Category: Grateful Heart Monday

Well it’s the beginning of the week which of course you know then that it’s time for another Grateful Heart Monday, which for today is for this guy named Jay, someone from the rooms of 12 Step recovery, who did something during a recent meeting that truly touched my heart.

On the average, I attend somewhere between three to four 12 Step meetings a week and for the most part, rarely does anything happen anymore during them that ever end up blowing me away. After 25 years of sobriety and having attended countless meetings, it’s safe to say that it takes something pretty special to make a meeting overly memorable for me these days. But, thankfully occasionally they do still happen, like they did during my last home group’s meeting.

When that meeting began, I raised my hand first to share. I talked about how difficult a time I’ve been having navigating this COVID-19 world where signs of affection have become far and few between. I mentioned how prior to this pandemic, I always looked forward to the many hugs I received and how loved I consistently felt in every room of recovery I attended. But ever since this virus got unleashed upon our world, I’ve felt more and more alone with each day that has passed and have grown so weary of all those elbow and fist bumps, and people keeping their distance from each other. For as much as I know the importance of and reasons behind social distancing, it’s caused me such great angst that I’ve fallen into depression and great loneliness. I went on to mention after that how I’ve still done my very best to keep putting myself out there to help the next suffering person, but how that hasn’t taken any of those feelings of depression and loneliness away. I watched as many heads nodded in agreement, letting me know I wasn’t alone in how I was feeling. I ended by saying that sometimes I really just need a hug to know I’m still loved in this crazy world, especially as our world continues to become more and more distant from each other.

When the next person began to share, a guy by the name of Jay, I was totally on the verge of tears from what I had just opened up about. I had made myself feel so extremely vulnerable during my brief moments of speaking that I had become fully overwhelmed in emotion. As Jay began to speak, he suddenly stopped and looked at me, and said that before he proceeded any further, he wanted to give me a hug because he knew I needed it and wasn’t afraid, pandemic and all.

So, as all the others in attendance sat there in silence, Jay got up, walked over to me, and gave me the warmest and most genuine hug I’ve probably received during this entire pandemic thus far. It was so warm and genuine and so much from the heart and soul, that I could feel God’s love emanating from him. Such a small blip in my day truly ended up having such an incredibly huge impact upon my life right then. Why? Because Jay did what I felt Christ would have done, even in the midst of a crazy virus and all the fears surrounding it. He trusted the Spirit enough to not be afraid of crossing those socially distant boundaries and gave me the very thing God knew I needed oh, so, very bad.

I am so grateful for that hug, for Jay, and for all those out there like him, who even in the midst of this pandemic, continue to offer their tokens of affection to others, because like Christ taught long ago, unconditional acts of love conquers all, even social distancing and even a virus.

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

Welcome to Grateful Heart Monday, a weekly series in my blog where gratitude is always shared about someone or something in my life I’m truly thankful for, which for today is for a recent hiking trip I took with my best friend Cedric to Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio.

For those who’ve never heard of Hocking Hills or never been there, it’s south of Columbus, by about an hour and a half or so driving time and, as defined by Wikipedia, is a deeply dissected area of the Allegheny Plateau that features cliffs, gorges, rock shelters, and waterfalls, all due to the Blackhand Sandstone in the area.

Ever since moving to Ohio back in 2014, I’ve been wanting to visit this part of the region, mostly because the pictures I always saw of it reminded me of a place (Mohawk Mountain) I used to hike quite frequently with my Dad in upstate New York near where I grew up, one that I was always extremely fond of visiting.

While initially Cedric and I had actually planned to spend a few days away at Cedar Point during his visit, after learning the amusement park wasn’t even scheduled to open until July 9^th due to COVID-19, we decided to alter our plans and head to the Hocking Hills region instead, given how much we both love nature. We stayed in nearby Athens, Ohio, and on the morning of the 5^th of July, we headed over to Hocking Hills State Park, arriving just past noon to the Visitor’s Center at Old Man’s Cave.

Once there, we assessed the status of all the major attractions and began to set a course of action. We agreed to start with the trail right there at Old Man’s Cave and then attempt to walk to Whispering Cave, seeing we couldn’t drive there with its parking lot currently closed. While my original desire was to simply drive to each attraction and do as little walking as possible given my ongoing issues with my physical health, I decided to pray and do as much as I could. After two hours and several miles of walking rough terrain, we had conquered all of what Old Man’s Cave had to offer and even visited Whispering Cave as well! One highlight to mention during this part of the day was this rickety bridge we had to cross to get to Whispering Cave. As I walked across it, Cedric wildly moved it, leaving me looking like a gumby flailing his arms wildly in the air. It was a rather funny spectacle to watch that’s for sure.

Nevertheless, riding the high from conquering that walk (and maybe also from the dark chocolate espresso beans I gave into after it!), we drove over to Cedar Falls and did the trail there next. We quickly moved on to Ash Cave next, walking the entire trail there as well, and then drove all the way up to Cantwell Cliffs after that, doing the same there. By that point, it had been several hours of walking up and down trails, over and through rocks, and in and out of formations. We were both totally spent but yet neither of us wanted to finish the day without completing the only other one we hadn’t been to, that being Rockhouse. So, we headed there on a mission, which interestingly enough, ended up being the highlight of our day. The formations there, chiefly the oddly-shaped cave you can actually walk through, were very stunning, especially when the sunlight shone through all the little gaps and holes.

After 6.2 miles walked, almost 19,000 steps taken, 82 floors climbed, several liters of water guzzled, and multiple snacks consumed, we had most assuredly had our fill of seeing the most incredible geological formations, forest flora, and natural waterfalls Hocking Hills State Park had to offer. But, what was most impressive about the day for me was the actual fact that I totally completed a hike I haven’t been able to do in years. And how did I do it? Well, I attribute that to God, because I know if I had left things up to my brain, I wouldn’t have made it past visiting Old Man’s Cave that day.

So, as a full day of hiking came to an end, I must say Hocking Hills is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited in my life and something that I know my inner child truly enjoyed. It really brought me back to a time in my life where I regularly explored the mountains in upstate New York as a kid, and the mountains of Virginia as a young adult. Hiking is something I absolutely love, which is why I’m so grateful I was able to see as much as I did in Hocking Hills State Park and why I’m dedicating today’s Grateful Heart Monday to the day I spent there with my best friend Cedric.

Peace, love, light, and, joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

Time for another Grateful Heart Monday, a day set aside for reflection on a slice of gratitude from my life, which for today is dedicated to my dear friend Christy Mitchell.

Many, many years ago, Christy was an employee of the 1848 Island Manor House Bed and Breakfast I once co-owned with my former partner, until I lost it in 2010. I admired Christy from the beginning, as she was always such a hard worker, completely dedicated to any task given to her, and constantly willing to learn something new. A born leader in so many ways, Christy soon became the manager of much of our day-to-day business, especially when all the drama began to ensue between my ex and I. She was more than not the level-headed voice of reason that kept our business running well beyond when it probably should have failed. I honestly lost track of the number of days Christy helped to piece things back together, not just between my ex and I, but also with my own mental state.

Mentally, I was never truly happy in any of the years I owned this business, especially for the years the bed and breakfast was also my home. Much of that was because right in the middle of those years, my mother tragically passed away, which caused me to lose my mind for a good while after that. But, Christy remained there for me during that period of time, typically willing to sit down and talk, to offer her love and kindness, doing what she could to help raise my spirits, when I couldn’t do it for myself. It was really during those years when I ultimately came to admire Christy as much as I did and still do.

You see, Christy also had her own life during every one of those years. She had a few side businesses she worked to earn extra income, two children to raise, and a crazy number of animals that she owned and took care of as well. Point blank, Christy had many other responsibilities to juggle on a day-to-day basis. Yet, somehow, she consistently maintained it all and did a pretty darn good job at it. Guests at the 1848 Island Manor House came to see this for themselves, many of which became repeat guests just because she had this unique way with them of just making everyone feel at home, consistently elevating their moods more than not.

Eventually, somewhere along the way, Christy became more my friend than an employee. Over the years we worked together, she helped me so much to remain on my spiritual journey by using her gift of seeing auras, as well as doing reiki energy work when I needed it. But sometimes, we went for ice cream or a meal just to talk and on an island where I had really only had one other friend. She truly did help me feel far less alone there.

After I lost that business, due to my ex and I not running the place properly, I didn’t remain in contact with Christy all that much, mostly because of all the shame I felt over the pain my ex and I put her through. I never stopped thinking of her though and how much she touched my heart and my life during such a very difficult period. But, thankfully, she’s come back into my life recently, and even visited me a few times. I can safely say that Christy is still Christy, dynamic, pretty, a jack of so many trades, and dedicated to her friendships, her family, and anything she puts her mind towards. While I’ve probably said more words of gratitude in this entry of my blog than I ever really spoke to her in person in the past, I want her and the world to know that I’m not sure I’d even be alive today if it wasn’t for her unique way of loving and supporting me like she did.

Christy really is that awesome of an individual and someone with a soul so beautiful. Giving, kind, and caring, she’s someone who’ll offer the shirt off her back, even when it means leaving her in the cold. Dedicated to a Higher Calling, I’ve come to admire and love her quite a bit over the years. So, if there’s one person worthy and deserving of gratitude in this world today, it’s Christy Mitchell and the very reason why I’m dedicating today’s Grateful Heart Monday entry to her. I love you Christy!

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson