For years I’ve practiced “ProsperityThrough Generosity,” sometimes known

as tithing or sharing the wealth. Whenever Ireceive money, I share it with others, eventhough I may not have a lot of cash at the

time. I have learned that, by continuing toshare, the energy keeps moving, and moremoney comes in. I also tithe in time by vol-unteering work for no charge when someonecan truly not afford it. This has given me the

opportunity to do many things I might nothave done because of lack of funds. It’s alsoa great way to make new connections.

One day, while musing on the subject, Igot a little hungry, so off I went to EnchantedGarden, one of my favorite Houston restau-rants and regular hang-outs. When I walked in,my usual waitress cameover and introduced a newemployee, Mary. Know-ing that I was into spiritualstudies, they had a storyand a question for me.

Mary told me how she had been out ofwork and down to her last $43. Driving to ajob interview she saw a woman holding ababy and a sign that said, “Baby needs doc-tor, please help.” Being soft-hearted, shepulled over to the woman, reached into herpurse and handed her $2. Driving away, inthe rear view mirror, Mary could see thewoman clasping her hands and shouting,“Thank you, thank you, thank the Lord.”

She thought, “Wow, a lousy two bucksmakes her so happy,” and she felt good abouthaving given it to her, even though her fundswere low. When she arrived at her interview,she discovered that she had given the womantwo twenties. Now she only had $3 left. She

was kicking herself and couldn’tbelieve she had given away her last$40. The next day she got the job atEnchanted Garden.

I encouraged her not to be upsetabout the money, perhaps thewoman needed that exact amountfor the doctor and she may have

been praying for it. Mary may have been theanswer to her prayer. That one random act ofkindness could have changed a life. “That’s agood way to look at it,” said Mary.

I excused myself and headed for theladies room. I heard in my head, “Give herback the money.” I protested that I did notget paid for two more days and I wasn’t evensure if I had that much in my bank account.My inner voice was insistent, so I wrote a

page 24 HO RS E F LY April 15, 2009

B U T T E R F L Y

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D i e n k e

As We Suffer, WeHave Choices

By Debra Villalobos

As I write in the morning hours, a migrat-ing bird lifts its voice into the rafters of

branches, bearing new buds cast against bluesky. Swallows return to build their nests onthe light under the eaves. Wind shakes up thebauble of spring tease. Lightning strikes thesky, thunder rumbles and wind blows snow,driving white flakes across our town. Theview of the mountains is obliterated.

As I write, a friend lies dying. I cannothelp but think of all the sorrow of the wit-nesses, those who love him, but also theunexpected exquisite joy, that accompaniesand carries him through his journey of giv-ing up the human body. He is rafting acrossthe river. I have been privileged to be a partof his passing.

As I write, a part of my heart breaks, likethe concrete plaster of the planters outsideour door, left pummeled by heavy snow,dripping water turned to ice. How manypieces of the heart are left after a lifetime ofbreaking? Edges crumble leaving a softerprofile.

But through all this, I find hope in thewise words and knowledge of Allanah Eliza-beth Walker. Thirty-two years ago, she satencased in fear, as a doctor, who was also afriend, delivered the dreaded messages. Ter-minal breast cancer had metastasized to her

liver. Three months to live.“I will explain the procedures available

to you. This is my duty as a medical doctor,”he says.

“Time stops in certain instances of life,”Allanah writes. For more than fifty years,time has begun and stopped in Taos.

She holds up her hand, and he stopsimparting his Western medicinology. Herdecision, despite the agonizing moments offear … moments that last for days, fillingeach second following such a diagnosis …based on years of practice of meditation andyoga, was made. She had nothing to lose bychoosing to heal herself. She had alreadysurvived three months of living throughappointments with doctors and diagnosticprocedures.

For six months, she followed a daily rit-ual of visualization, body brushing, rest andmore rest, exercise (cancer cells cannot livein excess oxygen) and teas, herbs, fresh veg-etables, fruits, and more visualization. Sheexposed herself to the sun for Vitamin D. Sixmonths later, she was cancer free.

I read past and present in Allanah’s book,“Cancer Wise, Terminal to Healthy,” in col-laboration with Alicia Clyde. Practice is keyto detoxifying “cellular confusion” which iscaused by fear and stress. I have lived in fearthat cancer will return. I got the diagnosisjust before my fiftieth birthday. I turn fifty-four next month. Whether the diagnosis ofcancer is a gene-driven given or the manifes-tation of the baggage packed up and left overfrom childhood, it still burdens you. Follow-ing Allanah’s simple and direct program canchange your life and way of thinking aboutdis-ease. After all, our nation and the worldis in “cellular confusion.”

When fear overwhelmed me after mydiagnosis that left “time standing still” (andstill does on occasion), I haven’t known

quite what to do. I based mydecisions to have chemother-apy and surgery on my expe-rience of a nurse’s trainingyears before. It is unfortunatethat I didn’t get to hearAllanahs’ full story, or Imight have chosen a differentpath. Hindsight is a valuabletool.

The morning of my mas-tectomy, I witnessed the wakeof Hurricane Katrina. Thedeath and survival of the peo-ple of Louisiana was spreadacross the news of the nation.I shifted my fear to gratitude;I was only losing my breast.Perspective. I had done a lotof homework to achieveresponsibility in the decisionmaking for my treatment. Ihad many friends in lowerLouisiana who were dying. Ihad known and danced withthe Houma Indian women,who were not only wiped out,but were not even recognizedas a valid Native Americantribe. There was no help for

humans suffering from thirst, hunger, andmost of all, grief; a breast was a small thingto lose. I had lived in lower Louisiana,fished, cooked, loved, danced and given a bitof my heart to it. It was being obliteratedfrom a map. But I was not.

Reading Allanah’s book the second timearound, I realize I must not be daunted by thethought that her extensive experience andknowledge in alternative practices of whole-ness overrides mine in medical training orphysical fitness. I take an inventory ofstrengths and weaknesses. Not only can Icount these lessons of detoxification ofbody, mind, and soul, but I also take inven-tory of past fears and the fear of getting can-cer again. I can carry her practices into mydaily life, piddling as they may seem andcontinue to practice detoxification of mybody, mind, and soul to stave off fear.

Allanah counseled her friend Aliciathrough her daily program. Alicia had beendiagnosed with cervical cancer, but has beenfree for several years. Alicia hopes to use herhome in Lama to help others along the pathof healing or dying with choice and dignity.

As the night draws near, there is hardly amoon at all; I put myself to sleep with thesethoughts, praying for those who fight thecauses and effects of toxic disease. We dropon our knees before our father, mother orpriest. I pray that the wise ones teach us howto take responsibility and open our minds toideas that conventional practitioners shutout.

“Time stops in certain instances of life.”The sounds of new birds in spring

remind us how our feathery friends gather uprefuse—twig, cloth and pain—and fly upunder the eaves to build their nests. Perhapswe, our friends, and fearful others, will hearAllanah’s song.

April 15, 2009 HO RS E F LY page 25

B O D Y & S O U L

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check for $50 and wrote “prosperity throughgenerosity” at the bottom. I asked the regu-lar waitress to give it to Mary after I left.

That made me wonder about my bankaccount. I did not want a bounced check toruin the gesture. When I balanced my check-book, I found an extra $500 that could notbe accounted for anywhere in my deposits,and all the checks had cleared the account.Suddenly I had 10 times what I had justgiven away. It was a major sign for me, anda huge lesson, but the biggest lesson was yetto come.

A month later I received a letter fromMary. She said, “I don’t know if youremember me, but I just wanted to tell youthat I never cashed your $50 check. Moneystarted pouring in from all directions. Iframed the check and put it on my wall, andwhenever anyone comes into my home, Itell them the story of your generosity.”

I still can’t tell that story without gettingmisty. I realized how many people werebeing affected by a single gesture. I willnever know exactly how many people havebeen moved by that story, but for me, thelesson was a much better reward than $500.Our random acts of kindness ripple out intothe world and create all kinds of abundance,and it comes back in many forms.

These days, when we’re being told dailythat the economy is terrible, and a fear oflack engulfs us, we have to help each otherfrom the truth of our hearts, prosperitythrough generosity. That is part of the solu-tion to our financial crisis.