How are you? Really? There are many experiences in the world right now that are calling upon our fear. As I read the headlines and the surging of COVID19 in many places, I can feel the temperature of fear rising. I am committed to staying calm and to continuing to know that the REAL TRUTH behind and beyond it all that is pushing through the experience to make itself known. This Truth is that there is One Perfect Energy that is the Reality of each of us. We may experience illness. We may even pass from this earthly form, but it doesn’t change who we are. When I ask “How Are You?” I am asking if you realize this about yourself.

Why is it so important to know this right now? Because in this Reality, we are not really of this world. We are having an experience and the wisdom that we garner from this experience is our evolution as both individuals and collectively. The earth has passed through many times like these. The earth has had deaths and rebirths. The present earth is in another one of these times, and we can pass through it and uplift our beautiful planet by not succumbing to the fear implanted in the experience. Instead we can know that we are much more than this because we are part of a Power greater than what we experience in form. It is that Power that rides us through all experience. It is why we change and evolve. Nothing stays the same.

During these last two to three years, I have lost numerous people, some dear acquaintances, some family, some dear friends. They have been of all ages and ranged from being in perfect health to living with long-term illnesses. My heart can be heavy as I think of them and miss them or I can shift the way I think of all of them. If I truly open to know the Truth of Eternal Life and the difference between that and living the temporal existence here on earth, I can better open up to staying connected to them and loving them and healing my heart. I might miss their earthly form, but I gain a deeper connection to their Spirit. I still mourn, but from a different place. They say that grief is love with no where to go, but I say that love always has a place to go. There is always the giving and receiving of Love because it is our true identity and it outlives death.

Some days I miss my mom, and then I hear her talking to me through the ethers, letting me know that she is right here. My dad helps me find answers all the time when I’m dealing with medical issues. (He was a doctor). These souls are not gone. They are right here. If we truly contemplate this, we will feel it and it will calm our fears and our grief and hearts will be full.

So, my message to myself today is to stay centered, to stay calm, to not buy into the fear of the world and to instead give the Light of Truth wherever I walk. It doesn’t mean talking about it; it means just being it, living like it. I know this for myself and for everyone. When I ask “How Are You?” I am knowing that I will hear, “All is Well. I have Faith. I am moving through all of this with the Power and Presence of Divine Love.”

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Rita Andriello-Feren, Co-Spiritual Director CSL Kaua`i