Countdown to Karma



Mother never repaid an ill, rude, or cruel deed aimed at her with anything but charity. Not to say she didn’t shed a few tears when they happened, but she never raged and plotted revenge. After the initial pain subsided she would pray for the person’s Highest Good and move on, tucking away the lesson in a journal or the outhouse.

 Me, on the other hand, in my oh so much younger days, was a bit of a lose cannon and would sit in a pot of rage days, for stirring up ways to cleverly and deceptively ‘off their heads.’  Maturity eventually set in, but I have to say I never got to that calm grace my mother had in those dreadful situations until a few years ago. Ok, the other day.

Mother was a firm believer of Karma.  She never called it that mind you; “Law of the Harvest”, “What goes around comes around”, “Putting it all in God’s hands.”  Those were her terms.  It was Karma non the less. That quiet current of clever energy that neatly, yet powerfully, throws every bit of crap a person  spews out right back at them,  full force plus 10.  Karma is not too swift however.  Not like me,  the Queen of Instant Gratification who demands the payback  be instantaneous to the crime.

Now why would I bring this up?   You just know there’s a story coming, right?
Yes.

Taking on a major endeavor, like founding Apple or Uber, tends to set up situations where conflict can breed contempt.   My mother’s schools were certainly no exception.  She has a passion for children and a vision of how learning should take place. She was also the most tenacious person I have ever met when she wanted something, save me once when I wanted a  pony.

Strong willed smart individuals in disagreement can work out just about any problem if they are both sane, and check their egos in the coat closet upon arrival. You’d think sanity would be the first prerequisite, but I content it’s the ego that sets up the downfall.  Heck, maybe they are the same, but for the point of discussion lets just stick to Ego as the biggest culprit.

Conversely, when egos are not in check, all kind of nasty drama can spew forth.  The ego whoops and hollers, then plots and schemes to get it’s own way.  The endorphin surge is organismic at the thought of a pulling off a coup d'etat and gaining keys to whatever kingdom it has is in it’s cross-hairs. Novels are written depicting this very situation. Heck, the world has almost been destroyed a few times following this scenario.

Well, sure enough, a situation similar to above did disrupt: Nasty Kindergarten betrayals happening in the Boardroom, and mom came out on the short end of the stick. Totally blindsided she packed up shop and headed south to write away her memoirs. Early retirement. She never went back. She didn’t have to as she accomplished what she originally set out to do.  She cried a few tears, then left others take it to the next level on their terms.

Me, on the other hand, was enraged! I was a fierce protector of my mother, not that she needed it.  Kind of like a Chihuahua  guarding a St. Bernard,  but such was my devotion.  Once again, mother calmly told me that other people had lessons to learn along their journey and all would eventually work out in the end. My vision was not as far sighted but I backed down calling in lawyers as that was her wish.

Mom knew Karma would make things right in the end. She didn’t live long enough to see it however, but I did.  And let me tell you, Karma outdid herself with a plot twist that would put the Bard to shame.

New day. New time. New people who wanted to know the history of how the school began 25 long years ago – save the drama of one bad egg. 

Since mom was gone I was invited to speak on her behalf and to tell the 650 people in attendance  all about my mother and why she started the school. It was an honor beyond belief and I felt her spirit next to me beaming with pride.  She would have been dancing a gavotte with the little ones and discussing inverse fractions in Latin with the 8th graders. Hundreds of people thanking her with tears in their eyes, through me, for founding a school that helped their gifted child. 650 happy smiling faces.  Well, let’s make that 649…

I am quit sure the person who cleverly undermined my mothers departure way back when did not expect to see me in attendance, nor have me be at the place of honor, nor want to hear my words as the Keynote speaker and ribbon cutter.  I am really sure they were also more than a little taken aback that Mother’s beautiful portrait – which had once been banned from the entry and placed in the closet - was once again hoisted in it’s place of honor. In all fairness, others had their little picture up there too, as no one is never totally evil. The big person in me wrote that last sentence. The little girl in me is not so sure….

Karma even sat with us at the same table.  I was hesitant at first to sit down with them and growled a bit under my breath to one of mother’s dear friends who had been a teacher there for decades and lived through the debacle.  She calmly patted my hand and reminded me that I was obligated to behave myself because I was an adult. Then she reminded me of my mother’s grace and belief in Karma.  I behaved and I did not feel smug…. Ok, just a tad, but it was well hidden. I looked gracious.
 
There is not a one of us who has not let our ego run a muck at one time or another – if we’re truly honest with ourselves. And we have all been on the other end of the stick of being hurt by the crappy actions of another. Life. Just a part of the human condition. I’m sure there’s many a gentle soul out there who once started off as a raging egomaniac, at least as a toddler, but Karma’s punch woke them forever out of their stupor. We live and hopefully learn to be better human beings in the process.  And yes, there are unobservant souls who never quite get the memo – but we’ll save that blog for another day. 

My Point: Karma will eventually show up if you ‘let go’ of the anger and need for revenge.  You know, 9.999% of the time, the other person doesn’t lose one second of sleep over the angst they caused you. In all truth, you are not important to them. They are myopic.  But keep the faith and remember, it takes a while for Karma to do her stuff because you are not the only note on the page. All the players need to be in place, at the right time, for the lesson to be completed. Your only mission is to forgive and move forward.

And yes, that’s a  difficult things to do when someone’s put a hole through your heart, or your moms…   But that’s not what “praying for someone’s Highest Good” is about.  Highest Good leaves the door open for lots of options. They may have had a small lack of judgment and be deserving a “Get out of Jail Free pass.”  Or they may be masters at debauchery deserving a star studded Epic takedown. In that case, it’s ok to hope for a  front row seat plus a bucket of popcorn.  But it’s not your call.  Take Peace in knowing you did the right thing and let Karma do hers.  And after witnessing this past event, I can truly tell Karma knows what she’s doing.


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