A Gift from Wayne

On August 28th I wrote a post on Facebook expressing my gratitude for the gift of an inspirational book called I Can see Clearly Now. Yesterday I found myself in Value Village rummaging through the book section looking for other books by Wayne Dyer but the only ones I saw were ones that we already have. I walked towards the cashier to pay for a wallet that I found and decided to purchase for our upcoming trip to Europe where we were to spend 14 days on the Mediterranean immersed in lectures by this great teacher; Dr. Wayne Dyer.

As the days grew closer I found myself envisioning speaking with this saintly man one on one on the ship deck as the sun rose. I could feel his presence in so many ways it is difficult to express here through my tears. As I set my wallet down on the counter at Value Village I saw a wee little book staring at me. I could almost hear it call my name. I instantly recognized the title. It was a book that Wayne spoke of in chapter 3 of I Can See Clearly now as an instrumental book that his grade four teacher read to his class at 2:45 pm everyday. This book made such an impression on him that it made the cut and became part of his memoir.

I paid my $2 for this little book and as I did, I felt instantly that it was a gift. It looks brand new as if no one has touched it besides me. Today I finished my Sunday chores and curled up with The Secret Garden and began to read. I couldn’t put it down and felt myself feeling how Wayne must have felt as a little kid listening to his teacher read to him and his classmates out loud. As I concluded chapter 14 and flipped the page my phone beeped. I sat in shock as I read the message that Wayne Dyer had passed away last night. I just realized as I began writing this post that I sat down unintentionally to read the book that set Wayne on his life path at approximately 2:45 pm. A gift? I believe so.

Wayne was an advocate, a true believer in manifestation, something I wrote candidly about yesterday on Facebook. This is yet another example. This past week I have been surrounded by the energy of this magnificent man and although I will not be standing with him over looking the Mediterranean Sea I stood with him yesterday in Value Village downtown Kamloops. He knew I wouldn’t be going to him in Europe in 29 days so he came to me in a thrift store and gave me a book that changed his life and now has changed mine.

Namaste my friend and my teacher.

As a tribute to Wayne Dyer we have shared one of his favourite poems that embodies the meaning of the following Mark Twain quote:

“It’s not what you don’t know that will get you into trouble, it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so”

~Mark Twain

The cookie Thief

by Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight

She hunted out a book at the airport shops and she bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see the man beside her, as bold as could be grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies as she watched the clock as this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock

She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by thinking if I wasn’t so nice I’d blacken his eye

With each cookie she took he took one too, and when there was only one left she wondered what he’d do

And with a smile on his face and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half

He offered her half as he ate the other and she snatched it from him and thought oh brother

This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude why he didn’t even show any gratitude

She had never known when she had been so galled and she sighed with relief when her flight was called

She gathered her belongings and she headed to the gate refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate

She boarded the plane and she sank in her seat and she sought her book which was almost complete

As she reached in her bag she gasped with surprise

There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes

If mine are here she moaned with despair then the others were his and he tried to share

Too late to apologize she realized with grief

She was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief