Living Blessings

Hello on New Year’s Eve in from Bali! What a better day to finally fill you in on my experiences from this past year. MANY opportunities to practice what I preach so I thought I would share this just before the New Year begins.

Vacations/Moving

Many of you already know that I was drawn to Bali in March to May of this year (2023) from what I am convinced was a meditative calling. I was guided to each place I stayed and what a fantastic experience this was! If you are interested in seeing through my eyes, my journey, I did make several videos which I have posted on my YouTube channel at just my full name (Hanifa Menen). Here is a link to that playlist for your enjoyment if you do look: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHwKV9dqqcDh28YqgeTPjsxeCDl2qcpyB

Now you understand that this was no vacation – but a trusting of an unknown message of guidance that I chose to follow and what an experience it was!

Some of you also know that I had moved twice in 2023. The first I had to move out of asap (maybe within a month?) as the promised parking spot was nonexistent and the space available for me with the roommate (though in a lovely good-sized townhouse), was definitely not sufficient for my belongings. So a friend/Realtor helped me find a great next place fast!! And this place was PERFECT! It was the basement of a home in South Oakville walking distance from the lake and I walked to the lake almost every day I was in that home!

The landlady lived upstairs and the basement was beautifully created by her with a perfect kitchen, bathroom (with a heated floor!), bedroom, treatment room for my treatment table, a washer/dryer, and a simple room that I used for my dining table as I had already let go of my favourite couch that I mostly used for company/entertaining purposes.

So the space was perfect. And the landlady was lovely… until one day as I walked back home from the lake I noticed an ambulance across the street from my new home. My landlady had apparently understood her symptoms well enough to know that she needed to call 911 for this. She was in the hospital for several weeks). She did reach out to me and I agreed to watch out for her cats with daily visits and feeding. The neighbours beside me also were great help in this time as the 2 little girls loved playing with the cats and feeding with me. Many times I just did the work myself but the girls had trained me well (including the kitty-litter work). The landlady would send me regular texts of appreciation (saying she trusted me like family) and luckily one of her sons and his wife visited occasionally from Oakville too and I got to hear some updates about her health (which sounded relatively critical). Well, she got back home!

And then everything slowly changed… more. In my first month, the landlady had learned that most of my work was online only but I had held onto my treatment table as I really do cherish it. She encouraged me to use it… only to firmly deny in-person visits a very short time later. Now back from the hospital, she hardly spoke with me – though she did thank me kindly soon after she came back. One day early in my stay (and after her hospital stay) she texted me the simple words “your lease is null and void, you do not live here” – I happened to receive this on the day that I woke up to the radio telling me a story about a landlord chasing down their tenant and actually killing them. Not a good connection/timing for that experience. Now remember, I had just had to do a rushed move because of the parking situation at my previous rental. I reached out to the son I knew and though I didn’t tell him any details, I asked if I had upset his Mom somehow (also because she was also upset that I did not know what knob she wanted me to turn when she texted me to “turn on the water” downstairs – all I could think of was the kitchen or bathroom – which began several abusive texts from her). After I had reached out to the son, I got a stern text from the landlady even though I did not share any specific details with him about the communication I received.

I had rushed to the neighbours in distress as I wasn’t sure if this lady was capable of the style of tragedy that I had just heard about on the radio. I just wanted/needed someone to know of my fears now living under a lady who was clearly not communicating kindly. I did keep in touch with the son… mostly superficially (though he was checking in on me) – and this gave me some level of comfort as he would often say… “she may not even remember this tomorrow – you do not need to be going through this and I am sorry you are… I know how she is…”

Fast forward to her excitement for me going to Bali in March (I had moved to her home in November). I went and she even commented on some photos on Facebook (kindly). I came back in May and her son and daughter-in-law were visiting from Australia. I was not introduced; landlady was not interactive with me and the kids seemed to be following suit. I spoke with the wife a few times (mostly simple needs for her needing to get to fuse box in basement or polite hellos occasionally… when she did not avoid eye contact). We had one longer conversation when she told me that she and her husband (landlady’s son) were buying a boat so that her adult kids from a first marriage could stay with them, or stay alone to finally see Ontario too). They bought the boat. And then the unthinkable happened. I learned (through checking in on landlady) that both had been killed in a 5-car pile-up in October in Sarnia. Of course this was devastating (to us all). I was not invited to the funeral though I was able to see the video of the ceremony and speeches some time after the event. Landlady definitely not speaking to me now and a sign on her door which said “do not disturb” certainly applied to me as well as any others in the neighbourhood. Thankfully I know that family and friends were visiting regularly.

I decided I had to move as the energy in the home was not welcoming to me at all and thought I might as well downsize some more and also see if a new opportunity may arise in Bali at this time. I gave my 2-month notice to the landlady. She seemed happy for me (I know she has travelled a lot in her lifetime). Sill hardly speaking with me. The day before my moving company arrived I had to text her if she could move her car (in one of the 2 parking spots I was paying for in my lease but had been asked to move my car for her needs quite regularly during my year stay). Now I needed the space for the moving company truck. She did move her car… right after she texted me “where are you going to sleep after your stuff is moved?” The movers were coming 3 days before my actual move out date, so I said, “a friend lent me a foam roll-up mattress to use until I move.” And she said “your lease is over” – again. I reached out to the son right away as I feared her changing my lock before I got back with the movers moving things to a locker with me. He said he’d check in on his Mom but I shouldn’t worry. So…NOT an easy year at all.

THE BLESSINGS IN THESE OPPORTUNITIES

Believe it or not, though it was not easy at all, I chose to look at each experience as an opportunity to take the most logical and heart-centred action. For the first move, when the roommate came to me to let me know that things weren’t working out – I naturally agreed and said I would move out. No drama, but I did express the disappointment with the missing promised space and parking. And she gave me my deposit back. We hugged and all is good.

With this second move… with my whole year, in fact, through my own un-ease… I sent healing energy to the landlady and her family who clearly have all gone through much over the years with the tragedy of a double family loss to top everything. Not once did I wish anything but the best for the landlady and her family. I did pray vehemently for some ease for me, and meditated regularly with a steady guidance being sent to me through the ethers both in Ontario and in Bali. This continues today. What a blessing this landlady has been to me to bring out the best possible energy from me to help her family and my own Spiritual experience.

And the most phenomenal experience happened while I was still in Oakville… in one of my meditations… I saw her recently-passed son. The 2 questions I was always asking the Universe to help me understand before my meditations was about this tragedy (simple response from the Universe – their work was done in this life); and why am I going to Bali again… what am I going to do… (response from the son – “I will help you – though our work is very different, we help with the same heart”). Wow. He didn’t say “in Bali” or “in Oakville” – heck, it could be anywhere… but I can’t tell you how comforting that was to hear him say this. Did I mention that he and I had only spoken for a few minutes in total in person… but this message was from him – at least the Universe speaking through him. This I know. And I am blessed for this Blessing.

What we put out into the Universe certainly does come back. Thanks for reading this far if you are still here. May 2024 bring us all the Blessings that we Consciously send out with our own Heartfelt work. This mind believes that this is the Karmic cycle my friends… let us contribute to Love, Peace and Harmony.

BTW… I know that this landlady has done much service work; her son in Oakville is a firefighter, her son in Guelph is a medical doctor, and her son who has passed travelled all over the world helping create education and service to the less-privileged. What a blessing to still feel his energetic service continuing… And all the sons were raised by this early-widowed single Mom. Clearly instilling great values. What a blessing this landlady has been to so many… including me. Thank-you Mo.

Happy New Year to you All.

Good thoughts, words and actions are a privilege. May we positively contribute to each other each with each of these regularly.

Kindly,

Hanifa