The movie “The Way”, pilgrimages and journeys!

I recently watched the movie “The Way” and loved it. I had read an article quite awhile ago interviewing Emilio Estevez, the writer, director and co-star in the movie, about the process and working with his Dad, Martin Sheen, the star of the movie. So I was already intrigued. I had also read a book by Shirley Maclaine about her journey on the El Camino de Santiago, and was inspired and fascinated by this journey. The movie focuses on Tom, played by Martin Sheen, as the stoic and traditional father, who finds out his lost son has been found dead, dying just as he had started this pilgrimage. Tom decides to journey the El Camino and spread his son’s ashes along the way. It is a rare emotional decision for him, and his impulsive decision brings him much more than he had envisioned when he started on the way. It is a movie of grief and loss, as well as discovery, friendship and transformation. It is beautiful in it’s unfolding as well as in the luscious scenery.

As I do with most movies, I looked at each character and inquired what I held in common with them and where we were different. Unlike the main character, I would not have been tight lipped like he was, as I am known for my open sharing, but I could relate to his anger, grief and unknowing as he wondered about his son’s whereabouts, felt the pain of their estrangement, and then his anger, grief and loss when his son was found dead. In truth, I am much more like his impetuous, leaping, restless son, Daniel; but you see, I, too, have lost a son, not to death, but to estrangement.Although, like Daniel, I am the one that has leaped into adventure throughout my life and recently on a now 11 month journey of faith.

I looked at the kind and talkative character, Joost, and saw my golden retriever self who assumes that everyone wants to talk to me, know me, be engaged. I looked at the angry, defensive, wounded character, Sara, and saw the me that I have been healing along this journey, as I attempt to make sense of the loss of past relationships and dreams. I looked at the character of Jack, the verbose writer, living out a life much smaller than he had dreamed of, and see how much I have limited myself for way too long.

In watching this movie I realized that I, too, have been on a pilgrimage, not spreading physical ashes of a cremated son, but certainly spreading metaphoric ashes of my past and the relationships in it, as I have revisited many of the towns and places where I have lived, traveled to, or hiked. It was that giving up hope and attachment to my past relationships that was the last step for me, letting go of those last ashes in the bottom of the bag, knowing that this is it, the end…and letting them go in the wind.

It is fitting that I am ending this journey in San Diego, CA. as this is where I spent so much time as a child and adult, vacationing with my family, and then later with my Mom and/or my son. And this is where I spread my Mother’s ashes in Nov. 1999, on my way back to Seattle, where I was living with my son, moving there in Oct. 1998 after leaving Colorado. And here I am finishing this journey in San Diego now, before heading home to Colorado, going full circle. Now, like Tom in the movie, I need to stand next to the ocean, reach down in my bag, and gather the last vestiges of my past relationships and life; gather my long held dreams of the future; and finally and firmly throw these ashes to the wind and the water, letting go and saying goodbye to what was, honoring it and making room for what will take it’s place.

I am grateful for the sweet memories I have of my life up until now. I am grateful for the experience of being a single Mom and managing to stay loving and attentive no matter what challenges I faced. I am grateful for the friends and support I’ve had along this pilgrimage. And now it is time for me to leave this funeral pyre and begin my new adventure, alone, yes, but now with room to let others into my heart, my restored and healed heart. Now it is time for me to go home and settle into my new launching pad for future adventures.

So I encourage you to watch “The Way” and enjoy your journey, wherever it takes you. Remember life is to be lived, not something you got stuck in, so live it with faith and enjoy it along the way.

Love, Katelon

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The Odd Life of Timothy Green – Glen Hansard “This Gift” – YouTube

via The Odd Life of Timothy Green – Glen Hansard "This Gift" – YouTube.

I just watched this movie on Sunday night and loved it. The message of hope, dreams, possibilities and not giving up were messages I needed to have delivered to me that day. I was still reeling and healing from a challenging three weeks in my latest living situation on this several months journey I’ve been on. That situation ended in the host verbally attacking me, as has been her history with anyone staying in her home. I wouldn’t have stayed there but a spiritual friend recommended it, and I was able to offer healing for her and her son. I learned though that I don’t need to place myself in such situations anymore. I was proud of myself for staying calm, sending love in the midst of it, letting her know I heard her and not taking it personally. But I am definitely finished with allowing this kind of behavior in my life.

When things like this happen and it challenges my survival leaving me quickly looking for another place to stay, I know that I am always taken care of and trust that I will be led to where I need to be next, but it does place a shadow on this journey of mine to take my healing work on the road and follow the guidance that is leading me to my long held and promised mission. To have received this mission 52 years ago and to keep my faith has been occasionally difficult. There have been times I have asked God to either fulfill this mission for me or take it from my heart, when it moves into feeling like a burden. But then I end up in a conversation with someone and share my passion for this mission and my enthusiasm is renewed.

I mostly trust that all that has happened between the birth of this mission and now has been preparing me to fulfill it and yet, there are moments when I become impatient, frustrated and doubt creeps in, leaving me wondering if it will ever happen. So after events like this recent attack, it takes all I have to keep on moving forward and not just tuck my tail between my legs and head back to where I left last November.

This sweet movie is about a couple who desperately desire to have a child but are unable to and they decide to take one last night to dream of having that child and what he would be like. But it also is about a town in the midst of what many towns are undergoing right now as factories shut down, jobs are lost and the citizens of that town attempt to scrape a life together in the ruins. The movie is about never giving up, stepping out of the box to discover new solutions, it is about hopes and dreams, allowing yourself to be different and celebrating that difference. The song beautifully echoes those themes.

As old paradigms, institutions and governments crumble and we move into a new way of being, it is important to let go of the old ways and open to a new way of doing things and being. It is easy to feel fear, or doubt, as the stress of change shakes our foundations. I believe the solution is to focus not on what is leaving but rather to focus on how you would like to be and live instead.

What would you like your body and life to be like? What can you imagine for a new world? How would you like to contribute? What makes your heart sing? What dreams did you have as a child that might be just the thing for you to do and be now? How much love can your heart hold and give? How much better can it get?

I encourage you to dream big and feel the gift that the dream is for you, as it pulls you into a magnificent future. We are the creators of this new earth. What would you like to create if you had unlimited resources, time and energy? What contribution would you like to make?

Let us join together and celebrate these dreams as see a new earth form around us that makes our hearts sing!
Please share your dreams and ideas in the comment section. I support you in achieving them.

WARM BODIES – Trailer – YouTube

WARM BODIES – Trailer – YouTube.

I just saw this movie last night and loved it! I found it funny, insightful, tender and thought provoking. I’d never seen a zombie film before although while being a participant in a stage hypnosis at one of my hypnosis meetings, I won best zombie walker 🙂

I was telling my friend about this movie today, talking about the plot that centers around a young male zombie falling for a human young woman and it bringing him back to life. She remarked that she didn’t like the message that so many Hollywood movies give us that leads us to believe that we can “fix” someone we care for, “change” them, thus leading us into unhealthy relationships. I understood, as I, too, have found myself in that unhealthy relationship pattern in the past.

But this movie wasn’t telling that tale. To me, the message of the film was that the fearless act of the young male zombie reaching past his limitations, conditioning and circumstances, to love and protect a human woman, rather than eat her, not only transformed him but it transferred to the entire zombie population.

(The movie description and the trailer allude to this, so I’m not spoiling the film for you)

I feel that this is the process we are in right now, to rise above our conditioning, our habits, our limiting beliefs, reach out to others and in that act, we are raising up humanity. Much has been said about the 100th Monkey phenomena, whereby once 100 monkeys on an island learned something new, monkeys on other islands started doing that action as well. When enough of us reach past our fears, open our hearts and minds, to connect with another, it begins to break that wall down for all of humanity.

I believe that it will bring us all back to love, back to the light, back to our divinity, back to our true natures.

Beginners – Official Trailer [HD] – YouTube

Beginners – Official Trailer [HD] – YouTube.

I watched this movie the other night and really enjoyed it. The movie is about a Father who comes out as gay, after his wife of 40+ years dies; his relationship with his son; and his son’s attempt to successfully stay in a long term relationship. They are both beginners on their different paths for romantic relationships. But love is the same, no matter what the gender combination. The movie was magical, tender, touching, sad, and very honest.

I feel that in many ways, we are all beginners now. As we learn to shed all the ways we have been taught to believe about ourselves and the world, we are embarking on new territory. We have learned to believe in many institutions, history, and our path as humans through lies. Now that more and more of these lies are being exposed, now that we are waking up to the truth of who we really are and of what we are capable, we are stepping off one path and onto another.

We have left that old “house”, and we are in the process of drawing up the blueprints for our new one. In the meantime, we are on the sidewalk with all the possessions we have chosen to keep, after discarding many of the ones we are leaving behind..the ones that don’t fit anymore. Some of these “possessions” we have easily and gladly shed, while others had to be stripped out of our hands.

These times are uncertain and yet exciting! Let’s enjoy them as best we can and leap with faith and imagination as we create the new!

Searching For Sugar Man Trailer – YouTube

Searching For Sugar Man Trailer – YouTube.

I just saw this wonderful documentary last night and it was exactly what I needed to see. It was a new moon yesterday and I was all stirred up; a cocktail of trust, empowerment, fear, anger and frustration. I had taken all of that into the most powerful New Moon ceremony I’ve ever had and commanded forth what I truly desire for myself and humanity.

Then I walked in to view this amazing story of a man who had a gift that wasn’t truly recognized in his home country. He did find some interest from New Zealand and Australia, but mostly he just lived a blue collar financially struggling life as a hard laborer. Then, he found out that he had a huge fan base in South Africa, that he had inspired many and was able finally to step into that recognition and honor that he so deserved, and in a way, he was welcomed home.

I feel that all of us are searching for the place of home, ready to be seen for who we truly are, and honored for that by family and friends if not more people, not out of ego but out of a sense of needing to be seen for the light we bring to the world.

Whether we are artists, musicians, a Mom, a Dad, a sister, a brother, a CEO, a laborer, or whatever, we all have special gifts to share with others. It might be our smile, our patience, our ability to listen, etc.

When I do past life regression with people, when they are viewing a lifetime, I ask them to see what their gifts and talents were in that lifetime. It might be that they were kind, knew how to bake, knew about herbs, loved their family, not just things like playing an instrument, being a leader…..And I remind them of all these gifts before I bring them back into conception into this body and life.

What are the gifts you share with others and bring to the world? Please take a moment to meditate on this and make a list. You can look at this list when you forget how wonderful you are and how much you bring to this planet. Like Sixto Rodriguez discovers, often we are influencing people and touching their lies in ways we can’t even imagine

Thanks for being you! And…go see this film!!!

Love to you, Katelon

PS..my ceremony already grew fruits and today I had an amazing harvest. So can you!

Tokyo Sonata – Official U.S. Trailer

via youtube.com

Just watched this powerful film, “Tokyo Sonata”. Beautifully filmed and acted. Japanese with English subtitles. The theme of downsizing, family upheaval, discontent and how you continue onward and find some peace is universal.
I found a you tube video that said you can watch the movie for free on ZoDop.com. Enjoy!

Katelon T. Jeffereys

Seattle Life Coach

www.empowerandbalance.com

Movie Trailer – “The Sensation of Sight”

http://vimeo.com/1413587

via vimeo.com

I just watched this movie and loved it! I found it in the library and didn’t know anything about it. At first i thought it might be too slow but as I got drawn into the beauty of the cinematography, the depth of the conversation that carried it forward, and the pathos in each character’s life, I realized that it is quite a special film. I loved that it had this inquiry into life and purpose as the main character not only struggled with his inability to move past a tragedy that had happened, but how he connected some way with the loneliness and emotional hurdle all the other characters were in the midst of as well. It had humor as well as drama and was very well acted. I highly recommend it.

Katelon T. Jeffereys

Seattle Life Coach

www.empowerandbalance.com

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE trailer

via youtube.com

I just saw this movie and it is amazing!!! The cinematography, the music, the acting, the plot, the puppet suits for the full sized wild things….all of it! It was one of my son’s favorite books and mine as well. I read and played guitar and sang to him almost every night until he went to college and they are times I will always cherish as I loved being a Mom. But as the movie shows, we all experience anger at our parents, feeling loneliness, separation, rejection, distance and feel it might be better elsewhere. Loving is a tricky thing and it takes much patience, grace, acceptance, understanding, support and the willingness to look inside at your part in making the whole thing work. The movie does a wonderful job at showing all of this…the hope, the fear, the love, the anger that is family and growing up…no matter what age you are.

 

Katelon T. Jeffereys

Seattle Life Coach

www.empowerandbalance.com