4 year old brain to process. Anything???

So when my friend offered me "anything" from India, I felt like my four year old son in the toy store. But I took a few minutes and thought it over then sent on my request. I went on my merry way and he his, both traveling the path of life that brought us to this day.

Today, I received his gift.  It is beautiful.  I had requested a figure of Ganesh of some sort. I was no more specific than that, only requesting a token of the Hindu God of Luck, Success, remover (or placer) of obstacles, remover of evils.  With a list of qualities like that I figured I couldn't go wrong.  What surprised me was the connection I felt as I gazed upon the many limbed figure with his elephant head perched on the back of the mighty mouse. I hugged the sculpture to my chest, took a deep breath and asked for blessings, almost as an automatic response.

During our following session, my eyes kept straying to the object.  I wanted to carry it around with like a security blanket the rest of the day.  My own guardian angel sculpture. As I left my office tonight, I was torn: leave it there, bring it home? And I realized, I don't need to have the sculpture with me to maintain the connection to the feeling. It wasn't the sculpture that enabled the connection. My desire to be connected, enabled the connection and I have that no matter where I go.

Oh, the realities this opens for me.  I have been asking for some direction from the Universe lately as to what comes next.  I am reminded that it isn't the physical that holds me the tightest, it is the spiritual.  That is the connection I carry with me everywhere. That is the power I need to live my life. And that is not bounded by physical limits. That was what I think my son instinctively knew about his relationship with his teacher.  It wasn't the gift he wanted, it was the time with her.

So I received more than a statue of Ganesh today, I received the gift of awareness. Thank you for removing the obstacle blocking me from that. 

And you?  Do you think there are obstacles blocking you from something? Just ask for removal.  Are you limiting yourself in the physical, missing the spiritual connection with the universe, the people around you? Ask for the limitation to be removed, connect with the flow.

Many journeys lie ahead...live your adventure!