Open Letter to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

In honor of today marking the first eleven years of travel through life with the companionship of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., I am sharing this letter that was penned four days ago and read during my acceptance of induction into the Hall of Fame of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. - Kappa Iota Zeta Chapter.  Happy Zeta-versary Six S.O.L.E. Survivors of Psi (CAU, Spring 2002)!

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Last night (and all throughout my slumber), I heard rather clearly the request to write Zeta a letter from The Cocoon today – and read it at Hall of Fame tonight; so, what follows here is part one of my obedience. Love willing, part two will be obliged at Hall of Fame tonight.

Dearest Zeta —

Great Hall of Fame morning! As I sit at my desk to honor your request for a letter, my self-reflection won't allow me to let another moment pass without simply saying THANK YOU! Singer / Songwriter Natalie Stewart declares in her song "Need You" the following:

Even when I need you

Even if you cannot come when I call you

It simply means that I can handle it without you

But I know when next I see you

It'll be just when I need you

Zeta, this is the story of our life together. At Clark Atlanta University, in the fall of 2001, I FELT like I needed you; so, I called YOU, but to my initial disappointment and dismay, you didn't come. With a fervent heart, I prayed for you daily. If only I had known then what I know now, I would have grasped the concept that you DIDN'T come, because you COULDN'T come, because I really DIDN'T NEED you. My revelatory sign SHOULD have been the fact that I called YOU! Little did I know that a few more months down the road, I WOULD see you (in the spring of 2002), and that would be JUST when I needed you. How do I know? Because this time, YOU called me! And as your hymn dictates, when YOU call, I'll answer — not the other way around.

I didn't see it then, but YOU called ME just as I was entering my decade of wilderness experiences, EXACTLY when you knew that I would need you. Not only did you call me, but you met me there, at my wilderness threshold, with a healing and nurturing throng of very FINE women (each at their respective points of growth) who too know you well enough to recognize your voice. You saw where my footsteps were traveling, deciphered the necessity of your presence, and YOU called ME with my oldest sister Candice by your side. Along the way, you called me to stand with you as you called my sister Natalie and my mama too. Even when I thought I had lost my way, you kept me occupied in positivity (and did your business ever keep my occupied) and you continued to shine your light upon my path. Thank you for calling me and helping me trust that you will continue to be there just when I need you.

Nearly 11 years later, as I greet you in this morning's rain, on the other side of my wilderness, I'm grateful to still hear your voice. So Zeta, I honor your call; and, I honor the challenge before me to take my new place among the Elders (in life, in labor, in leisure, ...in YOU). If rain aids in the growth of new life, then I welcome it as majestic confirmation that the destiny of THIS transitional day IS blessed. Zeta, let us TOGETHER recognize that (just as the entities around us that we call nature) the skies are granting us permission to keep growing and be elevated by extending ourselves in loving service to all, whether our presence is recognized or not. WE have life-giving and life-sustaining energy, and this morning's rain reminds us that moment by moment, drop by drop, we are jolted by liveliness into a renewed, precious, and fragile state that is strengthened by our collective existence. I just give thanks that of all of the masses and thirsty places among us, the heavens saw fit to love on US and let the rain meet US where WE are.

Today, with my listening ears (those seen and unseen), I've heard your latest call; and, here I stand (Courageously Authentic, by Choice) willing to answer it and receive tonight's induction with humility. I delight in giving thanks for YOU and for this moment. Fore THIS ... IS ... B.i.G.! I love you now, and I welcome our new experiences on the THIS side of wilderness!

Sincerely,

–me!

From My Cocoon, 03/23/13, 1:20:11 PM

December 24, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Metamorphosis awaits; embrace the cocoon. En♥, -me!

Some of us desire growth, change, and transfiguration of our physical lives and spiritual selves but are unwilling to step into the envelope of alteration. Metamorphosis is unattainable without passage through the cocoon. In this capsule of change, our attentions are directed within, where we come to understand that we are fully equipped with the resources to awaken to the fresh breath of a transformed life and perspective. The truth and beauty is in recognizing that life consistently affords us with metamorphic opportunities, but we must first be willing to undergo the cocoon experience.

"Experience the strength and new beginnings being revealed within you." –Nancy L. Butler-Ross and Michael Suib, Meditation Express

From My Cocoon, 12/23/12, 12:36:47 PM
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December 19, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Part of my growth includes honoring where I've grown from. En♥, -me!

It is impossible to know and remember who we are without remembering where we came from. Whether we regard the physical space, community, and experiences of our beginnings as refreshing or tainted, there is no denying that we would not be who / where we are now if we had not passed that way. At the very least, going "home" is a gentle exercise in gratefulness and groundedness; and, it is vital to our growth. The truth and beauty is in understanding that if we fail to acknowledge our beginnings with humility, respect, and love, then (just as the rocking horse) we are in a perpetual state of movement, not progression.

"A forest that has sheltered you, you should not call a patch of scrub." – Oji Proverb

From My Cocoon, 12/18/12, 10:21:36 AM
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December 15, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Taste the sweet nectar of life uncommon. En♥, -me!

"Lend your voices only to sounds of freedom.
No longer lend your strength to that which you wish to be free from.
Fill your lives with love and bravery,
And you shall lead a life uncommon."

– Jewel, Life Uncommon

The truth and beauty is in comprehending that it can be just that simple! Many of us expend our energy and strength on things that entangle and enslave our own selves. Unfortunately, it's the common thing to do. But what if we...just...let...go? The uncommon life is lived in courage, the courage to be enveloped in love and boldly free ourselves from those things we no longer wish to be bound to or by. Daring to live a life uncommon is filled with an abundance of nourishing sweetness that eases and satisfies. Let's stick our tongues out and taste it now.

From My Cocoon, 12/14/12, 10:00:19 AM 
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December 11, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: All can illuminate brighter by fearlessly sharing the inextinguishable light. En♥, -me!

There is a candle of inconsumable flame. Its light permeates the soul and serves as a beacon of truth for our journey. And we all have it. The truth and beauty comes in believing that we are all the source of this limitless light; we are all one with this limitless light; and by choosing to unify our limitless light, we can all be more luminous. Contrary to popular belief, we need not fear the darkness as a result of sharing our light. The abundance of light is inexhaustible.

"If this little light of mine combined with yours today, how many watts could we illuminate? How many villages could save?" – Jason Mraz, The Sunshine Song

From My Cocoon, 12/10/12, 9:41:49 AM
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December 10, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Stay here. Be baptized in the present. En♥, -me!

Whether through aspersion, affusion, immersion, or submersion, the Christian tradition recognizes baptism as a sacred experience of initiation. In a ceremonious manner, water is applied to the physical body (in part or whole) and an individual is considered washed, renewed, welcomed, and sometimes given a new name. What if we looked at life as a continual state of new moments and consciously decided to be metaphysically cleansed in each one? What if we truly recognized that each moment affords us a new opportunity to rid ourselves of past hallucinations and future delusions and just stay in the here and now? The truth and beauty is in knowing that when we choose to focus on nothing but the peace of the present, we are perpetually engaged in a ritual of purgation.

"Each moment...is a new place you've never been." – Unknown

From My Cocoon, 12/09/12, 7:05:35 PM
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December 8, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: There's no room for baggage on the soul train. En♥, -me!

Throughout the years, there have been many musical references to trains as a symbolic expression of mass movement and rapid transition to a new state of awareness. The gospel traditions of the deep south spiritual, "The Gospel Train," welcomed everyone to "Get on board little children. There's room for many-a-more." In 1965, Curtis Mayfield wrote "People Get Ready" and sang of social awareness with the Impressions, "People get ready. There's a train a comin'. You don't need no baggage. You just get on board." Atlanta supergroup, Dungeon Family, released a 2001 hit of self-confidence and conviction,"Trans DF Express," that urges others to "Grab your ticket. Come get wit it." That train we keep hearing so much about is a metaphorical express transport of souls. It's a vehicle that all are welcomed to hitch a ride on and move to a new, elevated, loving and peaceful station of consciousness. The truth and beauty is in honoring the sanctity of the transit and recognizing that in order to maximize compartmental space and maintain that room for many-a-more, it is imperative that we all let go and drop our bags before boarding. Besides, we won't want any weight once experiencing the freedom of where this train is going any way. The ancestors have already assured us that "This train is bound for glory."

"...and as always in parting, we wish you love, peace, and soul!" – Donald "Don" Cornelius, Soul Train Creator and Host

From My Cocoon, 12/07/12, 1:01:20 PM
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December 7, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Crying is letting go of tears. En♥, -me!

Many of us encounter a mind manufactured "YIELD", "STOP", "DETOUR", or even "DEAD END" sign immediately after we pass the "CAUTION: CRYING AHEAD" sign along life's highways and by-ways. It is so customary to even go so far as to whisper and plead internally, while the tear ducts are filling to maximum capacity, "Don't cry. please don't cry." Whether the tears are classified as happy or sad, we often times greet them with hesitancy and aversion. It could be self-consciousness over vulnerability. It could be embarrassment. It could be undesired perception of weakness. It could be fatigue. It could be stubbornness. It could be intimidation. It could be just be a timing. Ultimately, it's fear. The truth and beauty comes in recognizing and releasing the self-imposed tension of fear and...just...crying. Crying is therapeutic. If for nothing else, consider that the body is a self-sustaining organism. Crying is an integral process that is directly connected to the body's drainage system. Tears are a saline lubricant necessary to facilitating the fluidity and seamless motion of your body parts. Crying is healing. No matter who, what, where, when, why, or how, when the tears come, go on; cry. Follow the sign that says, "Keep Going This Way."

"Crying doesn't indicate that you are weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you are alive." – Unknown

From My Cocoon, 12/06/12, 11:12:29 AM
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December 5, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Some are invited, but all are welcomed. En♥, -me!

Just as "the doors of the church are always open" but a personal invitation may be extended for some to join in the fellowship and unity of a religious experience, the same is true of life. Everyone that showed up to the gathering may not have been invited, but why can't their arrival be welcomed with all of the love, positivity, joy, and hopefulness that our hearts can stand? The truth and beauty comes in practicing the application of this principle to the vicissitudes of our daily lives. Perhaps you feel like you didn't specifically extend an open hand to that illness, that financial instability, that person who's very presence makes your blood pressure rise, that traffic violation, etc. The instinctive reaction may be stress and frustration, but there is more peace in choosing to extend an open heart to that uninvited guest. In turn, they / it may not linger as long as you expected; their / it's presence may cease to be a nuisance.

"Attitude makes all the difference." – Carol Henley, Fellow Summer 2003 ETSU Intern

From My Cocoon, 12/04/12, 10:17:13 AM
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November 29, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: All are equal. None are same. En♥, -me!

Just as one dollar, four quarters, ten dimes, twenty nickels, and one hundred pennies are equal in value but cannot be substituted for each other when undertaking certain tasks, so are the various beings of (and beyond) this whirling ball in space. The truth and beauty comes in recognizing that while the construct of our being may spew from the same infinite source of love, we are each set apart by our uniquely individual journeys, gifts, and enriching characteristics. None is more valuable than the other, but none can be substituted by the other. Your are a valuable resource that cannot be replaced. Know your truth. Stand in your truth. Speak your truth, in love. Honor every guise of truth.

"As different streams
Having their sources in different places
All mingle their water in the sea
So, O Lord, the different paths
Which people take
Through different tendencies
Various though they appear
Crooked or straight
All lead to Thee"

– Sanskrit Prayer

From My Cocoon, 11/28/12, 11:10:24 AM
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November 28, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Happiness is contagious. Catch the wave, and hang ten. En♥, -me!

If we are going to transmit anything, let it be happiness. Thankfully, more and more of us are waking up to the notion of explicit and unabashed felicity; it's a movement that all are welcomed to join. It is something that has been sought after and studied throughout the ages; and, though it is undoubtedly an "inside job", the world is presently full of resources and documented testimony that could surely convince the non-believer that happiness is truly obtainable. The truth and beauty is in being wise enough to know that aside from material resources and beyond ourselves—because as my mother's wisdom has always advised me, "You've got to make your own happiness."—our greatest resource is each other. We are encouraged to identify joy in each other, brush shoulders and foster relationships with each other, engage in the collective activity, experience our own joy, and vow to eternally surround ourselves with people, places, and things that (in the very least) help to sustain our happiness. So, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands." ;-)

From My Cocoon, 01/30/13, 11:05:00 PM
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November 26, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Be. En♥, -me!

The truth and beauty is in perpetually internalizing our is-ness such that we externalize our is-ness.

"You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July...
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through
'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on, show 'em what you're worth"

– Katy Perry, Firework

From My Cocoon, 01/30/13, 9:43:12 PM 
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November 23, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: The greatest treasure of diversity comes in perceiving it through the lens of singularity. En♥, -me!

Sure, we all have distinctive qualities, physical characteristics, talents, life purposes, personality traits, etc.; all beings do. But that's just it: all beings do! For us to be so different, we sure do have a lot in common. From the billions of particles of cosmic dust that gracefully dance in constant, dynamic unison to form the masses we call bodies, to the inner longings for love, success, and sustenance, we are one. The truth and beauty is in truly comprehending that while we could stand around debating our differences, we are guaranteed to activate more prolificity by aligning in our distinguishability to build upon mutually beneficial relationships. It is our cohesion that makes us limitless.

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." –Aristotle

From My Cocoon, 01/30/13, 7:32:25 PM
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November 19, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: I can move closer to joyfully living my purpose by continually aligning my choices with the awakening seedlings of my soul. En♥, -me!

The measure of our joy is directly related to waking up our dreams and fulfilling the truest desires of our souls. Our dreams spring forth from the organic expressions of who we are, and waking them up demands that we perpetually make decisions and surround ourselves with the people and resources that are in line with our advancement toward our goals. The truth and beauty is in internalizing that (as James Allen wrote in As a Man Thinketh) "Dreams are the seedlings of realities."

From My Cocoon, 01/23/13, 6:13:27 PM

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November 16, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: True abundance can be enjoyed by relenting to the evenflow of the source. En♥, -me!

Have you ever realized how much better things seem to be when you just take a step back, breathe, and let go? Authentic abundance is accompanied by an indescribable peace of mind, and that peace does not dwell in resistance. The truth and beauty is in releasing the controlling hold we habitually desire to have over life's occurrences.

"Let it be, let it be

Let it be, let it be

Yeah, there will be an answer

Let it be"  

– The Beatles, Let it Be

"You could give it all away, give it all and be unstoppable

All away, everything is really possible

All away, you never really own it anyway

It’ll all fall in place, if you just let go"

– Jason Mraz, 5/6

From My Cocoon, 12/22/12, 12:11:07 PM
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November 12, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: The greatest gift acquired without effort reveals who I was now and who I am then. En♥, -me!

Though the lessons of its application may be a bit challenging to comprehend at times, the greatest gift acquired without effort is love. The ease with which it exists is timeless and eternally dependable. In fact, most of us were recipients of love upon the announcement or our presence's anticipated arrival in diminutive form. As human beings, we were gifted with love before we could even conceptualize how to consciously recognize, receive, and return the bestowal. The truth and beauty comes in recognizing that though we are presently human, our presence is supernatural in the continuum of life and the convergence of past, present, and future. The essence of the soul is love, and choosing to share in its mystique can reveal everything we ever were and everything we ever will be. In return, we are capable of being everything we are...now. Be love.

"Love begets love." – Unknown

From My Cocoon, 12/19/12, 3:25:33 PM
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November 10, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: I am BEING the HUMAN manifestation of love. En♥, -me!

Most of us have probably been exposed to the idiom, "Read between the lines." It's a common way of urging someone to look (with the mind's eye) beyond that which appears on the surface for a deeper meaning and understanding. As such, what would happen if we read between the lines of the title / label with which we commonly distinguish ourselves from other animals: human beings? More than human beings, we can affirm that we are being human! The truth and beauty prevails in the theory that as extensions of an infinite source, all things are in a perpetual state of existence (i.e., being). Thus, our esoteric is-ness forever remains while the exoteric garment changes. This time around, we are manifesting in humanity.

From My Cocoon, 12/19/12, 12:41:58 PM
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November 7, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: That which I seek from without is already within. En♥, -me!

Jean Houston said while speaking with Oprah Winfrey about her response to people who regard her as a guru, "...But in my definition, guru is spelled: G, U R U." Classic! The same sentiment is echoed in the self-love and empowerment anthem, "The Greatest Love of All" when Whitney Houston sings, "Everybody's searching for a hero. People need someone to look up to. I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs. A lonely place to be, and so I learned to depend on me." There are those of us who put a lot of effort into finding the perfect teacher, source of wisdom, love, guidance, and encouragement. We search outside of ourselves for someone (or something) to show us the way. And it almost seems like just when we get comfortable with trusting the instructional bird that our ignorance and excitement have convinced us that we have secured, it flies away. We're left lonely and looking for a new guide to come and accompany us on our path. The truth and beauty is in comprehending that while we are searching for our one pre-appointed bird to show up and stay in our hand for the entire journey, we actually have two birds waiting to awaken in the bushes of our own soul. We already have (and are) what we are looking to receive.

From The Passenger's Side, 12/16/12, 1:15:46 PM
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November 5, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: The time is now. En♥, -me!

We spend a lot of our energy on our concern for time. We live in an age where time is truly of essence to nearly everyone and everything. Convenience has become synonymous with less time, and we seem to be so consumed with the idea of "maximizing" our days (waking hours) that while completing one task, we literally count the minutes to the next and figure out how many minutes that task will take us to complete. Just as Brooks professed in "The Shawshank Redemption," "The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry." Because of our fascination with time, we neglect to enjoy the present; we are so fixated on the past and the future. As such, despite our efforts, many of us still come up short on accomplishing our goals and fulfilling the true desires of our hearts. The truth and beauty is in recognizing that whether we feel like we are peering down the road behind us or the road ahead of us, we can only be where we are, which is here, NOW. Look around, and carpe momentum (seize the moment)! The time to get started is now; and, the next time someone asks, "What time is it?," offer the honest reply, "Now!"

"You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future." – Unknown

From My Cocoon, 12/13/12, 1:37:20 PM
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November 3, 2012

Today's Truth and Beauty: Keep up the good play. En♥, -me!

While it is certainly understandable to encourage ourselves and others to "Keep up the good work," when was the last time we offered, "Keep up the good play?" The sheer essence of balance is the equilibrium of integrated parts; and, the truth and beauty is in knowing the importance of practicing and improving our recreation just as much as we do our work. I believe it was James Howell that expressed the same sentiment as, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Take the time to play today; it's your responsibility.

From My Cocoon, 12/13/12, 12:20:31 PM

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