Ali and I met at UC Santa Barbara. We met, and almost instantly knew we would be friends for life.
Ali was one of the first people I meet, that thought about life (and was actually excited to talk about it) as much as I did … and even more fun, we had/have many of the same ideas about how it should be lived … and believe me, in college, spent hours, days, weeks, trying to figure it all out … in between Dave Matthews songs of course … “does Dave have the answers?” (lol) … well, we think he might be on to something in this one.
Good news, 10+ years later … we’re getting closer.
How would I describe Ali? Well, let’s just put it this way … when I first read the article below, to me, there is one very obvious reason why her daughter is who she is (even at two months old) … it’s because, she’s just like her Mom*.
Waking up…
By Ali Schiller via lifeprinciplesmatter.com
My daughter will be two months old on Saturday and I can’t believe that I am still swimming in the joy that she has brought to our lives. If I had to choose one word to describe Scarlett, other than beautiful, because she really is – it would be awake. People always comment on how alert she is, but I think what they really mean is awake, because her eyes are wide open, and there is this energy about her that says “I am” and it’s very strong and very clear. This is my favorite thing about her because it brings me this intense joy to be with someone so present.
There have been times in my life when I’ve gone to see a spiritual teacher or some otherwise “awake” person and I’ve felt the stillness coming from them. The peace of being in their presence would immediately calm me and I would think wow maybe one day I can have that kind of energy, that kind of impact, so that the way I sit in my own self would give another person peace. But it always seemed like something you really had to work at, maybe if I meditated enough for long enough, or read all the right books, or travelled to the right places, I would be able to cultivate that type of energy. But having my little girl in my arms, just emanating joy, just being – reminds me that there is nothing that we have to do, that sweet beautiful energy of life is something that we all share, that its our birthright and it comes with us into this life and is here all along with us, it’s just a matter of allowing ourselves to experience it.
Ali Schiller @ lifeprinciplesmatter.com
*and bonus, Scarlett also has a very cool dad and brother.
Reblogged this on inspiredweightloss.
Thank you, Traci, your friendship means the world to me and I am grateful to be counted among the wonderful group of women you have been writing about.
I love your story! … this one, and the whole thing. ;)
Thanks for letting me share it! ♥