It’s raining, It’s pouring

Oh what a week….on Monday Cyclone Frank and I arrived at daycare to be told he had chicken pox and to head home. As we were rejected from the doors with waves of ‘see you in a week’, my brain dashed into problem scoping mode. What to do about work? I’ve only just started a new job and I don’t want to be the mother that can’t come in every time her chid is sick. I’ve never had chicken pox will I get it or worse get shingles? I have a friend and her two year old son coming to stay with us, will I have to cancel their visit to keep little Z pox free? I’m meant to be going to a family reunion up country at the weekend, we will have to cancel as we are basically lepers and will have to stay behind locked doors for a week. I’ll have to get cover teachers for my classes…but I’ll need the income as I won’t be going to work….and so on.

It was an interesting process for me and the first time I’ve felt really, truly overwhelmed since being on my own with Frank. As we sat in the Drs surgery I started to feel sick, was it the pox taking hold or was in my mild panic attack creeping into my gut?

I silently started chanting to Ganesha (so as not to freak everyone out in the waiting room) and sent out a plea for babysitting help on Facebook and immediately a few good friends came rushing to help so I would be able to go back to work and still teach. I started to breath again and as we sat down to talk to the Dr and I showed her the offending five spots on Frank’s belly and she said… ‘they are insect bites’.

Thank you Ganesha. You gave me the obstacles and then you removed them as is your way. But you only ever do it so we learn what we need to know. So what were the lessons?

1.It is ok to ask for help, you don’t have to do it all solo and be superwomen 100% of the time

2. Friends are bloody amazeballs and I’m so lucky to have found a community that has welcomed Frank and I into it with wide open arms

3. Sometimes I have to surrender and realise I can’t control everything and every outcome

The elephant headed God Ganesha is widely known as the remover of obstacles. Traditionally in a kirtan the first chant is always dedicated to Ganesha so he removes any energy blockages in the space. But sometimes we forget that it is also our beloved Ganapataye who brings the obstacles. He turns up when we need to learn a lesson or two and presents us with a little problem. the trick to it is, we have to do the work to get through it. If we don’t do the work, the problem will grow and take hold. If we show up and face that obstacle square on with the fierceness of Durga, looking it square it the eyes and grabbing it by the balls…nice image…then Ganesha will guide us through it.

It’s worth remembering this little chant – Om Gum Ganapataye Namaha – for those times when you are faced with an obstacle and you want to crawl under the covers and eat three packets of mint slices. Instead chant to Ganesha, look the problem square in the face and he will guide you through it.

This week I learnt that I am surrounded by love and support and that’s a really good place to be.