Betty Moore-Hafter

I’d like to share a few reflections from our recent trip to Guatemala where our daughter Hannah did volunteer work for 8 months. She fell in love with Guatemala and so did we. Despite the hardships of many people’s lives, the Guatemalans that we met were amazingly warm, generous and helpful. One particular incident stands out. 

We spent three days on the shores of Lake Atitlán in the Mayan highlands. It’s an extraordinarily beautiful lake surrounded by volcanoes. To get across the lake, you take a “lancha,” a large motorboat that transports maybe 20 people. My husband Chuck, Hannah and myself were the only non-Mayan passengers that morning as the lancha filled up. The lake was as smooth as glass. A little ways into the ride, I saw a pier in the distance with a large water bird standing on it, like a blue heron only brown. We love birds and I excitedly pointed it out to Chuck — look, look! A few seconds later, the lancha driver slowed and then turned sharply — were we going back? Was something wrong? Hannah asked the other passengers but no one knew. Then we realized that he was making a wide circle, curving around to pass closer to the pier so the gringos could see the bird! Everyone laughed. As for me, it brought tears to my eyes. It was an act of such spontaneous generosity. 

I’ve thought of this many times, how immediately the Guatemalan boat driver acted without a second thought; how generously the Mayan passengers responded, with warm happy laughter, no one concerned about the 5 minutes’ delay. They were all happy to make me, a stranger, happy that morning. The thought of it will always make me smile!

I’ve just returned from a fascinating trip to Guatemala that had a lot of impact on me. I look forward to sharing some thoughts about this soon. But first, a quick story from my practice. Something neat happened this week, and my client has generously given me permission to share it. In her session, we had worked on a phobia and had had much success with EFT and hypnosis. Then at the end of the session, “Jane” reminded me that she had also wanted some help recovering two lost objects. I said, “Okay, we’ll just take 5 minutes and ask your subconscious for help. It can’t hurt.”  

A month before, Jane had lost her checkbook and blue iPod. She had looked everywhere she might have put them, in the kitchen drawers, all through her bedroom, but to no avail. After a simple rapid induction which mainly involves lifting and dropping the hand, and just a few moments of relaxation, I simply addressed a few words to her deeper mind, something like this: “And now you’ve reached the creative levels of your mind. And let’s ask your subconscious mind to peacefully reveal to you the location of your checkbook and blue iPod. The subconscious is always watching, always noticing, always registering. Your subconscious was paying attention and knows where wallet and blue iPod were put, or where they ended up. And so sometime when you’re sitting still or taking a walk or just letting your mind wander, you may get a feeling or an image, or in some other way your subconscious can bring you this information. Just let yourself feel peaceful about it. The information about the location of these objects will come at the timing that is just right.” Of course, I had no idea what would happen, but why not open the door of possibilities? It had only taken a few minutes… we would see.  

Three and a half hours later, I had a call from Jane who just had to tell me that she’d found the objects. She’d been sitting in her car and opening a package of gum, which she says she doesn’t chew often. She dropped a piece of gum that fell down into the side pocket that is on the inside of the car door. When she looked in for the gum — there was her checkbook. “And I knew that where my checkbook was, my iPod wouldn’t be far behind. I’d lost them together.” Sure enough, the iPod was deep down at the bottom of the car door pocket. We both laughed at the creative way her subconscious found to draw her attention to the right spot.   Never underestimate the power of the amazing subconscious!

On this sunny yet chilly day in South Burlington, Vermont, one day before my 57th birthday, I’m launching my new Rising Sun blog. I see this as a way to write more informally and personally, keeping the focus on whatever I have to share that is healing and life-enhancing. I’ll draw upon my work with hypnotherapy and EFT as well as allowing myself some personal reflections. I love good conversation and invite responses!

I’m a big fan of good cinema and this week watched two films that had some unexpected commonalities. The first was Almodóvar’s Talk To Her (Hable con ella, 2002) and the second was director Sara Polley’s recent Away From Her. In the first, two men meet in a hospital where both are caring for their girlfriends — both women are in comas. In the second, a man must cope with his wife’s descent into Alzheimer’s. So in both stories, one half of the conversation is disappearing. However there is another synchronicity that has really been on my mind. One of my all-time favorite films is the classic Dr. Zhivago, with the two beautiful women Geraldine Chaplin and Julie Christie. Now, 40-some years later, each was in one of the films I watched. How interesting to see them both now. Both are in their 60’s, still beautiful with softly-lined faces and vibrant eyes. Neither is trying to look younger than she is. These women seem to be accepting maturity with grace. You feel the depths of their experience and richly-lived lives.  And I realize that I am much closer to where they are now — just a few more years.  

So every age has its gifts and its beauty. And one’s point of reference keeps changing — the ages of 50-60-70 seem much younger to me than they used to! Good thoughts for me as I mark another year.

Our blog will be up and running soon!