Feeling Guided
How Following Our Intuition Can Create Miracles
This year was the 10th anniversary of meeting my sister Misty on May 9th 2008 at Oh Happy Days Café in Altadena, California. I’ve decided to memorialize this miraculous event by making a written record of the synchronistic incidents leading up to that day. In addition to commemorating, I present this record as a testimony, or Epistle, witnessing the reality of the interconnectedness of all life (also called the “Web of Life” by Susquamish leaderChief Seattle); and how by following our “Divine-Feminine” intuition (conveyed in this writing as “Feeling”),we may be able to more-proactively participate in what I perceive to be the progressive-wakening of Consciousness on this planet.
By itself, the unique-in-the-world “Light-Center” Community-Hub known as Oh Happy Days requires – as my friend “the Revve” might say - at least a one-semestercollege course’s worth of in-depth research, in order to begin understanding the significant spiritual, cultural, andpsychic contributions that Oh Happy Days has provided forAltadena’s community.
On May 9th 2008 I was working at Oh Happy Days, and was surprised when, as two unfamiliar women walked in, one of them pointed to me and declared: “ That’s HIM!!”
The woman pointing me out, I would soon learn, was Laura, Misty’s best friend. A week prior, Laura was sitting outside Pasadena City College’s Harbeson Hall, waiting with a group of djembe-toting classmates for the professor to show up, and commence that week’s session of African Drumming Class. Before the teacher arrived, however, I happened to bicycle up to Laura’s group and, using helmet as drum, beat out a rhythm that instigated a spontaneous drum circle right there outside the hall.
I was en route to my Monday night 12-Step meeting, but seeing a circle of people sitting with drums in front of themand not drumming just felt wrong. So I proceeded to bike over, took off my helmet, and started the beat. Once they got the idea and began drumming, I resumed course, mission accomplished. I promptly forgot the entire incident.
Laura didn’t forget, as she called her best friend Mistylater that night, and shared with Misty about this “spirited-fellow” who instigated a drum circle preceding Laura’s class, and because he somehow felt familiar, Laura said to Misty: “He totally reminded me of YOU!”
I hadn’t known any of this, though, until we all started talking while they were checking out at Oh Happy Days. The proximate-reason the two were there, was because Emily (another friend of Misty’s) had recommended this “groovy health-food place in Altadena,” and Misty felt it would be nice to go with Laura, her best friend, who just so happened to reside right around the corner from Oh Happy Days. Laura, who’s drumming instructor had - for the onlytime that semester - been late to start class, a week before.
Before they left the Café, I asked their names, and when I heard ‘Misty,’ said: “that’s funny, I have a sister I’ve never met named ‘Misty.’” At that point, all I knew about Misty was that she was born in 1984 (2 years before me), and that her adoptive parents’ name was “Wise.”
The reason for our filial estrangement was due – in part –to our father’s alcoholism, which, when in full swing, produced a violent persona that threatened Misty’s safety.Living out of a VW Bus added to the instability of that ill-fated domestic situation. Child Services were called in to remove Misty, who was subsequently adopted by the Wisefamily. Because of a series of unfortunate circumstances, Madeline (our biological mother) was also restricted from contacting Misty until Misty was 18. Mom saw the loss as a sign that it was time to remove herself from the violent-drunk-beau situation, which she did, soon after I was bornin ‘86.
As a child I would hear stories from Mom (on foggy mornings) that I had a sister named Misty. This always feltspecial to me, and I wondered what she was like and why she had disappeared. Soon, however, a series of circumstances (and unwise choices) would maneuver mylifestyle into the surreal realm called “addiction;” whicheventually pin-balled me into LA County Jail, and (long story short), a “new-found lease on life,” upon discovering Spirituality.
There are probably as many different experiences occurring in jails and prisons as there are people residing there. And by some Divine Act of Providence, I wasblessed with a “Bright-Light Awakening.” ( For more information on that type of Awakening, please refer to William James’ Varieties of Spiritual Experiences).
After “Seeing the Light,” and willingly going to Rehab(another blessing thanks to a benevolent family Friend), I was very motivated to do everything I could to self-improve, and began trying all sorts of new ways to do so, including Yoga, exercise, meditation, vegetarianism, and spirituality / prayer. As a result of all these new institutions to my daily routine, I began developing a heightened sense of “Feeling,” such as the type to which Obi-Wan (of the jedi persuasion) might refer. Part of this new awareness unearthed a long-subdued desire to seek out my “lost” sister, and so I began praying to find her.
Misty was also looking. She had done some research, and had found out that our mother, Madeline, was associated with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), anational service organization that had a branch in Pasadena, California.
Misty delivered a letter to an organization called Friends In Deed for Madeline, but because Mom wasn’t formally involved with Friends In Deed, the people there filed the letter.
As for my efforts, I had decided not to spend money on any of the online ancestry-sites, but kept praying and searching for Misty with the little information I did have on her: she was 2 years older than me, and her last name was “Wise.”
This information would be crucial now, as I voiced the following questions, on that day, at Oh Happy Days.
“How old are you?”, my 21-year-old self cautiouslyasked.
“ 23,” Misty said.
“What are your parents’ names?”
“Harvey and Edie.” I didn’t know their first names.
“What’s their last name?”
“Wise.” It was her.
“So you’re Misty Wise.” I proclaimed, beaming.
“What’s your name?” she replied.
“Cody Lowry.”
“Is your Mom’s name Madeline Schleimer?” It was reallyher!
“Yes!”
“I have a brother I’ve never met, who’s Mom’s name is Madeline Schleimer!” At this point we were both beaming.
“I think I’m your brother!” It was a miracle. We both laughed and high-fived, it was really no surprise; we had, after all, been praying, seeking, and feeling we would find each other (somehow - even sooner than later). Laura was in a state of shocked-wonder.
I commenced to announce the miracle to everyone who was inside the café at the time, and each person was uplifted with the good news.
Later that day, I had the unique opportunity to call up my siblings from Mom’s previous marriage and announce the latest “addition” to our family. I also had the rareopportunity that day to tell Madeline that for the first time in over 20 years, she would get to see her daughter Misty.They reunited the next day at Zephyr Café in Pasadena. It was Mexican Mother’s Day.
I have experienced miracles before and after that occurrence; but none were so uniquely-orchestrated by a number of factors, which, when reviewed, provide hard-evidence to the operation of something beyond our current scientific abilities to fully quantify or scrutinize. Is it Magic? Divine Providence? The true power of humanity’sreal Feeling ? Whether all of the above, or not; the mystery remains.
Though life remains mysterious on many levels (providing the rest of my lifetime with vast opportunities for learning), I have determined this: despite our current inability to fully explain (in a material sense) the miraclesthat happen in our lives, we must resist the “easy-way-out” of writing the miracles off as “coincidence.” If there is one thing I’ve learned in this lifetime, it’s this: Everything Happens For a Reason and Everything’s Connected.Discerning the “Real Reasons” that cause everything in our lives to happen and connect, seems (to me) to be the workthat each one of us has the opportunity, even, theresponsibility, to investigate.
Cody Lowry, August 18th 2018