Related Reading
Our Flower
Happy Chemicals

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

I once wrote a thought as follows:

The Human Mind Is A Beautiful Flower, 
Water With Love, Water With Kindness. :)

    I was reminded of this thought today when I thought about what is impressed upon the workings of the mind. When we connect this idea to that of input and output, we merely resort the functions of the brain to that of machinery. While the brain functions do hold this capacity, there is something more to the human mind, and what is impressed upon it. There is something felt, feeling, emotion, sensations are left, when something is impressed upon the brain. The sensations are that are left, or held within are ultimately dependant upon what was impressed.

    These thoughts are linked to the chemical reactions we experience when something is felt. The chemical reactions do take place. This is something very different to that of a chemistry experiment, where there are chemical reactions, there is something more. Bodily sensations, reactions through our sensations are felt. 

This is the superiority of the human mind / brain, body, soul, and heart. We are more than input / output. There are sensations. The cause of our emotional and bodily responses.  
​

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes. These thoughts were originally hand written on September 1st, 2018. Image 1 - Web Link 

Related Reading 
The Hispanic / Latino Student

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

    I have written / researched alot about the Hispanic / Latino/a experience in higher education. The fact that I have written about the various findings or concerns has not made the disparities go away,  change higher education policy, or the  improvements for equitable practice. Although there are organizations, non-governmental, non-profit, and for-profit, who are working at their best to serve the needs of the Hispanic / Latino/a communities, documented and undocumented. I also realize that Hispanic / Latino/a communities are not the only ones who face prejudices, assumptions, or stereotyping at the higher education level. You could be any person of minority but still face these, but these thoughts should not negate my previous idea or desired aspiration of seeing minority and majority working and living together in harmony.

     Being met with an attitude is only one of the systemic hurdles that one must cross. There are also other attitudes of why are you here? Why are you doing what you are doing? Individuals who are critical want to know why you are doing what you are doing. Are you really invested in the idea of learning at higher levels? 

     My response to this is yes, and it would be a yes for all who walk through the doors, virtual or at the physical level. Every student who desires the path of learning should be given an equal chance to learn. Finance or monetary aims should not be viewed as the only motivator. Money does not motivate everyone, but it gives a person the capacity to learn. A peace of mind as one seeks to learn. Unfortunately we do live in an era where if you want to learn higher and higher, there are costs involved. And there are systems who have manipulated funding formulas, to make it more difficult to attain the financial resources to fully fund educational goals.

    Gaining access to education requires funding. The socio-economic stressors add additional stressors to the academic pursuit, which is truly unfortunate for those who are vested in learning, intellectual, personal development and research which inevitably gives back to society and communities. 

AFFIRMATION

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on August 30th, 2018.
Image 1 - Web Link
Image 2 - Web Link 

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     I was taking the time to reflect upon my response to gun violence, and recent shootings that have taken place in the USA. As I have written extensively in earlier research and writing, the underlying cause is much more than simply about someone who has the desire to shoot to kill. They are representative of a cry, a steering vehicle to achieve social justice and equality. However, one can question what is social justice and equality? And whose interests are being taken care of when these shootings are taking place? 

     Patterns
If we just name a few such as The Texas Church mass shooting, Santa Fe High School, Parkland, and now Jacksonville, we can see that the victims are predominantly white, that is specifically referring to skin color. With reference to the patterns that we are finding, we can go back to the question, whose interests are being served when there is a cry for social justice? 

     Language
Does the word diversity, or inclusion do justice to what they words mean as they are used at present day? With a knowing of the issues, systemic barrier, that do affect minority populations (because I am also a person belonging to a minority group) I also do believe that majority populations, segments are under attack today.

​     Diversity
While I put my own experiences as a minority away to put forth these thoughts, not to say that they are not worthy of discussion, I want to focus upon the question. Is it right to shoot to kill innocent lives to simply send a message of attack? Not only to de-stabalize but also to install fear. We can also go back to refer to school shootings. The after-math of school shootings destabilizes public schools, it puts public schooling in jeopardy. Individuals, families become fearful. Rather than taking the easy step to shoot to kill, isn't it better to raise voices, and work together to achieve a greater sense of equality for all? 

The Consequence
When mass shootings, shootings, gun violence occur we are all at a loss. Majority and minority. If not more so the minority, who rely more on public schooling and public resources.

A Shift
​While I can only write what I think with this pen, hoping to knock some sense in to those who use the cowards way, I do believe that the very words diversity and inclusion, and how we choose to define who is included or not, where the emphasis is placed, is being called to question. Diversity should re-focus to shift and place emphasis on both minority and majority. 

​My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

​Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on August 28th, 2018.
Image 1 - Canvas Creation quote from Cherrye S. Vasquez 

On August 26th, 2018 there was another mass shooting, this time in Jacksonville, Florida. As I heard the news the thoughts of why aroused, and not again. I reflected upon my thoughts and wondered if I should write about them, but again thought why? The cycles of violence continue to repeat over and over again. Guns, killing are the easy option to try to enforce what is demanded. But what is being demanded? At the heart of gun violence is the cry for social justice, and equality. But why gun violence? It is a form of control, to install fear. But for me, I think of this as the cowards way, there is no nobility in achieving the cry of social justice through the taking of innocent lives. Real peace, equality, justice arrives when we strive to work for this together, with opponents, and those who we disagree with. As I continue to reflect, I pray for the innocent lives that could still have been living, including the shooter who was probably paid to do the act.

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     I have written about the idea of age, what is age? Of course the number identifies how many years one has lived, but I wanted to think deeper about the idea of age. There is chronological age, but also mental age. Sometimes we might act, think, behave, at an age that is not normative of our chronological age. This thought also suggests that there are various stereotypes associated with age, and also how one is perceived. We can think about those stereotypes that are attached to identify teens, and also to adulthood. However, as one ages this does not mean that one should stop dreaming.

    Should one cease to dream because of the responsibilities that one has acquired, or because of an age? In my opinion, I don't believe that this should be the case. While of course we should give care to the responsibilities that we do possess, but this should not mean that we give up on the self. When we seize to dream, we seize to live. Constant re-making of the self must occur which begins with dreaming, it is how we continue to live. Even though physically we see the identifiers of age, it should never mean that you give up on the self.

     Beauty arrives with age, maturity, and the physical signs that can also be associated with youthfulness. While outer body we see the signs, inwards our spirit is at full bloom, because we have reached a point of knowing the self. Knowing who we are. Rather than a spirit ageing, the spirit evolves. The beauty of this is that we can, and should be able to return to the child-like state of wonder, to ponder, think, reflect, find new ways of seeing the ordinary. Without this we fall in to the trap of doing, being, and fulfilling the needs of those who could care less about us. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on August 26th, 2018.
Image 1 - Web Link
Image 2 - Web Link 

Related Reading:
​Hurricane Harvey ~ A Message Of Hope
Heart Of Texas ~ #HoustonStrong
​Open Letter ~ Dear Mother Nature: 
Re-Building: Our Human Essence. ​
The Heart's Hajj. 
The Pilgrim's Feet 
Recovery
Human Morality: DACA Day 
Reflection: Houston's Courage 
Prayer For Healing 
Alignment
The Spirit's Strength

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     It has been a year since the event of hurricane Harvey, that took place in Texas. Affecting many regions of the state that are not normally prone to hurricanes, or prepared through infrastructure for a hurricane. One of the regions was Houston, Texas.

     This one year anniversary was a day of deep reflection, with moments of fragility, anguish, a sense of hope and renewal. The day took me back to the initial first reaction of first hearing about Harvey. Feeling a sense of urgency, but not really understanding the severity. While finally taking a leap and deciding that I needed to be in Houston. The irony is that I was able to stay in a luxury hotel as rates were reduced due to the hurricane, but also still be able to be present, be with the communities that had been affected, and witness damage first hand. In a sense to witness two very different environments. To really understand the devastation, you had to see the impact for yourself. But what gave me the most hope, was to see the courage of communities, organizations, and leadership working together, to ensure that the displaced were served. 

     The crisis overlooked political opinion, where one came from; race, religion, class, gender, and so on. Those affected were served, and those who escaped from the damage were the first to offer their services. 

     While a year has gone by, damages, destruction, have been restored, rebuilt, but the reconstructions also reveal how long it does take to rebuild. The process is slow, let alone getting the funding from Government agencies to cover the costs for repair. We could complain, and individuals do possess the right to do so. Are funds being used properly, and also what is happening to the home owners who were not insured for natural disasters? What about the Bayou's, or dams? Have they or are they being assessed, prepared to see if improvements to infrastructure can be made?

     When all is said and done I'm grateful that I did decide to visit Houston during this fragility period. Live I've written earlier, friends / family can be there for you when you have everything, but true friends / family are revealed when they stay with you through the tough times, where you struggle, or adversity. 

As I walked the streets, took in the sights and sounds, offered a lending hand where I could, with every breath I gave my heart beat for you Houston, I came for you.  

Dedication: These thoughts are dedicated to all of the communities, individuals, who were affected with the Hurricane Harvey throughout Houston and Texas. This event revealed how everyone can truly come together as one when there is a common goal, I continue to hope for unity as the city has recently become divided over issues such as the U.S / Mexico border crisis, and the border children. May you continue to flourish as the diverse, successful city that you are.

And to my children to who also supported me as I took this decision, to make the efforts and to look after each other through this delicate time.

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Further Reading
*ESPN - Watt continues to aid Houston 1 year after Hurricane Harvey

​*Accu Weather - How the trauma of Hurricane Harvey plagues some survivors' mental health 1 year later

*KPRC2 Houston - Rockport: A year after Harvey

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on August 25th, 2018.
​Image 1 - Web Link 

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     Obedience.
Have you ever heard the saying as follows: When the student is ready the teacher appears? This thought is representative of the beginning of a mentor / mentee relationship, but it does not go further to reveal what happens next, or what happens through the development of a mentor / mentee relationship. Through the relations we become an extension, if not a direct image both internally and externally of our superior, the mentor. Through this relationship, we also add our self, our own uniqueness to the teachings that we have learned, through the life lessons or training. 

     But we have also heard that sometimes the student will out learn the teacher. With the accumulations added from the teacher, and what else is learned throughout the journey. This is neither good or bad, but therein lies a test. How will you act, behave, think, with the accumulations of more? 

    A gain of more does not make you better or superior, in fact it is a compliment to those who have invested time, effort, energy, through the journey. Often rough, sometimes smooth. In fact it is here that we must remain in a state of thankfulness, acting in obedience to our superiors. This is the duty of those who have been blessed and honored with the giving / receiving of heart.

     Loves Duty
Mentor / mentee relations are more than about learning from one another, there is a promise to love, protect, honor in all circumstance, when one is going through adversity, or has overcome to gain the gifts from life. In all states the duty to love should be viewed with deep regard and honor. It's the greatest thing we'll ever learn. To give love, but also how to accept and receive love. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on August 24th, 2018.
Image 1 - Web Link
Image 2 - Web Link 

Related Reading
The Arts /  Push + Pull

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The truth is that I was taking the time to think about my previous thoughts, particularly with regards to the arts, and what the arts can do to us, to our thoughts, which ultimately shape our behaviour. Thoughts themselves can be thought of as art works, where they become abstract, suggestive, or complete cohesion. The beauty of having a single abstract thought is that we can join them together, to form completed thoughts, to the whole piece of artwork. Everything is connected, sometimes it takes longer for us to realize this. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

These thoughts were originally hand written on August 23rd, 2018.
Image 1 - Web Link 

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

   The beauty of the arts is that they push our thinking, thoughts in to spaces where we would not normally go within our routine thinking. This aspect go the arts could be called beautiful, but could also be thought of in the realm of miraculous; Simply because of what art can do to a person. Art is transformative. It pushes, pulls, urgencies, dependancies, desires, moves us in ways that call us to revolutionize our own thinking. This is not a new thought for me, as many of my readers will know that I've written a lot about art, and it's effects on human beings. But this type of reflective response happens when we take the time to think. Stop for a moment. Think about what the art is asking of us. This could be through tradtional art media, or other artistic forms such as music or dance. 

     These thoughts were renewed when I thought about the cover of the song by the artist Maluma.  

Of course if someone was to pick the song with the cover, we could draw inferences such as playboy, or sexual exploitation. But the cover itself calls us to think beyond what we humans think of as love, sexual relations, or intimacy. What it is, how we define our relationships, and so on. 

     My personal response was that of sheer love. I thought of bodies loving each other, comforting each other, to breath easy for a while, to lean on someones shoulder / body, to sleep peacefully in a sanctuary / enclave of unconditional love. 

     My thoughts can also be related to various tribes, through an anthropological lens, where closeness, sexual intimacy, or relations are not the traditional view held by the Western and also parts of the Eastern world. 

   But what is my point, why do I desire to make readers think of this cover? It's simple: to think about how humans, males, females, or any other gender could come together in the space of unconditional love, without holding any judgement of each other. 

     These thoughts can also be taken to the space of the working world, where competitive drives pull individuals apart, cause separations or tensions, to think about how leadership could smooth hierarchical structures so that everyone feels an equal sense of value or worth, by implementing spaces  for effective team building.

​My example might be viewed as explicit, but isn't that what artists what are supposed to do? ;) To push and pull you within your thought life. 

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on August 23rd, 2018.
Image 1 - Web Link
Image 2 - Web Link
Image 3 - Web Link 

On August 18th, 2018 there was a nation wide clear the shelters day for pet animals. This day made me think about our recent adoption of a 1 month young baby rabbit, who is disabled with injury to his left foot. When we think of owning a pet, it is the traditional cat / kitten, puppy / dog, even myself who was thinking of a kitten, but have landed myself a bunny. All animals, pets whatever we decide to care for is a commitment, and responsibility that arrives with rewards. Pet animals need the same love, care, and attention as human beings, within them is also a spirit, that arrives from God.  And ultimately how we treat our pets is a reflection of our character. Below are some images of Fluffi, our little bunny. Thank you so much for the owners who allowed us to keep him.

Related Reading:
NBC 5 Chicago, Clear the Shelters.
KPRC2 Houston, Clear the Shelters 2018.