A Taste of Heaven

Our personality split yesterday between Donnie, a little five year old boy who is mentally ill from the traumas from childhood and his caretaker, John Thomas.  My name is John Thomas.  We were able to get a taste of heaven yesterday.

After helping Ismael, my new Muslim friend get breakfast prepared for the residents at the transitional living facility we live in, my personality split.  Little Donnie found himself hiding under my bed, crying hysterically and his body trembling, I found myself lost in the chamber of his mind.  After several hours, I was able to convince Donnie to exchange places with me and that we would have a wonderful day together.  Donnie agreed.

Donnie loves the color purple.  I took him and showed him that we live in a place where there are purple trees.

Donnie loves to be by the ocean.  Donnie loves to play games.  Donnie loves his sister Linda.  I sent a text to Linda and invited her to a backgammon series.  We ended up playing three series.  We even had a couple of those phoo phoo drinks in a pineapple with one of those colorful paper umbrellas.  Although we were over two thousand miles apart, Donnie really believes that he played backgammon with his sister by the ocean.

I live in Santa Barbara.  Although Santa Barbara is named after a martyred saint, Donnie loves his "Aunty Barb who died and lives in heaven with Jesus."  If you knew his Aunt Barb, you would agree that she was a saint too.

Our backgammon tournament ended because I needed to return to Casa Esperanza to help serve lunch for almost 200 of the homeless in Santa Barbara.
After lunch, I took Donnie up to the Santa Barbara mission which is called the "Queen of the Missions".  Founded on December 4, 1786, it is the 10th mission in California.  I rode my bike to the mission and the first thing we saw was the largest rose garden we had ever seen.

We love flowers.  Donnie loves his mother.  Donnie's mother loves roses.  We were able to send her this picture of some of the roses from this garden.  Although we are far apart, it was a taste of heaven that we could still communicate with each other.

In the afternoon, I met with some Tibetan monks to meditate.  Through meditation, I am learning about my mental illness.  My provider Anna was at the meditation also.  It was great to be able to have a chance to talk after the meditation, away from the Casa.

I called my friend Amy Rosenbaum.  She is a methodist minister who was concerned that I would be having my third heart procedure in West LA and that I would be alone.

"I wish I could be there for you!"  Amy said.

"You are!"  I was delighted to respond.

Mass was being held at 4:00 pm at the Santa Barbara Parish at the Old Mission.  The mission is run by the Franciscan friars.  The mass was "The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ."

"This is my body."  Jesus said

"This is my blood."  Jesus continues.

Now take and eat and drink of me."  Implores Jesus.

After mass, I met with the Franciscan priest and asked how I might get involved with the parish and the monastery here in Santa Barbara.  He gave me two numbers to call.

"Heaven on Earth?"  For Donnie and me, we would have to say,
"Today we were given a taste of heaven."

Donnie was elated when I bought him a mood ring.  The ring has eight little butterflies on it.  The coolest thing for Donnie is whenever he is feeling loved, the ring turns purple.  This morning the ring would have been black for depression.
Right now, the ring is purple!