Brothers and Sisters,

The great Lakota spiritual leader Frank Fools Crow once said, "If we keep everything in balance, we are in harmony with ourselves and are at peace."

After returning home from the summer gathering, life resumed at the speed of a busy hummingbird.

It was so good to spend time at DragonHills and see all the Free Cherokee again. We welcomed a new tribe, the Sweet Potatoe Clan. We ate, we sweated, we did our crafts, and rekindled the old flames.

At the Chief's council is was determined that the Bird Clan would cordinate the Green Corn Dance for the 2007 summer gathering and our very own GrandMother DancingEagle was nominated to organize the medicine societies again. It is my understanding she will begin with the Bear Medicine Society.

With all this added to our already busy schedules, sometimes we may feel very overwhelmed. But the Creator tells us that as within, as without, our present thought determines our future. How can we find peace in the middle of all this chaos. If we want peace outside ourselves, we must first have peace inside ourselves. It's not what is going on but how we are looking at what is going on. We need to keep ourselves in balance.

Our GrandMothers used to remind us to, "stop and smell the roses". How many times have we been told that? What did our ancestors mean by that strange statement? We must be careful to not get too hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Is this easier said, then done?

NO, JUST DO IT! Take time for yourself, to replenish your life flow. Be aware, know the times - time to work, time to rest, time to play, time to sleep, time to pray, time to lighten up, time to laugh, time to eat, time to exercise.

There is a saying "The honor of one is the honor of all." This means when we work with all, we need to also work on one. We need to take care of ourselves. You cannot give away what you don't have.

Great Spirit, let us walk in balance today. Remove from us resentment, self pity and self seeking motives. Let us love ourself so we can love our neighbors.

Walk in balance and beauty.

Love & Light, Momma RedArrow, August 2006

Momma RedArrow is the Clan Chief of the Bird Clan of East Central Alabama.