Transplant Recipient International Organization Baseball Game

Playing Baseball with Spare Parts

Denise and I received an invitation from the Seattle chapter of the Transplant Recipient International Organization to attend and participate in a baseball game/picnic with transplant recipients. Wow! I wasn’t sure how I could participate other than to bring food for the picnic. When Denise and I walked from our car to the yellow wooden picnic area canopy, we were greeted by a kidney recipient, Muff and a heart recipient, David. They both beamed broad smiles as they opened their arms to hug us. They led us to the picnic tables and then David called everyone’s attention. He introduced us as Donor Parents. Everyone stood up and clapped their appreciation. David invited everyone to eat and get to know each other.
When most of us were through eating, David asked for a show of hands from those who had received lifesaving body parts. He then identified the teams. The heart and livers would play the kidneys, lungs and everyone else. Denise and I were told that we could be on any team since our son had donated everything. Denise and I played on the Kidney team since they had the fewest number of players.
I was the pitcher for the kidney and lung team. When it was our teams time at bat, we gathered in the dugout. I listened to the tragic stories that were turned around by generous persons who donated their organs. One of the kidney recipients laughed about how he hated broccoli and now that he has a new kidney he loves the vegetable. He wondered if his donor loved broccoli. I asked a 50 year old heart recipient who received a 20 year old heart if he got excited when he saw young 20 year old women. He grinned and then his wife hit him on the back of the head as she said, “That’s why he lost his first heart.” We all laughed. I don’t remember which team won the baseball game. It didn’t matter. We laughed and got to know each other in the most intimate way.

My heart is happy knowing that our son’s organs not only extended life for the recipients, they also enhanced the lives of those related to the recipients in some way.

That is yet another reason why Denise and I have been organ and tissue donor advocates.

Dusty Tiger Mountain Road

When I open my eyes 

and take a breath 

to see what is before me, 

my world opens,

and I am filled with awe.

Blessing Manifesto

Mushroom Montoya’s Blessing Manifesto

I am a blessing. What I repeat often after I say, “I am,” I manifest into my life. Good coaches tell their charges to tell themselves that they are winners. I am my own coach at this stage of my life. I am a blessing and I will be a blessing upon the earth. I have lived well. I have experienced much that is delightful. I have been blessed with wonderful people who have taught me much. I share what I have learned from others and from my own life experiences.

Even the most horrific of tragedies have taught me much. There is a lesson to be learned or a blessing to be garnered from every experience regardless of how painful it is at the moment. My son’s death brought me unexpected gifts, in terms of what I see as important in my life.

The biggest lesson for me has been the importance and significance of gratitude. I am grateful that I am still alive and I can still contribute to the wellbeing and joy of others. I can continue to be a blessing not only to others, but to myself, as well. 

I have learned that we all expose our energy fields beyond our bodies. We touch others with our energy field. My thoughts and emotions affect my energy field. When I start each day by saying out loud, “I am a blessing.” I start the process to make it so. When people approach me, they feel welcome. They smile. They respond to my “blessing” energy. I don’t need to say anything. I can just be. Be a blessing. 

I enhance my ability to be a blessing by expressing my gratitude each morning. I express my gratitude to the Creator of all things and request the Creator’s help in my being a blessing. I thank the air for all if its gifts: my life, my ability to exercise, my ability to listen and talk. I ask the air to help my words be blessing words, kind words, loving words, and healing words. 

I thank the sun for its warmth, its light, its energy and its radiation. I ask it to help me be an illuminator and a blessing. 

I thank all my relations, the plants, the animals, the minerals and my body parts. I thank the water and my water relations, the fish, the dolphins, the clams, the otters the seaweed. I thank them for their gifts and ask them to help me be fluid and flexible. 

I thank the fire in all its forms for its gifts. I ask the fire to fire me up with energy so that I may have the strength to be a blessing. 

I thank the sky for bringing the sun, the moon and the stars,  I thank the birds and the bees for pollinating and spreading seeds. I thank the clouds for bring the rain, the snow and for feeding Mother Earth. 

I thank Mother Earth for birthing me into life and for her beauty. I ask her to help me be a blessing for her and all of her children. 

Lastly, I express my gratitude to my truest self and ask that I continue to be a blessing.

Angry Towel

The towel glared at the second story window, 

Waiting for my face to appear, 

Waiting to show me its anger

Wagging its soggy tail 

in the drizzly morning breeze. 

It shivered all night on the clothesline

While I slept between

soft

dry

sheets.

Quetzalcoatl, Lord of the Dawn, 

Brightened the room

with bright pastels,

Making my eyes smile

as I yawned, breathing in

the new morning.

My feet carried me outside

to greet the morning mist. 

She blew me a dewy kiss 

As she swished a breeze 

to tickled the perpetual climbing rose bush

into giggling. 

The tear soaked towel perched on the clothesline

Waiting impatiently for me to walk by.

It leapt from the line 

And doused me without asking permission. 

“You neglected to address my complaint, 

Or even say hello,” it hissed. 

Sadness jumped onto a breeze

And pounced on me

Completely pushing out

every

sliver

of intent

I had

to do

anything.

"Tis my turn

To play my game,

My way,” the towel blustered.

“Tis time for you

to practice being in pain.

I didn’t want your soggy tears

that sting my fur with death.”

“BUT MY SON IS DEAD,” I cried.

The towel fluttered its tongue at me.

“I refuse to sing a dirge for your son. 

His hands never touched me

Never folded me

And never, ever caressed me.

I didn’t want your soggy tears

that sting my fur with death. 

We are here and he is not,

Nor will he ever be.

“Tis time for you

to practice being in pain.”

 I winced

And wished my tears would pour 

And take the sadness with them.

The dewy mist licked my face 

Contributing the liquid for my tears.

I held the towel in my hands and cried,

“Nor did I

want my soggy tears

to sting your fur with death.”

Happiness is temporary and wonderful

Happiness is temporary and wonderful. I hear people say that they wish they could be happy all the time. You can't jump rope all day, no matter how much you enjoy it. We are creatures that need contrast to make out our way.
Tahlia Newland, interviewed me from Australia on her Happiness Hints program. Click on the link to go to the YouTube interview.
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