this morning i reached in to the basket that holds newspapers in the far left under the sink counter.  I can't see down there,  just stick my hand in and feel for them under the saved egg cartons.   Way down.  and brought out the last of what i have.  Very few.  That i dropped on the floor by the Morning Chair and began twisting the usual four pieces needed to start the fire.  There was a single page and as i was about to begin to crumple and twist,  something said stop and i looked and there was

that Face

that form

I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

last year my friend who brings the OLD New York Times had brought a batch from  2013 which included one full piece of a 5 piece series on Homeless Children in NYC.  It was part two in the series of 5.  I was mesmerized and over the course of the next weeks,  she looked and looked but could not find the other 4.   Over time i gave up and sent this one i had to my granddaughter.  Off and on i thought of Dasani, 11 years old, and her Family.  Out of the blue, now and then.  

This morning,  here was a single page, both sides, but not complete,  of the last in the series of 5.  At the bottom, " Invisible Child   Last in the series about one of 22,000 homeless children in NYC.  The New York Times began following her in September 2012 when she was 11 years old and living at the Auburn Family Residence in Brooklyn.  This series is based on interviews, official records and video taken by the Times and Dasani's family."   The journalist is Andrea Elliott.

nytimes.com/Invisiblechild

i googled.   

There as if by magic was the entire series.  It took me almost 3 hours to read.  

My granddaughter and I  have several "topics" that are  OnGoing conversations.  One of which is the Wondering about how it is that we find ourselves uhh,  drawn to,  magnetized by,  attracted to certain things and people.  Lately it has leaned toward people.  About how there are many different schools of thought,  from karmic relationships in buddhist terms,  Caroline Myss'  thoughts of Sacred Contracts,  and old astrologer friend of mine who believed that we bring with us into a birth, those persons who can assist us in our "goals".   that we come as a "constellation of souls" partnering to manifest mutual Purpose.  and on.  Granddaughter, Alyssia and i,  don't go at this with the intention of coming to a conclusion,  but rather just as a Wondering.  a Wandering of Wondering where we add to our fund on our mutual rolodex as we go.  We make no conclusions.  This is important.  No conclusions.  which lets it continue,  Just Go.

IMG_2193f

so i saw this.  Out of the corner of my eye,  the corner of my brain

IMG_2195f

Dasani.  This 11 and then 12 year old girl.  To Whom i have an unknown, unexplained  affinity, recognition,  attraction to.   

If i could,  i would fly to NYC.  I would find the journalist.  I would find Her.  I would just want to stand in front of her,  to look at her with my eyes,  to tell her that although i cannot make any sense of it that she,  her story,  her words,  her Beingness,  has Great Great MEANING to me.  And that's it.  Nothing more.    More might happen.  Who knows.  But maybe not and if not,  that would be enough.  I love her.  Not as a child,  but as a human being.  as a Soul.  a Soul manifest in her world of birth.  I would present myself as a Soul manifest in my world of birth.  that somehow,  Recognizes her.   and that that recognition Helps me.  again,  in an undefinable way.  

IMG_2196f

and i continued with the CatHairScraps.

there's another pic.  of the last of the Pile of them dumped out on the kitchen counter but i can't get it to download.   The airwaves must be heavy with Valentines Day wishes.  so this is enough.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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16 responses to “an interlude of WONDER”

  1. ² Avatar
    ²

    and then …. put it two times on the blog ????????
    ” a constellation of souls ”
    made my heart smile
    the sun has the planets ….
    a constellation of….

    Like

  2. Mo Crow Avatar

    love the way the flighty nature of chance gently pushes the edges of perception

    Like

  3. julie Avatar

    andrea@nytimes.comn. Tell her, writers want to know.

    Like

  4. julie Avatar

    com. not comn. sheesh

    Like

  5. Els Avatar

    Love your story Grace !
    (one of your constellation ?)

    Like

  6. grace Avatar

    a constellation of souls
    Yes.
    So Much Yes
    including her, Dasani, in the meyouus

    Like

  7. grace Avatar

    flighty nature of chance
    yes. and you have to be ready for it

    Like

  8. grace Avatar

    you have no IDEA how grateful i am to you for this link…
    I WILL. She is Excellent and Excellent and Excellent.
    THANK YOU FOR THIS LINK. i WILL

    Like

  9. grace Avatar

    oh, Els…yes. for sure.
    i am so glad to see you here and i await your beet root pie recipe and LOVE your chameleon
    THANK YOU for your Self

    Like

  10. judykeathley@cox.net Avatar
    judykeathley@cox.net

    grace , maybe if you contact andrea at the n.y. times as julie directs,
    you could find a way to connect with dasani–even tho i know eye to eye is another thing —
    you could still at least maybe send some words to her..
    who knows …
    i mean really….who knows…
    love to you.

    Like

  11. grace Avatar

    Judy…yes. who knows…really, who knows…
    Yes. you are right. yes.
    I will.
    and what i might like Dasani to know, is that i want to Thank HER
    for being who she is, that tells me so much that doesn’t have
    words about how a Soul can Just Go. Just Go. She is so much about
    Just Going. She Inspires me. She is Elegant.

    Like

  12. Michelle in NYC Avatar

    Strange–I could have sworn i posted a comment yesterday but it’s not here so ???? I said I loved your response, the embrace of this story and writer…an i copy pasted the URLs. Maybe I only dreamed it. Here they are again for your readers to access if they choose:
    New York Times reporter Andrea Elliot discusses her profile of Dasani, a homeless girl in New York City.
    http://youtu.be/prklA6PcirE
    The five part story
    http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/invisible-child/#/?chapt=1v

    Like

  13. ² Avatar
    ²

    Yes Michelle you did !!!!
    look under
    grace had put the interlude of wonder TWO times
    greets

    Like

  14. grace Forrest Avatar

    i suddenly understood what you were trying to tell me…
    i have NO idea how that happened?????????????

    Like

  15. grace Forrest Avatar

    Yes…as Maria points out, there are TWO same posts….
    ??????????????????????
    i don’t know how that happened…..but……
    and Always….
    THANK YOU FOR ADDING THE URLS
    the interview with Elliott was great for me

    Like

  16. grace Forrest Avatar

    EEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

    Like

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