Continued from Part I: Journey of Principal to Principle - Stepping out of the Comfort Zone

I knew I could not retire completely – a former Kansas colleague offered me the opportunity to continue in education as a consultant for an education cooperative – coaching alternative licensure teacher candidates and training teams of teachers in a student intervention process. The system in Colorado has marked differences but both of us were able to adjust to the local-control philosophy. The coop system was a bit nebulous and hard to define but there was certainly a need for the processes we were able to share.

Going from an eighty hour week to part-time work was more psychologically challenging than I was prepared to accept – time to reflect, be alone, and alone in my new digs which had proven to be much pricier than my modest Kansas home. I started volunteering in the victim advocate program and met more and more good people. And then the cancer diagnosis came. Fortunately, I was only stage one so my treatment was the hysterectomy with no extended chemo involved. It has been five years since that diagnosis and treatment. As I reflect on the past five years, I know the universe has always taken care of me.

I have been a closet spiritualist for a number of years – something I did not feel I could discuss in a Bible-belt Kansas community. I wanted to expand my spiritual horizons and the move to Colorado gave me the freedom to do just that. I found a vibrant spiritual community in Denver and started attending services and classes in April, 2004. The affirmative prayer belief was particularly fascinating. I even briefly joined a singles organization and attended a several of their functions. On the 13th anniversary of my divorce, I attended this church and seated myself in the designated “singles” section of the church. I had just completed a written prayer request that I would be able to let down my walls when this guy with a modern hair-do and a fairly good singing voice, sat down next to me. Somehow I had the courage to introduce myself and visit about the experience of attending Mile-Hi services. He invited me for coffee so we spent an hour in the community center talking about all sorts of things. He asked for my e-mail address – I gave him my business card with the phone number and e-mail printed on it. We were to go to dinner and the lights at the Denver Botanic Gardens the following weekend. But – I didn’t get that e-mail from him during the entire week. He called on Thursday evening (thinking that I was ignoring him) wondering why I hadn’t responded to his e-mail. I hadn’t received the e-mail – he typed in the wrong address. By that time the plans for the weekend had been abbreviated to just the lights. I’ve collected on that dinner many times since with many laughs and teases. Paul and I are still together after this miracle meeting.

This is just one manifestation in my new life. I was able to help my daughter with a substantial contribution to her dream wedding. She and I have a very close distant relationship – one of deep respect, mutual nurturing, and love.

I have also retired from the education cooperative and have been able to pursue my spirituality interests with much more gusto. I am a licensed hypnotherapist, a psych-K practitioner, a Reiki provider, and am studying more and more alternative healing approaches. I have always had a thirst for learning and now I have the freedom and the desire to do so. My life continues to unfold in wondrous and miraculous ways. Right now I am manifesting the sale of my condo so I can purchase a home with room for me to open a home-based alternative healing practice and training room and for Paul to have a substantial office for his endeavors. I regularly meditate and I am relaxing enough to receive messages from my guides or those divine beings from the universe. My spiritual connections are strengthening as I learn to play, meditate and trust.

To be continued...