Today we find ourselves at the last day of 2018 and the eve of a New Year. Many people find this a time to review the past year with reflection, gratitude, release, and openness to seeing where they might want to make changes that will be more supportive for the intentions calling to their hearts. It’s times like these that inspirational stories can really hit home and be way-showers and fuel to our passion flames, so this felt like the perfect day to share some poems and works from a woman who is truly an inspiration.

Today’s Monday Musings from The Writer’s Corner highlights Camilla Downs.

I haven’t met Camilla in person – yet – although we came close at the beginning of this year. With her living so close by in Reno, I know it’s just a matter of divine timing and alignment that we will, especially being that we share the same birthday – 2/26.

Yet, social media has been a connective bridge between us and this is how I’ve come to know her and her incredible children, Lillian and Thomas.

Camilla is a single parent who has encouraged, nurtured, and supported her beautiful children to be all they can possibly be and to live life fully despite Lillian’s rare chromosome deletion called 18p-, and Thomas’s challenges with sensory processing. In doing so, she has learned to do the same and so they walk this journey hand-in-hand.

The three of them are a powerhouse team, they’ve lovingly dubbed “Team TLC” to correspond with the first letters of each of their names, who have all self-published a book. Each of them have amazing gifts, have accomplished so much despite challenges, and are truly an example of vulnerable strength, compassion, and unconditional love.

I admire Camilla so much and find her to be a true inspiration, amazingly brave mother, woman, and soul, and a living embodiment of what it means to keep deepening into and expanding the heart as an example of unconditional love at work.

The connection the three of them have together is one of balancing teaching and leading, with learning and guidance. It has taken them to dark depths and soaring heights together. It is through their devotion and commitment to each other and themselves that they support the blossoming of one another and are spreading love to the world.

Camilla is a best-selling author of “D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance,” blogger at http://camilladowns.com/ and inspirational speaker. Her passion is writing, sharing her life experiences, mindfulness, meditation, emotional connection, and nature photography.

I chose the following two of her newer poems to share with you today, as they feel to speak to themes and messages I feel prevalent in the collective and that I thought might be inspiring, shifting, and/or comforting as you embark on a New Year.

Following the poems you’ll find some words from Camilla, herself, and links to her published works, as well as her children’s. I share all of these links, which include some great book trailer videos for all three of their books that Camilla created, because it reflects how we truly can accomplish anything we set our hearts and minds too, no matter our circumstances nor how much life throws our way.

Camilla, you are a true inspiration and motivation for others to follow their dreams and see them through in 2019.

Thank you for sharing all of who you are with all of us and for being such a guiding light in your children’s lives, as much as I know they are for you too. I imagine we’ll continue to see a lot more of all of you in the years to follow.

I’m grateful to know you and call you my friend, sweet Pisces sister.

 

One Breath at a Time by Camilla Downs

One breath at a time, dear one

You find yourself in a vast ocean of your own creation.
An ocean full of the humanness of life.

Joy, love, peace,
laughter, happiness, abundance,
beauty, compassion, kindness.
Fear, sadness, greed,
competition, judgments, shame,
guilt, jealousy, loneliness.

At times you feel as if you
are on the verge of drowning.

One’s arms and legs have become
heavy with the struggle of this
ocean swirling with humanness.

What is one to do?
There is no place to return.

You jumped in knowing
there was only One Way to survive
in this vast ocean of humanness.
One breath at a time.

For as you breathe each breath
it is another opportunity
to feel the humanness of life.

Feel all of it,
the comforting and
the unlovely,
and then release it into
the vast ocean to be
cleansed by Mother Earth.

For one day you will feel
the heavy burden begin to
lift from your arms and legs.

You will know only the
unconditional love of this
ocean of humanness.
All the rest is still there.
Yes, it is.
Still swim in it, you do.

Yet, it just brushes by you
as you are drenched in the
unconditional love of all that is.

Rather than struggle
You move in harmony
with the humanness.

One breath at a time,
See, there it is ..
You just took another breath and another
and another … Keep breathing, Keep swimming
in this vast ocean and know
you are not alone.

You are surrounded and uplifted
by the One Love and breathe
it in with each breath.

You cannot escape the One Love.
It is always with you.

One breath at a time.

~

Nature’s Abundance by Camilla Downs

I feel the frosty cold
embrace as You brush
across this body.
I feel and Know
your Abundance.

I touch and hug
the beautiful,
scarred and knotted
trees that sprout
and grow from Your soil.
I feel and Know
your Abundance.

I delight in the sparkling
and unique snowflakes
as they drift from
the brooding clouds
above and lightly fall
upon this body.
I feel and Know
your Abundance.

Lo, even as I dodge
and walk through
the nuggets of
geese waste left
behind by these
majestic and
interesting creatures,
I feel and Know
your Abundance.

Yes, I feel Your abundance
I Know it now.

It’s been a long road
getting to this
glorious and bountiful place.
Yet, I have arrived.

I have arrived
to the freedom
of Knowing this …

I am made of bits
and pieces of You.
You are made of
bits and pieces of me.
This body and ether
mix with Your essence
as we collide.

I see it now.
All that is made
of You is Good.
ALL, I say, ALL!

Even as your form is
changed and no longer
resembles Your essence.
It is of You.
And, it is Good.

Humans take and borrow
from you to create,
grow, and make
the things we must
have to survive,
yet also the things
we think we need,
and the things we
simply want so
as to fill a void.
Grateful for your
abundance and gifts
I am.

We take your trees
and metals and we
make this mysterious
and sometimes elusive
thing called money.

We make it into
something it is not.
It is only of
You and we use it
for good, for bad,
for our benefit,
and for the benefit
of others.

One slight shift
in awareness of
what money truly is ..

That is True Freedom.
Freedom to respect
and love that money
stuff of which
contains Your essence.

Knowing, absorbing
and feeling
Your abundance
has brought on
this shift from
lack to abundance.

Thank You
Mother Earth.
Thank You
Nature.

I feel and Know
your Abundance.
You are Abundance.
I Am Abundance.
And so it is.
I Am.

****************

 

 

Contributor Note from Camilla Downs

I love walking. I am out for walks anywhere from three to six days a week. I have a deep connection with trees and love spending time with them. Nature is partly the inspiration for my writings and poetry.

And partly the inspiration to write is a desire to process my own life experiences; to give them an outlet through writing. Writing in this way allows me to feel and release experiences and to receive comfort and answers via these writings. Writing holds my heart and guides me to confront the unlovely and harsh thoughts that litter my mind at times. Yet, also to fully experience the joyful and peaceful moments of this life.

Most times when I sit to write a poem, I will first look through nature photographs I have taken. I will feel an internal nudge to use one as inspiration for whatever I am about to write. The writing flows so fast, I can barely keep up with “grabbing” it all before it’s gone!

My writings are not only poetry. I write of my own life experiences and how I’ve processed the experiences. It was around the year 2008 that I repeatedly received a determined internal nudge to openly share my life and experiences. I continually brushed this aside thinking I had nothing of importance to say or share with others. The nudge was so persistent that I finally gave in and began sharing.

In addition, I am a mentor through “The Alchemy of You” mentoring sessions to empower others from within. This 4 session mentoring brings peace of mind to one in the midst of confusion, stress or disempowerment. Followed by or accompanied with a deep sense of appreciation for one’s self.

Further, these sessions assist others with decision making, being one’s true self and speaking one’s truth, knowing the solutions to situations, diffusing internal triggers when they arise, and paving the way for more harmonious relationships with loved ones and strangers alike.

http://camilladowns.com/thealchemyofyou/

I’m also a single mom to two beautiful beings; 17 year old Lillian Darnell and 13 year old Thomas Darnell. I’ve been single parenting them for the past 12 years. Lillian has a chromosome deletion called 18p-; which manifests in various challenging ways.

These two ignited a spark within and have been an integral branch of the spiritual path I travel. Thomas and Lillian have taught me empathy, compassion, patience, nonjudgment, and what it means to unconditionally love others.

We each have a published book and I am working on my second book, “Walk With Me Journey to the Center of My Soul”. To learn more about our books, visit here … http://camilladowns.com/books/

 

Published books:

D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey To Acceptance by Camilla Downs

Biggest Little Photographer by Thomas Darnell and Camilla Downs

Where Would You Fly and Other Magical Stories by Lillian Darnell and Camilla Downs

This one link will take readers to all 3 books in one spot … http://camilladowns.com/books/

And, just for fun here’s the book trailer for each book:

Where Would You Fly: https://youtu.be/4OwzBMq1S8o

Biggest Little Photographer: https://youtu.be/LYUOex6s5-s

D iz for Different: https://youtu.be/3GUo0ZNny_s

 

Online articles and poetry:

Camilla Downs’ Soul Writer Blog:

http://camilladowns.com/blog/

 

elephant journal article:

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2016/03/dear-meltdown-welcome-meet-my-friend-mindfulness/

 

The Urban Howl poetry:

http://theurbanhowl.com/2018/04/11/path-of-love-camilla-downs/

http://theurbanhowl.com/2018/04/17/may-we-all-release-expose-this-beautiful-space-within-camilla-downs/

http://theurbanhowl.com/2018/04/23/have-patience-when-dancing-with-the-shadows-of-your-being-camilla-downs/

http://theurbanhowl.com/2018/06/01/the-path-of-the-heart-will-emerge-camilla-downs/

 

Women’s Spiritual Poetry:

http://womenspiritualpoetry.blogspot.com/2017/02/free-to-be-you-by-camilla-downs.html

 

Australian Institute On Intellectual Disability Article:

http://camilladowns.com/2015/11/12/my-journey-with-intellectual-disability-and-relationships-a-short-memoir/