June 21, 2015

The Time Has Come

I initially hate it when this happens to me.  

Having to do things I don't want to do.  
Go places I don't want to go.  
Stay places that I don't want to stay.  
Knowing that my life is guided. 
Knowing that I have to follow whether I want to or not. Whether I'm ready or not.  

The time is here.  
I have to do this.  
I don't have a choice. 

I have to be bold and just do it. I have to care not what others think.  
I have to be okay with rejection.  I have to believe that the Spirit will do It's work and use me to carry it out.  

I sit here with a box of black folders, other materials, a workshop design. All weekend trying to decide when to go to Charleston SC and the Spirit said I need to you do your part right now and that is not driving to Charleston that is putting together black folders for all of your family and friends.  

That is stepping out on faith and calling some places of worship and offering the workshop.  That is helping people not be afraid of death or life. 
That is helping people to live out their lives doing the will of God as they understand God to be.

So, now, The Black Folder Project's time has come.   

May 12, 2013

Be Kind Today

Time and Timing is Everything

Everything Happens In It's Own Time

You Can't Rush Progress and You Can't Stop Momentum

Everything is Unfolding As It Should, Weather You Agree Or Not

Living. Alive. Today. Tomorrow. New Day. Dawn.
Death. Gone. Remembered. Loved. Still. 

Another Day. Another Year. Another Mother's Day.

Today:  Be Kind. Be Kind To Yourself First.  
Be Kind to Everyone and Everything Today.

Say:  "If I were going to be Kind what would I think?  
What would I do?"  
Then...think it and do it.

Living is a challenge for EVERYONE, so
Just Be Kind
~Ridea Richardson

April 28, 2013

Living & Dying at the Same Time

We are all living and dying at the same time.
Even newborn children are being born, yet will die.
The aged are keenly aware of death, yet they are alive, hanging on to life.

Just to be alive is a special gift.

Everyday we are all looking for the same things...to feel alive...to figure it all out...to not feel so alone. During those moments when you feel like nobody understands you, or no one cares your fall back needs to be that EVERYBODY is living and dying at the same time. Have compassion on yourself and everyone and everything that comes across your path today.

We're all on the same journey.
So how will you live today knowing that you will die?

March 31, 2013

You Can't Bottle Grief...or Your Creativity & What You Are Meant To Bring Into The World

After people die those left behind keep finding "pockets of grief".  It's been almost a year since my mother died.  Her funeral was the day of my first The Black Folder Workshop which was cancelled. Well, I haven't really put dedicated action and effort towards The Black Folder Project since her death...then...two things happened over the past two weeks:
  1. I got an email from someone asking me what the "Process" was about.  That was over two weeks ago.  I kept thinking about the email and what my response was going to be.  "It's another one of my hair brain ideas that the world isn't ready for".  That's what I wanted to respond, because that's how I was feeling, but that wouldn't be professional. As I type this I still haven't penned the email to the gentleman, but I will. 
  2. My sister and cousin came to visit on their way to the sun and beach.  I looked at them sitting at the kitchen table as they were talking about getting older, feeling old and being old. I thought how much of a disservice it would be NOT to give them a black folder.  I briefly explained the whole thing by showing them my own black folder to my now grown son, David. As I was showing it to them I noticed that the last letter to my son was dated April 1st, 2012 - a year ago. 
My cousin asked something interesting. She asked when was I going to get back on this project and schedule another workshop. I told her soon since it was almost a year since my mother and her aunt had died.

January 3, 2013

Face-to-Face Workshops - Maybe Not...


It's become clear to me that face-to-face workshops may not be the way to start.

It's been six months since I've had to reschedule the July workshop.

Looking at my life for the last six months, it has been difficult to find the time to be coordinating a workshop.


It's occurred to me that maybe this tool needs to be a product (something a person can purchase and do at home in their private time).

I would be happy to consult one-on-one or over the phone to help with the process.

Basically I'm retooling THE BLACK FOLDER PROJECT--- working on making a product/package for folks instead of a workshop to experience.

November 4, 2012

Confronting Your Own Death

“The great secret of death, and perhaps its deeper connection with us, is this: that, in taking from us a being we have loved and venerated, death does not wound us without, at the same time, lifting us toward a more perfect understanding of this being and of ourselves.” 
– Rilke

You can not escape death.

You can not escape the fact that those you love will die.

You can not escape that you too will die.

Death belongs to life.

Facing death makes us more alive.

Right now, if you are reading this, then you are alive.

SO LIVE.
  
Live the life that you are destined to live.  Live the life you are meant to live.
  

Live Your Life Like It Were A Song

August 3, 2012

Like Death ... A Mack Truck Coming At You Can't Be Ignored

As I was preparing for the first workshop I was thinking of my elevator speech to quickly explain the project and I boiled it down to saying: "You will have an opportunity to write your 'Just In Case I Get Hit by a Mack Truck Letter' to loved ones".

I thought it would make the subject a little lighter, give folks a visual and something everyone could relate to.

Well, I've been traveling on the road a lot, since my mother's death, and I've been looking for Mack Trucks as I've been driving.

Although there are a lot of big trucks on the road you don't see many MACK trucks, but when you do see them, you CAN'T ignore them.

The word MACK is written on the grill in big bold letters. The only other truck that I saw that had it's brand predominately on the grill was GMC but it just didn't have that same bold feel as the word MACK.