Good stuff happening in April! Coming to Utah for two events: DIXIE COLLEGE IN ST. GEORGE– April 14th 7:30 in the Boeing Auditorium of the Udvar-Hazy Building at 7:30 discussing “Facing East” (which plays in the area in May). April 15th noon in the Dunford Auditorium, reading and discussing my poetry. SNOW COLLEGE IN EPHRAIM–on April 17th forum assembly at noon speaking on “‘Us’ and ‘Them’ No More.” PRIVATE RETREAT IN ST GEORGE! May 9-10 (same time as “Facing East,” see below), limited to 15 women for an intensive on women’s spirituality and the Divine Mother; readers theatre presentation of “Mother Wove the Morning” and spirited discussion of reclaiming the power of the Mother in our own lives. Sponsored by Your Health Your Choice Foundation. Call Karyne at 801-717-6115 or see http://clpearson.com/stgeoretreat.htm. ******** MOTHER’S DAY GIFT SOLVED! SPOTLIGHT ON SYNCHRONICITY! One of my favorite books, Consider the Butterfly is back in print in paperback (only $9.95) with a new title: Embracing Coincidence. Get signed copies in plenty of time for Mother’s Day at http://www.clpearson.com/personal_gifts.htm, where you will find over 25 other CLP products. FREE COPY OF NO MORE GOODBYES: CIRCLING THE WAGONS AROUND OUR GAY LOVED ONES with every order that is sent before midnight April 3rd. ******** STORY: THE JOY OF COINCIDENCE. Okay, here’s one of my all-time favorite synchronicities. (The book Embracing Coincidence tells 44 personal stories of the “meaningful coincidences” that happen virtually daily in my life--as they do in yours if you’re paying attention.) This one happened just a few weeks ago. I was in Utah doing a presentation for my granddaughter Tara’s fifth grade class. Demonstrating how good writers take an ordinary thought and make it brilliant through word choice, I read to the kids a few quotes that my daughter Emily and I put in our book Fuzzy Red Bathrobe: Questions from the Heart for Mothers and Daughters. One that I chose was from Buffy Sainte-Marie (a folk singer from decades past), who said, “You’ve got to sniff out joy. Follow the joy trail.” What a great guide! Sniff out joy! I decided to use this as my mantra (as I have often used a Course in Miracle’s “I could know peace instead of this”). When I started to have a negative thought, I would break into it with, “This is not the joy trail; don’t follow it. Sniff out joy.” I was really enjoying keeping these words in my head. “Sniff out joy!” When I arrived home, two days after the school presentation, I was totally weak and exhausted from not having slept well the night before. And my stomach began to feel nauseous. Recalling that mint is often suggested for stomach upset, I came into my office and reached for the tiny bottle of Young Living Essential Oil “mint” that I have kept here by my computer. Took off the lid and put a couple of drops on my finger; put my finger on my tongue. There was a taste, but it didn’t seem to be mint. Tried another couple of drops. Held the bottle under my nose and smelled it. What was this scent? Looked at the bottle. Essential oil of rose. The name given it by the oil company, in nice white letters on a pink label: “Joy.” Omigosh! Joy! I had accidentally and literally followed the joy trail. I had not only sniffed joy, but I had actually tasted joy! It still makes me smile. The little bottle sits here by my computer to remind me, and I sniff it from time to time. And yes, out there in the strange and awesome and scary world that you and I share, I will continue to sniff out joy. (For more great synchronicity stories see Embracing Coincidence at http://www.clpearson.com/personal_gifts.htm) ******** MORE ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE TO NO MORE GOODBYES: Dear Carol Lynn: I just finished reading your latest newsletter (as always, thank you), and I realized that I hadn't yet told you about my experience of how No More Goodbye's ended up becoming the way I told my parents I was gay. As I always do, I spent the Christmas holiday [in Utah] with my dad and stepmother. I was restless and anxious most of the time. I brought a signed copy of No More Goodbyes to give them so they would have something to read after I left. Christmas day arrived and I still hadn't dropped the bomb. I began thinking of all the people I knew who had nothing but regret from coming out to their families and I lost my nerve. At the airport they dropped me at the curb, we hugged, and I started walking toward the terminal. But I stopped halfway to the door, ripped open my luggage, grabbed No More Goodbyes, ran back to car and pounded on the passenger-side window just as Dad was pulling away. He slammed on the brakes and [my stepmother] rolled down her window. I practically tossed the book through the window like a grenade and blurted out that if they wanted to know why I'd been so uneasy they should read the book because my story is in it over and over... Well, I didn't hear anything for two days. I was starting to get a sinking feeling that my Dad was not taking it well. Finally I got an email: “This hasn’t changed our feelings for you at all. We love you and support you and are behind you all the way...the book is a mind/emotion changing read.” I certainly couldn't have asked for a better outcome. Once again I have something to thank you for. You've blessed my life over and over again. –T. ******** Order a signed copy of No More Goodbyes at http://www.clpearson.com/personal_gifts.htm. TELEPHONE CONSULATATIONS: http://clpearson.com/consultations.htm. PRIVATE RETREATS: http://www.clpearson.com/CLPRetreatFLYER.pdf. ******* UPCOMING PERFORMANCES OF FACING EAST (LDS couple deals with suicide of gay son): April 4-26: Buffalo, New York Buffalo United Artists www.buffalobua.org May 8-24: St. George, Utah The Space Between Theatre Company www.tsbtc.org 2nd and 3rd weeks of June: Baltimore, Maryland Spotlighters Theatre www.spotlighters.org July 11-August 3: Los Angeles, California Stillspeaking Theatre www.stillspeakingtheatre.org DO YOU WANT TO SEE “FACING EAST” IN YOUR AREA? Send for complimentary script to give to a producing company you know. A very Happy April to all. And remember the joy trail, for– “Men are that they might have joy. And women are that they might provide it.” Whoops! Love and joy from your friend, Carol Lynn