The Roots and the Branches
A snapshot of the Kao girls from 2019.
Right to left, Riley (niece), Suzy (sister), Kimy (sister), Rosann (momma), Jojo (sister), Ellie (niece) on my back, & me.
The roots and the branches of the movement are one and the same.
The Kao girls are my roots and my branches.
My life work is borne of roots and branches.
In just the last few days each Kao girl has widened my horizons. Rosann (mom in Hong Kong) shares her discovery of the healing powers of Tibetan throat singing.
Suzy explains the emotional and spiritual nuances of interviews with recently arrived Afghan refugees to her corner of Australia.
Kimy describes decoupaging the text of a book to a ball as a device to engage learners in literacy in Louisiana.
Jojo (on the daily) embodies an infinite well of patience and love for her two baby girls, even when her work load is heavy and the hour is late.
Riley takes the traditions of the Lunar New Year to wish family & friends well for the coming year and creates her own expression of these ancient practices. A gift for a co-worker, a small potted plant imbued with her love, and the words “happiness, prosperity, endurance” written circling the pot.
My life, my life work is infused with these everyday moments of reflection and inspiration from humans that are spread out over the globe and are so very different from each other and yet we are connected.
I realize THIS is what is meant by the idea that light travels through a prism and a rainbow of light is the is the result. Each prism (each person) makes a unique rainbow yet the light moving through us the in the same.
The light I speak of in this imagery may be called by a million different names by a million different cultures. The commonality is that light is moving through us ALL.
Light moving through me, through the Kao girls, through YOU.
I see the rainbow of articulation ripple through YOU when we practice together.
I hear the rainbow of experience flowing through YOU when we connect.
I feel the rainbow of expression rolling as we collaborate and co-create.
Light, like sound is vibration moving in all directions.
The invitation is into the movement
move to feel - your inner vibration
move to amplify - your vibration
move to resonate - with all around you
I believe humans are made to move
through movement we remember and awaken our inner artist, athlete, and activist
artists - curious and creative creatures
athletes - beings at play in any physical form
activists - people participating with heart and hope
through movement we recall the wisdom of our ancestors and the hope of our descendants.
Through movement we uplift our own vibration and resonate with each other.
the movement
may our amplified vibration
honor ancestors, serve descendants, and nourish all.