KOWS 92.5 FM radio recording above of the
Scent of Light episode from Radio Spotlight Magazine with host
Andre' Marc, includes background music Andre' has chosen: Manose Suskera,
Solo Bamboo Flute; Label: 2002 Garuda Records);
Transcript
Welcome to the Scent of Light. This is Ken
Norton. Today I’d like to talk about Love. Love is one of my mentor’s Ten Words to the Creative Spirit, in which he prays:
"Give me love so darkness changes to sunshine where I am."
Love is another quality that is transformative in the revelation of its
presence. Love also stretches over time as love that is perceived or missed
is remembered.
I had a great lesson in love about 10 years ago. I
participated in a shamanic medicine Circle with a shaman that I respect.
Part of the ritual was to fill some bowls with some sweets that represented
generations of my family. This proved act as a spark in my memory that
brought up my grandmother, my mother’s mother. I always felt that she was
Stern and I was somewhat afraid of her as a child. My mother’s parents lived
in another state so I did not see them more than once in a couple of years.
But they did come out for my baptism, and my high school graduation to honor
me.
My mother took care of her mother the last couple of years of her life.
I remember visiting her in the bed in the room that I was raised in as a
little boy. Her face had become softer to me as I looked at her in the bed.
However in the background I had a judgement that was formed early on of her
being a hard and stern person. In the circle I looked deep and hard at my
relationship, and became filled with remorse of blocking my grandma’s love
for me. I was not old enough as a child to realize her behavior was out of
concern for my welfare. It was the story in my little head that formed my
view of her. I then started to realize how my judgements of other people
deprived me of realizing love as care for me from them.
That healing session
with my grandmother’s memory made a strong impression on me to not be so
quick with judgments and leave openings for a perspective that I have not
yet grown into. What once was a stern old woman now appears as a great love
in my life, one who influenced my Mom and Dad greatly to provide a secure
and caring family household. I had learned firsthand that the value of
loving my enemy, that once was my grandmother in my mind.
Recently I was in the car with my wife Elaine running some errands that
we’re taking longer then I anticipated and I began to worry that they would
not have some quality time to work on a project I had been putting off for a
couple of days already. Elaine offered to drive herself to visit a friend
whose driveway was difficult to find on a busy street, but I envisioned
danger for her to navigate there with her limited sight. I relaxed my worry
into trust I would manage the other project somehow and drove her there
myself. Elaine was touched that I placed her welfare first and we were both
rewarded to see some special art and historical items our friend has made or
collected from her ancestors. The meeting became a collaborative art piece
with contributions from Elaine and myself. I was still able later in the day
to finish my originally planned project. Through Love much more light was
produced as art in this instance.
My grandma was planting seeds of love with her actions in my behalf. In will
conclude this episode with this poem of mine, which is also stanza in my
song Intuitions Joy.
Be still and know
We're in the flow
Of love to grow
From seeds we sow.
This is Ken Norton on the Scent Of Light. You can contact me via Ken at
KennethENorton.com. The Scent of Light episodes are archived on the web at
kennethenorton.com that is k e n n e t h e n o r t o n dot com. Thanks for
listening.
Ken Norton earned his master's degree in Materials Science from Stanford
University as the Vietnam War was ending. During that time Ken served as the
personal assistant to a poet/sociologist Dr. William Hermanns as he prepared
his writings for publication, exposing Ken to not only the sciences but also
the humanities and comparative religion for making conscious and
conscionable choices.
Ken is a regular contributor to Radio Spotlight Magazine with his episodes
on the Scent of Light. Ken lives in Santa Rosa with his life partner Elaine
and their little dog Rosey.
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