Everyday Spirituality is keyed up to get to know Beliefnet world. My blog will use everyday illustrations to shed light on Spirit and its manifestation of spirituality. Periodically, Everyday Spirituality will be joined by guest writer, Zen Kitty (a.k.a. Richard). We will present various ideas through the framework of divine Science. To get started, I’ll introduce myself.

I was born in upstate New York as Cheryl Faith Mehlenbacher, and have zero recollection of living in New York. When I was about 2 years old, Mom and Dad packed me, my older brother, younger sister, and all our stuff in a couple of vehicles and moved us west, to Idaho State. Again, I have zero recollection of any experiences during my 3 years of life in Idaho. I can only recall black and white photos, which I saw when I was probably 10 years old. We lived on a farm. The farm had cows. Mom had another baby, so I had another brother. And, an Aunt, Uncle (my dad’s brother), and 2 older cousin boys lived on the farm with us. Dad and Uncle Lee were partners in a potato farming operation.

Dad told me later, “New York was too rocky and Idaho was too cold to grow potatoes,” so he and Uncle Lee again packed us all up and we moved to south eastern Washington State. Hindsight concludes that physical moves had no impact on me. Memories consist of being at peace with a sense of “knowing.” I knew security, family, and life.

I was 5 years old when a human everyday experience jolted me out of the “knowing,” into an unknown. A sense of self-consciousness sprang into action and that self-consciousness required a decision.

I was on the school bus, coming home from Kindergarten. As I sat complacently on the plastic green seat, the bus driver, out of nowhere, said that she was going to take me home with her. My peace imploded. My mind was no longer knowing what I knew to be true. The conviction that I was to be taken home to my family was gone. Consequently, at that moment, I was dazed. I didn’t know what to do with the contorted piece of new information that I was to go home with the bus driver.

I then slowly squatted down onto the cold black rubbery floor, thinking that if the bus driver couldn’t see me, then she wouldn’t take me home with her. But, within seconds, I knew this logic was flawed. The bus driver than wouldn’t see me to know to drop me off at my home. So, I sat back up on the seat, figuring I must have no choice. I decided to conform myself to the new situation. I looked into the mirror above the bus driver’s head and analyzed her face, concluding that she didn’t look too mean, and I would probably be okay at her home.

Then, my mind was jolted. A determination filled mind and body. I did NOT have to act in accordance with misinformation. I did know the correct information. I belonged with my family. Therefore, I would insist on her stopping at my home and letting me off the bus. No, more, I would jump off the bus near my home if I had to.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to jump off the bus. I didn’t even have to insist on the bus driver stopping at my home. At the sight of our home, the driver slowed the bus down and let me off. I walked home and immediately back into my knowing peace and security.