The Biggest Gift We Give Is To Share Ourselves
We woke to our familiar view looking out over the bay, from the top floor of Stefanos place. The blues and greys and charcoals of stormy skies and rain circling the island of Corfu, painting us a wild and expressive picture from the coziness of our room!
We stayed in bed…
The rain poured down, we could hear it playing on the roof and on the windows; splashing and making rivers… Anadi and I spent the morning enjoying the three C’s; in this instance they we Chatting Cuddling and Coffee; but Cake and Champagne can we added to make it up to five…
On this occasion with the plan of a run on the agenda we stuck to the first three…!
We did get up eventually, ate some brunch and then worked at things we had to work at on our computers; Nikos one of the Salvanos brothers popped in the mend the loo which needed mending. It took him two minutes…
‘Wow, you are so fast’ I said to him, impressed ‘It is my job’ he smiled…
We are all so impressive; we are all magnificent human beings with talents and gifts and things that we can do that others value and appreciate. The things that come easily to us, or that we have trained to gain the skills for, we can sometimes take for granted both in ourselves and in others.
It is important that we acknowledge all we create and make; all the love, positive energy and power that we give to one another by sharing our gifts, by ‘surrendering our acts to the divine’, offering our talents to the world
I am inspired always to live as Ramana reminds us
“Place your burden
at the feet of the Lord of the Universe
who accomplishes everything.
Remain all the time steadfast in the heart,
in the Transcendental Absolute.
God knows the past, present and future.
He will determine the future for you
and accomplish the work.
What is to be done will be done
at the proper time. Don’t worry.
Abide in the heart and surrender your acts
to the divine."
Ramana Maharshi
Anadi and I had decided to run in the afternoon to see if the rain let up at all; we had resolved to go whatever the weather; but we thought putting our ‘morning run’ back a few hours might mean a dryer experience!
We could see the sun filtering through, a watery yellow golden translucent light; so we changed into running kit and headed up the hill to Spartilas village.
The last time I ran here my Achilles was so sore, and now I am strong. My Achilles like new.
The power of a process; and of the body’s ability to heal always fills me with awe about what it is to be on a human journey in a body!
Running again in January on the same road that I was racing down in September, when, even though I was leading the field, I knew there was trouble with my ankle, serves to truly mark my rite of passage. From injury to wholeness and all that has gone on in that space between.
I feel changed since we were last here.
When we arrived on September 1st last year, we had finally let go of all our possessions and were carrying with us all we owned in our bags. On Sept 4th Anadi’s flat completed and we were true nomads…
Nearly five months later and I feel I inhabit a new land; a totally new inner landscape which has changed everything around me. I also feel lighter and happier and freer than I can remember… And, I felt in essence light and happy and free before I set off on this journey with my beloved…
My journey to freedom and light has been lifelong; an inner journey, a surrender of everything so that I journey within to know my self. With Anadi the vistas of possibility and the vast universe within me has opened in ways I knew, but had not known as deeply for myself, until now…
We ran six miles; I loved it; running again, being here again… the familiar road; the insistent bark of dogs accompanying us as we ran, like in 'Starlight barking', each dog seeming to notify the dogs up the road to let them know we were on our way…
We returned home and on the doorstep was a carrier bag with a tupperware container. Magda who is the sister of Spiros, Giorgos and Nikos had cooked us a meal; it smells and looks totally delicious and we are going to eat it tonight...
Magda is a beautiful person. I always enjoyed talking with her in September, when she returned from work and found me working on the terrace; when we were here then she cooked us a meal of stuffed peppers, with ingredients all from her own garden… And one day she had just freshly baked an apple pastry… Which she shared it with me!
All of Salvanos family have big hearts, every one of them; they are always looking to give and to share what they have;
And the biggest gift they give, is that they share themselves.