"In Memoriam"

"In Memoriam"

With teary eye I thank you, Boy

For giving me your life,

And who am I to take you from

Your mother, son and wife?

With heavy heart I thank you, Miss

Your courage hired for pittance.

If honor earned be heaven's price,

Be sure of your admittance!

To all we've lost, but Angels gained,

Who fly now free from chains,

Unburdened from this world of war,

Your light be not contained.

Our tribute then, could never be

The glory you deserve,

Our closest humble offering, 

In liberty preserved.

- Tanya Diona

Originally published in blog posted May 26, 2014

Namaste,
T

#Girlpower

Sorry so late...

The past few weeks have been all about video shoot preparation. The last two days were the two big video shoot days. WE ROCKED IT! :)

An absolutely amazing team of women came together and did their thing! I've been working with our two featured performers for the last year and have come to love and appreciate them so! One is a professional aerialist and teacher, the other a determined student learning the fundamentals of aerial silks.

"Aerial silks is a type of performance in which one or more artists 

perform aerial acrobatics while hanging from a fabric." 

- Wikipedia

Our rehearsal/training facility was founded by another incredible lady. When we needed rehearsals recorded, a fourth inspirational woman came into the family. Then we needed wardrobe, and eventually hair and makeup personnel. Seriously talented women filled each of these these roles with perfect skill, impeccable professionalism and beautiful spirit. Yet another came to help all of us during the first shoot day.

I am awestruck every time I think about all the collective talent on this project. There are a few men here too, including our videographer and two co-songwriters, but I've worked closely with a whole newly formed family of women that I've come to know, appreciate and love dearly. It will be a while before the final edited footage is released in music video form, but it has been a most wonderful journey so far. I can hardly wait to show you the final version and tell you all about everything in more detail.

For now, I will sleep well tonight. It's been A LOT of hard work this past year, and especially the last few weeks and past two days. It's such a joyous feeling to see it all coming together on the camera. (Russ got a little teary eyed watching too). We have one more scene to shoot in a few weeks and then we'll get down to the editing.

Endless gratitude to all who contributed their time and energy! This has been a truly magical experience!

Namaste,
T

Sporting my "natural look" after the shoot yesterday

#LetItGo

The topic of forgiveness came up several times this week. There was a difference of opinion with someone and the conversation about it that followed. There was a completely unrelated talk with a different friend about their argument with someone. Then there was a butterfly...

While having a difference of opinion via text message with someone, I described my thoughts to a friend I was with. "I don't have to argue. I don't have to get them to understand my point of view. I don't have to be right. All I need to do is walk away," I said.

It struck me as funny how simple that was, yet how challenging that can be sometimes - to just walk away. Oftentimes when we "let it go" or walk away, we do it with an attitude or judgement toward the other party. I meant just really letting go though, without any harsh feelings.

It's easy to stew about some perceived injustice and complain to anyone who will listen. It's easy to walk away and decide that the other person is a _____ (insert undesirable name here). What about actually respecting their perception or circumstance as different than ours, not better or worse?

"To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it."

- Confucious

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

- Mahatma Gandhi

Drawing upon what I learned from audio books and seminars I recently listened to (Co-Creating At Its Best, Wayne Dyer, Esther Hicks; The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle; Sacred Contracts and Archtypes, Carolyn Myss), I practiced shifting my thoughts and letting go. I actually felt lighter when I did.

"Resentments are burdens we don't need to carry."

 - Anon.

"Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools."

- Albert Einstein

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

- Buddha

The next day, someone else I know described an argument that they just had with someone. We talked about refocusing thoughts in a way that would allow any negativity to float away like a butterfly.

Today, a butterfly fluttered across my path as I was pulling out of the driveway. It was big and yellow and beautiful, and danced away into a neighbor's yard as I stopped the car to watch it.

Here's to a beautiful new week... light, fresh, new...  and free...

Namaste,
T

Much Ado About Mothers

This month is all about video preparation. I try not to talk about it much here, mainly because the process is so long and arduous. It will be quite a while before this video is completely done - and we've been working on it for almost a year already!

The thing is... this past week was so jam-packed with video production work, that I really have not much else to talk about - except Mother's Day. :)

Tree planted by my mother :)

We're approaching shoot day now and things are getting both crazy hectic AND fun! As I raced around New York City this week searching for costumes, fabric, crystals, hair pieces, buttons, trimmings, industrial strength glue, props, jewelry, hats, etc., I was also rehearsing and juggling calls to the wardrobe designer, choreographer, videographer, hair stylist, makeup artist, and more. There are so many details to tend to! At one point, a dear friend of mine lovingly laughed at me and at my "motherly" type of role. I took it as a most wonderful compliment.

"If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?"

- Milton Berle

The fact is that there are so many incredible women on this project, when I stop to think about it I am in awe. A group of talented, creative women working together is truly a beautiful thing. Then there was Mother's Day. As I scrolled though post after post about people's love and gratitude for their mothers these last few days, my appreciation of amazing women everywhere strengthened even more.

"Motherhood: All love begins and ends there."

- Robert Browning

Thank you - to all the incredible women in this world! Some are mothers now and some are fondly remembered with the deepest warmth and adoration. Some are mothers to be and some are mothers in a spiritual sense - mothering/mentoring groups, neighborhoods or communities... ALL with an endless capacity for love and compassion so pure that we can feel its divine nature.

"God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers."

 - Rudyard Kipling

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."

- Abraham Lincoln

"Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children."

- William Makepeace Thackeray

"It may be possible to gild pure gold, but who can make his mother more beautiful?"

- Mahatma Gandhi

"We are born of love; Love is our mother."

- Rumi

Here's hoping that we allow that kind of love to grow in our hearts and shine out into the world even brighter this week.

"Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love."

- Mother Teresa

Namaste,
T

We Are Family... #Inspiration

Friday was the We Are Family Foundation's 2016 Celebration Gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City... I just want to take you all there with me...

Russell and Tanya

Moses, Coyote, Tanya

Coyote, Nile Rodgers, Moses

Tanya and Paul

Moses, Coyote, Tanya, Larry

Danielle, Russell, Tanya, Barry

"The We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the vision of a global family by creating and supporting programs that inspire and educate the next generation about respect, understanding and cultural diversity - while striving to solve some of our biggest global problems at the same time."
- WAFF

Click here to learn more about WAFF

The work they do throughout the year is absolutely amazing, especially their support of brilliant and talented teens! Please take a moment and click around their website. You will be inspired. 

"We're building global coalitions, producing international summits, 

creating worldwide curricula and building schools 

in countries with the highest illiteracy rates." 

- WAFF

At this year's gala, WAFF honored President Jimmy Carter (Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Honoree), Adobe Project 1324 (Visionary Honoree), and Bono (Humanitarian Honoree).

Click here for Variety's article: "Bono, Jimmy Carter Feted at Nile Rodgers' We Are Family Foundation Gala"

Bono's acceptance speech - posted on Youtube...

The Edge couldn't make it, but Russ was there! #GORUSS

It was an amazing and incredibly inspirational evening! The event brought together a most beautiful family of people working to make the world a better place. I am in awe of all the love in that room that night. People like Nile Rodgers, President Jimmy Carter, Bono, all the teen leaders (from around the world) and their mentors brought together by the foundation, and hundreds in attendance who appreciate and work toward the highest good of our collective human family... It was an absolutely JOYOUS occasion. 

Thank you Nile Rodgers for your tireless efforts to inspire and encourage the global family to which we all belong. Thank you.

Namaste,

T