“Homes have a way of calling us towards them.”
Greta Franklin Matos
One year ago, she had left the security and safety of a solid career at fifty-nine years old and shortly thereafter turned the big 6-0. She had also left the shoulds and the negative what-ifs in her rear-view mirror. She didn't know what lay ahead. But she listened to that whisper within. The quiet voice that had been, for quite some time, gently, consistently, and persistently saying: “Let it all go”. Telling her to believe in the vision.
Today, she fell to her knees on the laneway of a place she had known for over thirty years. Here was the laneway, lined by tall and wise trees leading to forty acres of rolling hills, fenced paddocks, cliffs, ocean front, and her house. All that would welcome family, friends, horses, and anyone or anything else called to step onto this magical land. The laneway to her forever.
She had made her home here for the past 30 years, in her imagination and her heart. The vision had presented itself to her in that waking dream all those years ago., And it had never let go. It never faded. It always strengthened her knowing to make it real. It was so vivid she had sketched and painted it, including the smallest of details. She had detailed blueprints of the house and farm in her mind. Her body knew every step of that land. Her ancestors were there waiting for her. The horses were getting ready to meet her there when the timing was right.
Today she sat on that holy ground and was finally home. A friend once said, “homes have a way of calling us towards them”. Oh, how true this is. This time it felt as it had so many times before when she visited in her heart. In meditations and guided visualizations, it had been the safe place she always went to. This time, though, it was tangible. It was real. She could feel the ground supporting her. She heard the land whisper, “Welcome home my love, I have been waiting for you.” And she wept. This was her arrival.
After some time, the land invited her to take a walk. Explore the property she was already so familiar with. She knew that they, together, would bring their vision into reality. But for now, she was present and was looking forward to the guided tour.
She had asked to come and visit the property alone. The real estate agent had sent pictures and virtual tours. She knew right away this was it. With her bags packed she traveled across land (and sea?) to touch it for the first time. She had asked to be alone for this initial visit because their meeting was to be intimate. They knew each other so well. It was like seeing an old friend you hadn’t seen in so many years. How could she get lost on land she knew so thoroughly? How could she get lost in a place that had been calling her for so long? She needed to have their first hello in person and in solidarity. This was the start of a new dimension in their journey together. It was the start of a journey that would take them from vision to physical reality and beyond.
And so, this tour of the heart began. She was meeting the land and buildings in person. It was like the difference between knowing someone through technological platforms and meeting them face to face. There would be a handshake or a hug. This was their first physical embrace. And there was no better place to start than the barn and fields.
First, she took in the stunning panoramic view from one side to the other. From fields in the south/southwest to the ocean in the west directly in front of her. From the cliffs off to the northwest in all their beauty and wonder to the tree lined drive running east to west and the house just north of the drive. The wrap around porch on the house gave an overview of the land all around and a perfect view of the barn to the south.
With a deep breath of the ocean air, she closed her eyes and asked the land to show her what it needed her to see today on this first walk around. She knew she would see more and more pieces of it as time went on. Every little detail would be revealed at the perfect moment.
Facing west on the drive, she saw the main gate into the paddocks with the ocean in the distance. Each side of the gate flanked by old stone fence walls, reinforced by split rails to be sure any four-legged being on the inside remained there safely. Before opening the gate, she knew there was one place to stop first. The Welcoming Stone. She knew exactly where it would be. It was directly at the conjuncture of a line drawn from the middle of the gate, the barn door, and the corner of the house. It was a piece of flagstone that had been put there years ago. Perhaps even before the current buildings. It reminded her of the Uffington White Horse created from white stones and maintained by locals over the years. She had visited that particular chalk horse on several of her adventures to England. The similarities that she drew of that horse to this stone, was of the care that it had been afforded over the years. The Welcoming Stone could have easily grown over or been filled over with dirt, but it hadn’t been. There was a sacredness in it. One that others had recognized before her. And a sacredness that she would continue to tend to as long as she was on this land. She knew this would be the place where all those who came to the sanctuary would be welcomed, where they would learn that they had arrived in a space of purity. A space where they, just like the horses, would be invited to be themselves, where they were encouraged to explore their special path, share their unique voice, and discover their authentic reason to be. A space where she would offer her gratitude in a prayer to the land and those that she shared it with. Every interaction including, the horses, the land, nature, humans, and spirit would come together in the name of love and compassion.
Once a visit was complete, they would stop here again to reorient themselves to their daily life. To set intentions for how they might walk freshly in the world and on the earth. And finally, offer their gratitude for the time and space spent at the sanctuary.
The Welcome Stone, was a key spot to the work that would be done on this land and the connection to the world at large. She offered a short silent prayer in thanks for arriving here and proceeded to the main gate to enter the horses’ abode.~*~
Greta Franklin Matos
One year ago, she had left the security and safety of a solid career at fifty-nine years old and shortly thereafter turned the big 6-0. She had also left the shoulds and the negative what-ifs in her rear-view mirror. She didn't know what lay ahead. But she listened to that whisper within. The quiet voice that had been, for quite some time, gently, consistently, and persistently saying: “Let it all go”. Telling her to believe in the vision.
Today, she fell to her knees on the laneway of a place she had known for over thirty years. Here was the laneway, lined by tall and wise trees leading to forty acres of rolling hills, fenced paddocks, cliffs, ocean front, and her house. All that would welcome family, friends, horses, and anyone or anything else called to step onto this magical land. The laneway to her forever.
She had made her home here for the past 30 years, in her imagination and her heart. The vision had presented itself to her in that waking dream all those years ago., And it had never let go. It never faded. It always strengthened her knowing to make it real. It was so vivid she had sketched and painted it, including the smallest of details. She had detailed blueprints of the house and farm in her mind. Her body knew every step of that land. Her ancestors were there waiting for her. The horses were getting ready to meet her there when the timing was right.
Today she sat on that holy ground and was finally home. A friend once said, “homes have a way of calling us towards them”. Oh, how true this is. This time it felt as it had so many times before when she visited in her heart. In meditations and guided visualizations, it had been the safe place she always went to. This time, though, it was tangible. It was real. She could feel the ground supporting her. She heard the land whisper, “Welcome home my love, I have been waiting for you.” And she wept. This was her arrival.
After some time, the land invited her to take a walk. Explore the property she was already so familiar with. She knew that they, together, would bring their vision into reality. But for now, she was present and was looking forward to the guided tour.
She had asked to come and visit the property alone. The real estate agent had sent pictures and virtual tours. She knew right away this was it. With her bags packed she traveled across land (and sea?) to touch it for the first time. She had asked to be alone for this initial visit because their meeting was to be intimate. They knew each other so well. It was like seeing an old friend you hadn’t seen in so many years. How could she get lost on land she knew so thoroughly? How could she get lost in a place that had been calling her for so long? She needed to have their first hello in person and in solidarity. This was the start of a new dimension in their journey together. It was the start of a journey that would take them from vision to physical reality and beyond.
And so, this tour of the heart began. She was meeting the land and buildings in person. It was like the difference between knowing someone through technological platforms and meeting them face to face. There would be a handshake or a hug. This was their first physical embrace. And there was no better place to start than the barn and fields.
First, she took in the stunning panoramic view from one side to the other. From fields in the south/southwest to the ocean in the west directly in front of her. From the cliffs off to the northwest in all their beauty and wonder to the tree lined drive running east to west and the house just north of the drive. The wrap around porch on the house gave an overview of the land all around and a perfect view of the barn to the south.
With a deep breath of the ocean air, she closed her eyes and asked the land to show her what it needed her to see today on this first walk around. She knew she would see more and more pieces of it as time went on. Every little detail would be revealed at the perfect moment.
Facing west on the drive, she saw the main gate into the paddocks with the ocean in the distance. Each side of the gate flanked by old stone fence walls, reinforced by split rails to be sure any four-legged being on the inside remained there safely. Before opening the gate, she knew there was one place to stop first. The Welcoming Stone. She knew exactly where it would be. It was directly at the conjuncture of a line drawn from the middle of the gate, the barn door, and the corner of the house. It was a piece of flagstone that had been put there years ago. Perhaps even before the current buildings. It reminded her of the Uffington White Horse created from white stones and maintained by locals over the years. She had visited that particular chalk horse on several of her adventures to England. The similarities that she drew of that horse to this stone, was of the care that it had been afforded over the years. The Welcoming Stone could have easily grown over or been filled over with dirt, but it hadn’t been. There was a sacredness in it. One that others had recognized before her. And a sacredness that she would continue to tend to as long as she was on this land. She knew this would be the place where all those who came to the sanctuary would be welcomed, where they would learn that they had arrived in a space of purity. A space where they, just like the horses, would be invited to be themselves, where they were encouraged to explore their special path, share their unique voice, and discover their authentic reason to be. A space where she would offer her gratitude in a prayer to the land and those that she shared it with. Every interaction including, the horses, the land, nature, humans, and spirit would come together in the name of love and compassion.
Once a visit was complete, they would stop here again to reorient themselves to their daily life. To set intentions for how they might walk freshly in the world and on the earth. And finally, offer their gratitude for the time and space spent at the sanctuary.
The Welcome Stone, was a key spot to the work that would be done on this land and the connection to the world at large. She offered a short silent prayer in thanks for arriving here and proceeded to the main gate to enter the horses’ abode.~*~
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