One of the benefits I receive from the Abraham teachings is the ability to let go of subtle yet potent internal pressures that never served me well: "Am I contributing enough to others?" "Have I accomplished enough for this stage of my life?" "How do others view me?" "Did I say or do something out-of-line?" "In what areas do I need to improve myself?" Yadda, yadda, yadda.

The voice in my cranium that is always trying to compare me to others, always trying to measure and goad me to improve is becoming weaker. The nagging voice that keeps me on pins and needles, feeling vigilant and inadequate, is taking a back seat to thoughts of well-being and thriving.   

I'm relaxing into who I really am, and that feels so-o-o-o good. 

It seemed, frankly, a stark statement when I first heard Abraham insist, "Nothing is more important than that you feel [emotionally] good." That sounded selfish, hedonistic, downright strange in the beginning. But now, after years of (on wobbly legs) making it top priority to give my attention to those things that feel good when I focus on them and removing my attention from those things that irritate and upset me, regardless of what anyone else is doing or saying, I find that this work brings balance and healing in profound ways.  

                                                                                                                        Joel + Kristin = Love

It also brings about participation in wondrous events,                                                     Texas Jesus
and the the recent marriage of my son, Joel, to Kristin
was the epitome of a joyous celebration.

This was my first time to be a parent at a wedding, as my older son, Smitty, had eloped, and my two stepsons, Dave and John, did the same. It was a new experience for our family, and it turned into a great time of fun and closeness.
It was a traditional wedding in a Catholic cathedral in downtown Houston. Called the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the $40 million, recently-finished building was palatial. Everyone looked fantastic and worthy of the majestic setting, and Joel and Kristin got hitched without a glitch.

I didn't "get emotional" other than to feel joyful for the young couple and appreciative of the setting, which included marble floors imported from South America and life-size statues imported from Italy. Breath-taking stained glass graced this and the neighboring cathedral where the rehearsal was held. (There was one depiction of Jesus looking more hale and hearty than usual, and someone commented they'd never seen him looking so "buff." Someone else quipped that he was the "Texas Jesus.")

Groomsman, Mark; Groom, Joel; Best Man, Smitty & wife, Bridgett

Might as well laugh about it

Some stifled chuckles came at the wedding rehearsal when the presiding priest continued to remind people to walk to the RIGHT of the baptismal font as they came down the aisle and to do the same when proceeding to the back of the church at the end of the ceremony. After yet another reiteration, Joel asked, "What happens if someone messes up and goes to the left? Do they burst into flames?" The priest, looking discombobulated, smiled weakly and said, "Ha, ha."

Another humorous moment at the rehearsal came when my granddaughter, Akiko, 8, was trying to get the hang of walking down the aisle, flinging rose petals on the floor from a small basket. The required act obviously flew in the face of all she'd been taught about littering. When she finally relaxed into the process, she became intrigued with how the rose petals would flutter to the floor, and continued to turn around to discover where the last handful had landed.

"Oh no, she can't keep turning around!" the priest admonished. "She might fall down and hurt herself."

It didn't seem like a highly dangerous situation, but Akiko was quickly instructed by us all to face straight ahead and not concern herself with the petals' location. (Leave it up to stodgy adults to let a kid, for once, litter but not let her view the fruits of her efforts.)

The buffet reception was held at the Redstone Golf Club near the kids' home. We returned to their house later for more frivolity, including a guitar sing-a-long, where Joel strummed and sang "American Pie," "Bobbie McGee," and other favorites that prompted Kristin's parents and me to warble at the top of our lungs. Mark declined to sing, as he didn't want to make the rest of us feel inadequate by comparison.  

Keeping on track...

At one point in the otherwise mirthful evening, I started to feel badly that my mom, who "croaked" in 2004, couldn't be there to experience the wedding. And what a shame that Joel's dad, whom we've not seen since Joel was very small, couldn't have participated in his and Smitty's lives.

And then I snapped myself out of that maudlin thinking. Why mess up a fabulous day with less-than-fabulous thoughts? Nope, not gonna happen.

As Abraham says, the better it gets, the better it gets. A happy vibrational countenance beckons more, and more, and even more things to be happy about.

Life is good. All is well. And I now have a gorgeous and delightful new "daughter."

Played: 4 | Download | Duration: 00:07:58

 Listen here to Soulsongs #90-95 from my book based on the teachings of Abraham-Hicks. All 500 Soulsongs are available in print as downloadable e-books at www.lulu.com.