Maeve's Blog

Personal stories about love, life and spiritual growth

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
A feeling deep inside tells me that it is time for change.
The Earth has reached a tipping point. Things have to be rearranged.
Too long I have been bothered by all that has gone on.
The world is not what I thought it was, something is very wrong.
I think about the creatures of the land and sea and sky,
How much they all have suffered. HOW MANY MORE WILL HAVE TO DIE?
To satisfy the race that takes and always wants more.
Who hold the traits of jealousy and greed at their very core.
My mind turns to the people. I want to know just how
Much longer will they stay upon their knees and kowtow,
To the ones in high positions who dictate what all should do.
Who give little to the many, TAKE ALMOST ALL FOR THE FEW.
For I can see more clearly now what has been going on,
How the PLANET HAS BEEN PILLAGED, Her resources nearly gone.
People getting sicker, finding it more difficult to cope.
The governments and leaders practically handing them the rope.
Starvation, murder, suicide, the growing carcinogens
Stealing lives of too many. WHERE IS IT GOING TO END?
Fear and manipulation are the ‘leaders’ greatest tools
To suppress the will of humankind and treat them all like fools.
When frightened for their safety, being bombarded by bad news
Many cannot see that IT HAS ALL JUST BEEN A RUSE
So the few can make their trillions, pulling strings behind the scenes.
Their puppets FEIGNING CONCERN for the lives of human beings.
Photo by APG Graphics on Pexels.com
With pride I look around and see the women start to rise.
Outing their abusers, making public all the lies
And collusions that have allowed the creeps to abuse their power.
Paying off officials and compromising their honour.
Yes, the women are getting stronger and using their voice.
WE DON’T HAVE TO STAY IN VICTIMHOOD, there always is a choice
To stand up for what we believe in, openly speak our TRUTH,
Reclaim our SOVEREIGN FREEDOMS, give corrupt systems the boot.

If we all joined our forces, what would happen then?
We do not need an army, we would just need A FEW GOOD MEN
To call upon their brethren to get up off their knees.
Tell the people of their countries we will no longer appease
The wills of corporations, multinational ‘superpowers’
Who control what we consume, GRAB AND TAKE WHAT SHOULD BE OURS.
The bounty of this planet that once was so abundant
Being destroyed by machines, leaving its inhabitants redundant.
Dependent on the systems who keep them beaten down
So their SENSE OF SELF, their WORTHINESS, their HUMANITY can’t be found.

Photo by Anastasiya Lobanovskaya on Pexels.com
An uprising is needed if we want suffering to cease.
But war is not the answer, it must be done in PEACE.
For nothing’s going to change if we perpetuate the old.
Birthing a New Earth will need a strategy more bold.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WILL HAVE TO PLAY OUR PART.
Link our arms together and start leading from our HEARTS.
Turn our attention inwards and drown out all the noise.
Strengthen our convictions and give ourselves some poise
To move forward with an ease and grace and START TO DISENGAGE
FROM THE SYSTEMS THAT HAVE STIFLED US and kept our spirits caged.
To look to other human beings and SEE THEIR LIGHT WITHIN,
NOT their age, gender, orientation or colour of their skin.
For there is only one thing that connects the human race,
It’s that we have all originated from the same place
And each hold the essence of UNITY AND LOVE
Deep inside our core, it was given from above,
To help us on our journey, to be a guiding light,
To dissolve the shackles of slavery and help us feel our might.
For WE ARE FAR GREATER than ‘they’ would have us believe.
We’ve been disconnected from ourselves and each other, SO DECEIVED.

Photo by Hernan Pauccara on Pexels.com
If we could learn to reconnect and STEP BACK INTO OUR POWER 
We could take what’s rightfully ours back from those in ivory towers.
Resolving to no longer play their treacherous game
That has held all of humanity in hate and fear and shame.
But to CREATE A BETTER WORLD built on unity, love and truth.
Rebuilding and respecting Mother Nature and her fruits.
Find a fairer way that caters for the needs of everyone.
STOP JUDGING ONE ANOTHER, you see there is no right or wrong.
We’re all just trying to do our best with the hand that we’ve been dealt.
Some of us live in poverty, others live in wealth
But NO-ONE IS ‘BETTER’, contrary to what we’re told.
Your worth is not a value that can be measured out in gold.
Each one of us is worthy of love, joy and respect.
No matter where you are in life please never forget,
YOU HAVE BEAUTY ON THE INSIDE, you just need to shine it out.
For that is what the purpose of this life is all about;
Helping one another; Lifting up whoever you can.
We are here to learn some lessons - help every woman, child and man.
Photo by Leah Kelley on Pexels.com
So rise together people. Grab each other’s hands.
Drop into your heart centre. Set your sights on lusher lands,
Where we all can live in harmony, abundance, peace and joy.
WE CAN CREATE A BETTER FUTURE FOR EVERY GIRL AND BOY.
For the children deserve much better than what’s on offer now.
They could enjoy more freedoms, we just need to show them how
To have SELF-AGENCY and SOVEREIGNTY, not just do what they are told,
Cultivate a sense of worthiness to BELONG here in this world,
And reap all of its riches, drink in its majesty and wonder,
RECLAIM HUMANIY’S ROLE ON EARTH, break the spell that it’s been under.
The women have been speaking out, the men must do this too.
Then hand in hand we’ll restore the land, we know what we must do.
TEAR DOWN THE WALLS OF DIVISION. Accept each other as we are.
Connect to the LOVE that is inside us and become more self-aware.
Question everything you’re told. LISTEN TO THE VOICE WITHIN.
This is when the transformation really can begin.
Photo by Archie Binamira on Pexels.com
It’s time to make a stand. Think about what really matters.
Let go of the past, heal the stories of our ancestors.
We need a new approach, one that has not been tried before.
Violence will not help us, peaceful ways must be explored.
LET’S TIP THE SCALES IN FAVOUR OF THE ONES WHO ARE YET TO COME,
Who could look back with gratitude for all that we have done
To RESTORE THE POWER OF MOTHER EARTH and bring the Age of Love,
Embracing one another, taking guidance from above.
Inaction is the biggest crime. Let’s not make that mistake.
Our grandchildren will not thank us, there is way too much at stake.
Hold a vision in your mind of the world you want to see.
UNPLUG FROM ALL THE SYSTEMS that want to control you and me.
Think about YOUR ROLE in making the world a better place.
What are the small adjustments you would be willing to embrace?
Tiny steps are all that’s needed to effect real change.
Then we can steadily move forward with our goal in range.
The time has come to make your mark. Will you heed the call?
Let’s create a WHOLE EARTH to be enjoyed by one and all.
The patriarchy will crumble, it has already begun
A New Age is dawning. WE WILL RISE UP LIKE THE SUN

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com
For future generations, we must strive and fight again.
We do not need an army. We just need A FEW GOOD MEN.

Photo by Being.the.traveller on Pexels.com

The door to her humble home is always open. With kindness and generosity, she extends a hand to all who cross her threshold.

What do you need, love?’

She has food for hungry children, sugary tea for jittery bodies, cigarettes and consoling conversations for lonely, despairing mothers.

She has something for everyone.

Led by her heart, her secret mission is to ease the burden of those she encounters.

Her soft, open face is etched with stories that could fill a thousand books. Deep, glistening eyes mirror the God she sees in everyone.

You will find her at every community gathering. Quietly holding space. Cheering on those who try to make a difference.

Within her lies a deep discernment, that protects her giving spirit from being exploited.

She is respected.

She is needed.

She is the light in the dark.

The darkness is the lack experienced by her community. The lack of interest decision makers have in the people, their livelihoods, their lives. It is the bull-dozer that has pushed the area and its inhabitants to the margins. To the brink. Raping it of what resources it can and abandoning the rest. Creating dependency, humiliation and chaos.

Worst of all, it is the ‘better off’, in pocket and in circumstance, who have turned their backs, too ashamed to see the devastation they have allowed to happen.

If only they would help their own kind.

And so she continues doing what she can. When someone falls she reaches down to pull them back up. Sometimes by the scruff of the neck. Again. And again. And again. Never judging. Rarely complaining. Always with love.

To stay in the flow of giving she knows she must also receive. So she takes donations and the extra hands offered. For the greater good. And she accepts the ‘thank you’s, the ‘only for you’s and the ‘where would we be without you’s, for they are fueling her fire.

When needed, she becomes the voice for those who have been muted by oppression. Speaking with passion and conviction to those whom society deems ‘superior’.

But she knows.

She doesn’t have much but she is abundant. In love. In pride. In courage. And in friendship. She wants for nothing but a better world.

For all of humanity is her community. The Earth her home.

She is an aspect within each one of us.

Could you be the light in the dark?

Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels.com

I wish she could see herself through my eyes. See the amazing woman that she is. See the strength that she has, the love she has, see her beauty.

She talks about struggles, hardships and challenges. Yet she continues to get up every morning, to look after her boys, to help family and friends in need. In a world of personal troubles she is still able to give to others. I see her LOVE and COMPASSION.

She talks about being taken for granted, feeling used. Yet, is beginning to see how she has been manipulated. And will take no more. I see her becoming more AWARE, more WISE.

People in her life put her down, criticize her, make her feel small. But she is starting to realize that it doesn’t matter what they think. What matters is what she thinks of herself. I see her growing SELF-LOVE.

At times she feels caged, imprisoned by her circumstances. But in admitting it, in talking about it, she demonstrates a level of honesty, most importantly with herself, that many of us may never reach. I see her COURAGE.

Past traumas are popping up begging for attention, for resolution. She has stopped pushing them away, back out of sight, and has turned to face them, recognizing that the only way out is through. I see her WARRIOR SPIRIT.

Every now and again she tells me about a moment that brought her joy. In her garden tending plants, on a walk in the woods, or when a robin flew into her kitchen to say “hello”. I see her DEEP CONNECTION with the NATURAL WORLD and its magic.

Most of all she talks about feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities of parenting, feeling lost, confused as to where to go, what to do for her child. But I see that she is doing so much already. She is loving him. She is trying her best to understand his world. She is listening intently to all the silent communication he has with her. She is allowing her intuition to guide her responses. I see her CONNECTING WITHIN and following her INNER GUIDANCE.

And I see that he is teaching her how to access her gifts; to see beyond the physical, the tangible, the everyday, and to realize that there is so much more going on in this world than we can yet see or understand. There is so much more to our humanness.

I see the beautiful soul that she is. I see her navigating her human journey, with its many challenges, with empathy and love for others. She has a heart that never stops giving, and a growing self-compassion that is going to be the makings of her. I see her as a beautiful flower that is just about to bloom. And when she sees what I see she will be even more magnificent. 

September 2019. The last time I attended a concert. We stole away for a child-free night in Galway, threw our bags in the room and headed straight into town. We ate at our leisure, amidst the clink of delph and human chatter, before slip-streaming into the current of people moving through a busy Main Street. Alive with giddiness, we found a cocktail bar that was dim enough to make day-time drinking feel permissible.

Later, as we almost skipped to the venue, nervous anticipation bubbled in my belly. It had been a while since I had been to a gig like this. Years! I wondered if I’d have the same experience now that I was… more mature, let’s say.

When we caught sight of the enormous, red-and-white-striped, three-peaked marquee our feet sped up. In the venue the air of excitement was palpable. Groups of friends clutching plastic pints huddled closely together, talking and laughing loudly, probably sharing stories of past gigs and mischiefs. Notes of cigarette smoke, cut grass and perfume mingled in the air. We settled ourselves into the crowd and people-watched to get a feel of the general vibe. Spirits were high.

The warm-up act was good. My body swayed, opening up potent memories of the magic of live music. Unwilling to lose our spot in the packed tent, we took turns during the intermission to go to the bar. Nervousness returned to my belly. What if I didn’t enjoy it as much as I used to?

Then they appeared on stage and a huge cheer rose up, filling the entire space. We looked at each other, eyes and smiles wide, hands clasped in front of our chests, almost in prayer. 

‘Please let this be everything we hope it will be’. 

They drop the first beat and the stage explodes in light. Another cheer cascades through the crowd. The experience is utterly thrilling. The music kicks in and the ground oscillates, sending vibrations into our feet and shooting up through our bodies. My entire being is drenched in sound. I have no choice but to move. Closing my eyes I completely immerse myself in the music. 

The layered beats and tones send tingles down my spine and cause a rush of dopamine to flood my system, pulsing a soft electrical charge over the surface of my skin. I lose myself to the music and allow it to take me on a journey to a place where there is no time and space, only pure beingness. When I open my eyes a swirling, multicoloured laser display draws me in and holds me in a trance momentarily. I look around the crowd and sense our individual energies merging into one collective mass. We are completely at the mercy of the two maistros on stage who are masterfully shaping and moulding us as they please with the skillful twists and flicks of buttons on their ‘control panels’. 

I turn to him and our eyes meet. There is a mix of awe and exultation on his face. We laugh, both throwing our heads back in unison and I let out a ‘Whooooooo’.

The beat and tempo changes and it takes our bodies and senses a few seconds to adjust until we are swept away again on magical soundwaves. My spirit is set free and soars high, like an emancipated dove. Musical notes dance inside and around me, playfully tickling my senses. Then the music crescendos like a giant wave breaking on the shore. Almost involuntarily, my arms fly up into the air. The entire audience does the same and I am struck by the physical display of collective consciousness. There is no ‘me’ or ‘I’ in this marquee, we are one – moving as one, sensing as one, being as one. I swim deep into the belly of the music and ride the waves of love, unity and joy that wash over us.  

When the music comes to an end they vacate the stage to a chorus of cheers and whistles. I am brought back to reality and into my physical body, that I realise is aching and tired. I wrap my arms around him and thank him. As the crowd starts to disperse and we shuffle outside to find a seat I feel a tinge of sadness. Can we not stay in this tent forever? 

On the drive home the next day we reflect on shared memories and stand-out moments. As I stare out the window I drift into deeper thought. All those years going to live events, I realized then, I wasn’t chasing the music or the experience. I was chasing the feeling. The feeling of deep connection with other human beings having a shared experience. That feeling of unity, of oneness.

God, I miss going to gigs.

Light flashes in the corner of my eye and I’m surprised to see a car at the gate. We don’t get many visitors these days! It’s the children’s friends and their Mam, who must be on their way home from afterschool. “Look who’s here!”, I call and we hurry down to greet them, thrilled to welcome other human beings to our quiet home.

“Just something small”, she says, handing gifts to the kids. Neon colours streak across a grey backdrop prompting chase by little, limber legs. Shrieks and laughter resound through the evening air. My heart swells to see our two having other children to play with after the year they have had.

As we amble up the driveway, a crisp breeze nipping at our noses, she says, “I heard about Billy”. Our beautiful fox hound whose life was taken on the road a few days ago. ‘Ah’, I think, feeling a mix of sadness and appreciation, ‘That’s why she’s come’. A radiant warmth fills my chest as I take in her kind face. Without warning the story of my father’s accident tumbles out of my mouth. Instinctively, she knows all the right things to say and questions to ask.

While the kettle boils I arrange chairs on the patio, then rummage for a sweet offering. Hands wrapped around hot coffee cups for warmth we chat until the sun starts to dip close to the earth and orange seeps into the evening sky. The simple pleasures we for so long took for granted.

When it’s time to go the children give us the run around, laughing and giggling all the while. Their reluctance to leave understandable. It’s been a long time since they have got to play together with no rules, no guidelines, just unadulterated fun.

Our collective spirits lifted we wave goodbye until the taillights disappear around the corner. Peering down at their rosey-cheeked faces I delight to see their eyes back to full sparkle.

As I gather up the coffee cups I think about her. She’s off home to get the dinner made, get the kids sorted for school tomorrow and God knows what else.

The generosity and kindness of her visit will stay with me.

I am blessed to have found her friendship.

Photo by Hamid Tajik on Pexels.com

Before I set off I picture her, willing her to be there when I pass. I know this walk will help to ease the burden of emotion weighing on me. She will help.

No headphones, no phone, no distractions. I need to be with nature and let it do its work.

As I trudge up the hill, birdsong filling my ears, I take in the primroses and buttercups. Their pale and vibrant yellows decorating the hedgerows. I celebrate their appearance with a moment of appreciation and a small smile. More colourful days to come. Hands shoved in my pockets and head dipped I hope I don’t meet any neighbours and have to chit chat, not today.

I breathe the crisp air into my lungs, swallowing mouthfuls in an attempt to bring it’s freshness, it’s lightness into my heavy body. Opening myself up to the wind I allow it to carry what worries it can away with it, like dandelion seeds on the breeze.

When I round the corner there she is. My heart lifts a little at the sight of her chocolate brown magnificence. Silently I beckon her over. Slowly and with ease she makes her way to me, stopping at an arms-length. I reach out and place my hand gently on her beautiful face. Lowering her head slightly she signals that I can stroke her. I am grateful for the gesture.

In gentle silence she holds space for me while I open up my heart to her. Her healing presence granting permission for everything that ails me to flow out. Her magical powers turn on a faucet inside me, releasing the pain, grief and sea of swirling emotions that had been holding me in a sodden mess. Instinctively she knows what I need, better than I know myself. For quite some time she does not stir, except for the occasional twitching of her ears to pick up the faint rumbling of a distant tractor. Once or twice I wonder ‘Should I go now’. Her silent stillness tells me ‘No. Stay’.

Eventually, the mechanical noise of a passing car breaks the silence and releases us from our trance. I pick hay and dirt from her mane and thank her for the service she has done me. Our eyes never meet but there is an unspoken understanding between us. I rub down her cheeks with the kind of affection I have for my children. ‘Next time I pass I will bring you an apple’, I tell her. Her work done she slowly moves away.

On the walk home, my load lightened, I wonder if I could hold space like that for another human being – silent compassion that simply allows them to release whatever is causing them suffering. It would be an honour, I think to myself.

Two weeks later I’m in the car with my mother. Something I say triggers her (a regular occurrence). Instead of becoming triggered also I practice. I say nothing, I stay calm and in my heart. I allow what needs to flow out of her without judgement, without personalizing it, without feeling the need to interject or correct. I just let it be. After a couple of minutes she is emptied of her burden. She is calm. I am calm. We start talking about migrating birds.

Hello and thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog

My name is Maeve and I live in the midlands of Ireland with two wonderful children and a lovely husband. We live in the countryside and are blessed to be surrounded by nature.

I’ve been writing for myself for a little while – journaling and personal story writing – and a few months ago I joined a writers group on Facebook (Creative Writer’s Cabin) where I get to share some pieces of writing and to learn from a beautiful group of talented female writers.

I have been feeling the nudge to share some writing in a wider context and I’ve finally taken the big step (for me) of setting up this blog page.

I write stories from personal experience and I love to write about the things that bring me joy and touch me on a deeper level.

Maybe what you read here might touch you too, and if it does and you would like to reach out to me I would really love to connect with you.

Much Love