As part of my personal healing from childhood trauma and abuse, (and we all have something that has caused us pain or worry,) I often wrote little vignettes or stories about the Lady in Red. Recently, I wrote a fairy tale called the Adventures of Diva Rae. Unfortunately, diva has gotten a bad reputation. She is often described as a spoiled brat or prima donna rather than the outstanding, stupendous and exceptional talent that I know we all are. I wondered how she would describe herself, her life experiences, her joys and dreams. Here is the answer.
The Secret Life of Diva Rae: twelve joys that have me jump out of bed every morning before caffeine.
1. Being creative: Starting Miss Rae’s Art School at age six; to learning to read tarot cards and tea leaves; or taking candid photographs of laundry around the world; to writing Art From My Heart a creative workbook for families.
2. Loving in a big way: being involved with family and friends in nurturing, compassionate and deep heartfelt ways. Having agreed to disagree conversations with my adult children and getting to be GRANDMA (Raspberry kisses, make believe and magic).
3. Helping others: from the time I was a little girl and I saw Shirley Temple in the movie Heidi, I knew that I had to help the Clara’s of the world; people who had grown comfortable in their pain, frightened to reach out toward healing, wholeness and joy. Now I guide people though a creative process to set their souls free.
4. Engaging in guilty pleasures: watching General Hospital, So You Think You can Dance and Castle. Some days you just have to be a coach potato.
5. Exploring: visiting new and exciting places while experiencing new cultures and hearing people’s stories: riding a camel across the desert in Israel; eating fish and chips in front of the television with the owner of my New Zealand B and B; or belly dancing in a local restaurant in Morocco.
6. Finding the fun in life: being able to laugh at myself and the things I have tried all in the name of losing weight or healing: shake rattle and roll machines; all the chocolate cream filled donuts you can eat while walking on the treadmill; sitting in the car at midnight, waiting for the train to go by while I screamed at the top of my lungs.
7. Standing in my power: or Diva Rae singing in public, draped across the piano in a purple sequined gown, a sultry version of the itsy bitsy spider in all of her sensual splendor. (LOL)
8. Breaking the rules or redefining them: having dessert for breakfast (crème Brule and coffee ice cream with gold brick topping and marshmallow fluff); saying NO to friends and families unreasonable and sometimes reasonable requests; and starting a new business at age 59.
9. Wearing glitz and glitter: dressing to please the healthy, svelte, Diva in me with exquisite, vibrant colored clothes, beaded shawls, and bold, big pieces of jewelry.
10. Being deeply grateful and in a state of grace: as a spiritual eclectic, studying eastern and western religions; attending different services around the world; choosing what fits for me and leaving the rest.
11. Escaping to serenity: take delicious bubble baths with candles and scented oils; walks along the beach with the sun gently caressing my cheek, the gulls flying overhead and the water lapping at my feet; or dancing under the stars with the love of my life.
12. Living life in Technicolor: enjoying an out of the box, bodacious and succulent life based on my own unique self expression, unlimited possibilities and coloring outside the lines.
No matter what your past, you can choose to live creatively, passionately and joyfully at every moment. You can live HAPPILY EVER AFTER NOW. Find the DIVA in you.
