It’s been a week of change in my life, as well as for the lives of others, of course. The good news is that we have added a new member to the family, a young lady cat we got from the pound, whom we’ve named “Eve.” (My husband and I have a thing about palindromes, which indicates our level of geekdom nicely.) She’s getting used to the changes in her life, as is our cat Man Ray, who is 12 and is getting grouchy and habituated in his advancing years. He doesn’t like change! But little Evie is adjusting quite well, embracing new things, people and places with a lot of verve and affection. Welcome, Eve…you’ve really joined a house full of characters now!

The bad news is that a very close family member got the excruciating news that he seems to have a very serious, life-threatening illness. The family is waiting to hear from the doctors what the actual diagnosis and prognosis is, but clearly everyone is very upset about it. We are all struggling with the inevitability of “no solid ground” phenomena in our lives. And of course, there’s that ever-present struggle with attachment and aversion. Attachment to the person, aversion to suffering, and all the mental and philosophical arguments we’re having in our heads and in our hearts.

I sure appreciate being given the opportunity to practice what I preach! Blah…how can I communicate to you my sarcasm in that last statement! But seriously, it is an opportunity—many opportunities, really. This is a chance for everyone in the family, including myself, to let our hearts soften and let love and compassion flow. This is a chance to turn the other cheek, when “life” doesn’t give us what we want. This is a chance for us to all face up to a new reality…one we didn’t want, but one we’re going to experience sooner or later.

The night before I got the news about my family member, I had a dream. I dreamed that I was talking to him “on the other side.” He was showing me a machine, somewhat like an old Victrola, with a kind of mechanical box at the base and a large, horn-like funnel protruding from it. Emitting from the horn was a kind of targeted, focused energy, like a large, white column of moving energy resembling television static. It had a unique sound, and a very beautiful one. My family member was excitedly pointing to it and saying “Listen! This is the sight and the sound of the collective consciousness! See what focused, collective mind energy looks like when it’s specifically directed!” He was so excited about being there, and being able to uncover so many mysteries of the Earth-life system.

We’ve all got one heck of a journey ahead of us, with everyone’s life changing. Change is constant. The more we try to accept this and be OK with it, the less damage we will do to ourselves and others. How our lives change, whether it be for better or for worse, is up to us. I hope I can meet this challenge, and I hope the same for anyone undergoing change that shakes us to the core.