Image and Context - Tuesdays with Lady V

Recently I did a scrap book of photos for my friend and spiritual guide. Lady V took me under her wings at a very difficult and uncertain period in my life. She took me to the Durga temple every Tue morning. Without her company and her consistent attention to me this ritual would have fallen away. By sustaining it without fail every Tue morning, I began to see again the power of consistent attention and discipline. And how that transforms our mundane existence and anxieties if we allow it to. Alot of time I realize we are caught up in our heads and lose touch with intuition. We are not present to the moment and the lessons within. A temple is an ideal place to switch off the mind and turn on the heart and higher self. By watching Lady V closely every Tue morning she SHOWED me love and other life's lessons. Her sincere devotion to both the Lord and to my well being was deeply moving. She NEVER spoke about lessons or things I needed to learn. Never preached even though she had every right to do so - having lived a highly successful life as an eminent lawyer. In fact alot of the time we were silently praying next to each other. She showed up with enthusiasm and commitment every Tue morning at the temple at 7am before she took off to work. What better gift can you ask of a friend? A friend who teaches you life lessons in a gentle and kind way. A friend who does not condemn or try to intrude or tell you how you can do things better. A friend who trusts that you have the power of discernment and intelligence within you to see and learn the very best lessons in a given situation. A friend who demonstrates faith in you. This is a powerful gift.

The scrap book I did for her was full of beautiful images and a few words. The images were ones I took when I was with her at Indian festivals, Hindu processions or prayer. Collected over a period of two years it all added up in quite significant way. In fact she was overwhelmed when she saw the scrap book. The words I wrote to accompany the photos were a distillation of the lessons in personal leadership that she had bestowed on me. Through her actions, not words. The images themselves were beautiful and powerful because of the context. Of what was happening in my life and our regular Tue morning trips to the temple. When the student is ready the teacher will appear.