Begin Mandala - (Meditation Card series) - © Sue O'Kieffe 2008What I love best about my new job is being able to approve housing for those who desperately need it. Working in HUD approved low income housing puts me in a position of understanding from both sides (having been low income myself for the past 4 years and a part of the "welfare system" for almost as long). I understand not only what it is like to be treated *less than,* but also how hard it is, as an administrator, to not get emotionally overwhelmed by some of what I see on a daily basis.
This complex does have fairly stringent guidelines for approving who is moved in (credit check, criminal background check, registered sex offender check, previous landlord check etc). Most of this comes through HUD guidelines, but not all of it. Throughout it all I do my best to treat applicants with dignity and respect. I keep things as lighthearted as possible.
At the beginning of the month I moved in a woman who has been homeless, living in her van, for the past 4 years. Today I am moving in a 23 year old woman with 3 children under the age of 5 who has been homeless almost as long. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself working here and enjoying it. It is gratifying to feel like I can help make a small difference in the lives of some people I meet.
So for these two women and their families, I offer this mandala of new beginnings. The source image I used for this mandala is a bush called
pieris japonica or Lily of the Valley bush. There is a lot of it used in the landscaping where I work.
I wish them both well.
~ds
Comments (15)
I am so impressed with what you do. I think I told you that I worked for an inner-city family medicine clinic in Cleveland, but it's not the same. How rewarding. And how perfect you are to treat people with respect.
@BoureeMusique - treating people with respect is the same no matter where it is. it spreads the light and the love....
This is such a wonderful post to read today!
You are touching so many lives with hope and joy.
Thank you for that! You are making the world a much better place!
Very beautiful Mandala, it is storming here so this was a pleasant morning view. Have a great week.
I did that kind of job for a while and enjoyed it a great deal. Judi
I can see where it would be very gratifying to be able to help people and treat them well in a situation where you know they aren't always respected.
Lily of the Valley bush! How appropriate. I only knew pieris japonica. My mom calls it something else.
Are all these lovely kaleidoscope pictures going to be available as a set of meditation cards? And, uh, what exactly is a meditation card? How does one use it?
@tongfengdemao - i am working on prototypes for a deck of meditation cards using my mandalas. i will need to eventually find a publisher, but right now i am experimenting with the style of my art.
~ds
You are one very decent human being always was always will be.
So glad that you are enjoying your work. It is a rewarding job to help those in need. You are a caring person and it shows.
That ma'am is pretty damn cool. I don't know why I didn't see this post. I guess something is wrong with my subscriptions.
I also like your mandala! What are you going to put on the other side of them? Just curious.
@jaeyounglee - i havent even begun to think what i might put on the back...do you have any suggestions?
~ds
@DancingSun - I like some of your Universe sayings. Maybe you can associate the theme of the card with some of the messages your receive. Symbolism is always cool to or you could do something totally creative and original. Or like just a word on the back which a person can meditate on. But you can infuse the card with a certain energy/resonation. Just a couple ideas off the top of my head.
@jaeyounglee - well the universe messages are owned by tut.com...thanks for your feedback...i think the cards will have a word associated with them...maybe i need to create a *top* like most tarot decks have, and then the meditation card on the other side...still a long ways to go on this development...
~ds
@DancingSun - I've always wondered where the Universe messages came from. I think I asked once. I always thought you channeled them.