Hi everyone,

I want to let you all know that I had a very good, very mutually communicative, fruitful and uplifting conversation by phone with Linda Goodman's younger son, Michael, yesterday. He's my age, 46=10.

I had written him previously, but unbeknowst to me, my letter hadn't arrived, for whatever reasons of the universe. My partner in the biography project, Evelyn Stauffer, who asked me many years ago to help her do this, because she loves Linda but is not a writer, had always told me from her experience that Michael is kind, and I have found the same to be true.

He didn't just talk, he also listened. And he didn't just listen, he also talked. True two-way communication is something of a magical thing to me. It's nourishing. It's the reason why communication, community and communion arise from the same root. At the end we each thanked each other, truly, sincerely, and multiple times, for staying on the phone so long with the other. He should have been sleeping because he was in the middle of a move and trying to recover from food poisoning, and I should have been sleeping because I had been up for more than 24 hours trying to catch up on work!

I did not take notes on our conversation, because note-taking requires you to split off a part of your brain that trails a second or two behind, directing your hand, and I wanted to be entirely present, 100 percent "here, now," in the conversation.

So I don't really have any cool stories or anything to pass along to you all regarding Linda. But it wasn't that kind of conversation anyway.

Some of you know that I had essentially been painted as the devil, to Michael, by someone who doesn't know me and didn't bother to try to know me, but instead went raging into battle declaring all-out war and all that old, tired, shoot-first, ask-questions-later approach. No big. I didn't get to be 46 without having run up against that before. I can deal with it, and I'm fine about acknowledging that in a sometimes illogical, certainly defensible, but still very real sense, any trouble I find myself facing is my own fault. Carlos the sorcerer used to say, "Were you there?" I'd say, "Yeah." He'd say, "Then it IS your fault." And laugh and laugh.

Some of you also know that I didn't make the defense of my honor (or Greg's or CE's) my top priority in response to that attack. Our friend Rainbow is facing grave health concerns, and I have dedicated energy that direction; I am again resuming that single-mom role I know so well, and when we have three blizzards in a row and the pipes freeze, it's on me to get everything going and keep everything running; and I have a fabulous Pop forced into retirement at age 75 although he's still entirely healthy, extraordinarily capable and very much wanted to keep working, but it's a political thing there at the office and that's the way it goes, and I wanted to be sure that my Dad's entire immediate family, including the daughter and grand-daughter way out here in the snowed-in mountains, could be there for the party honoring his exceptional service working for good in the world. And if it sounds like I'm bragging, so be it. I'm extremely proud of my Dad (and my Mom, who is still working for our family causes at age 75), and I *am* pleased with myself for not letting defense of my Aries "I" take precedence over my commitments to "do" for certain others, commitments that are truly more important to the "me of me" than is a fairly baseless bashing of a strawman who is Not I.

In any case, Michael Goodman and I had that to get through at the top of our discussion, and I believe we have. Directly, not through a self-appointed third party. The third party, for what it's worth, has my forgiveness. Michael thinks his heart was in the right place, and I'm willing to give him the benefit of that doubt.

In any case, the new knowledge and understanding achieved through this is that Michael has always held open for himself, in his heart and mind, the possibility that he may write the definitive biography of his mother. I myself have, for many years and in partnership with Evelyn Stauffer, who really was like a sister to Linda for many years at the end of Linda's earth-life, been committed in my own heart and mind, to writing a biography of Linda Goodman that will be a great book. Michael and I each understand that about each other now, where we didn't before. That's a very good thing, that we know that now. We didn't "decide" anything related to each other's efforts in that regard. We just know it now. And we've begun to become acquainted with one another. He has some beginning understanding now about me, and who I am, and my life, and why things take time. And I also have some beginning understanding now about him, and who he is, and his life, and why things take time. And interestingly, he and I face many of the same life circumstances and challenges.

We also each have these dreams, like little feathery fluttering birds, that we hold gently in our hands.

I certainly wish him nothing but the best in his life and times. And, as many of you know, it's not too tough to find your way into my affections -- I'm a strongly affectionate person who finds lots to love in a wide variety of people, even though we the people are pretty much a bunch of goofballs across the board -- but still, I'm happy to say that Michael has certainly found his way into my affections as well.

I won't be so arrogant as to say that it's reciprocal, but I will say that at the end of the conversation, Michael sent a "wave" of loving-kindness for me and my kids that I could feel. He is, indeed, very kind, as Evelyn had told me he was.

And I want to say this about Evelyn, whose life work has been as a social worker and police woman. Ev truly was Linda's best non-family friend and her constant help-mate for many years at the end of Linda's life. In fact, my saying "non-family" is in deference to the relatives and to factual reality, but it doesn't feel fully right, because they were like sisters, and that's how Linda spoke to Evelyn about their relationship. Like sisters or closer. In fact, when Ev would occasionally complain about her husband, Linda would say, "Shall we divorce him?" We. And Evelyn (and Ed) thought that was so cute and funny.

Ev handled a multitude of tasks to be of service to and take care of Linda, and she did them purely out of friendship and not for "pay" of any sort -- in fact, she turned down many many things Linda tried to give her -- and quite frankly, it's too damn bad that she did turn down so many things because so many of them fell into what Michael and I agree were essentially evil hands after Linda's passing. Thank God that she accepted those things, over those years, that she did accept. And too bad that those same evil hands took some of those from Ev afterwards as well.

But Ev saw how people would just take and take and take from Linda, and she did not want be one of those ... she COULD NOT be one of those, because of who and how she is. She is as straight an arrow, as true and honest and loyal a Sagittarius as any I have ever met in my life, and that's saying a lot, because my Mom is a Sagi and is on my one-hand count of the best people I've ever known.

I did not and do not want any of the hostility that is or was directed my way, because of my commitment to write about Linda's life, to slop over onto Evelyn. I cannot control that, and Evelyn is certainly up to handling it, but I'm still feeling pretty fiercely protective of her and just want to state that. Whoever wants to throw pies, although it's nice to think we may have moved beyond that, I'm your target. I'm the one out here in the public arena, putting my foot in my mouth or not, based on my choices, and the buck stops here.

So, anyway, as we used to say at the newspapers, take as much time and space as it takes to tell the story, and then stop. Thanks for reading.

Love,
Maria

, Maria

Maria

Happy that things turned out as they did.



Love, Connie

Awesome story. It's good that you got to talk with him.

Sounds like you're loving the about as much as I am right now. I would like for it to NOT snow for a WHOLE week.

Connie, cool gif. Indeed, Maria, you're the woman!

Carrie, did I just hear a complaint from the girl who was happy to move to a colder climate just about two years ago?

Hahahaha... Yeah, I know.

I do still like snow... But it would be nice for it to let up for one week. We've been having major snow storms at least once a week for the past 4 weeks straight. I just would like to be able to drive on roads without snow or ice.

Lisa, U 2 !

Connie, I'm rolling on the floor laughing! One of my sisters is a bit of a drama-mama and also has a rather large control-freak streak. One time when I was completely at a loss for words to say to her to point out how she was behaving towards me, I actually did drop to my knees and do the motions of that cartoon! We all still snicker and snort about that one, but it made my point. Thanks for the compliment, sweetie. You the woman, too.

Carrie, I should say he's awesome and the whole thing is pretty awesome in retrospect. But yeah, this snow? Sheesh, it's got to be the snowiest winter in the 11 years I've been here. At least, they say, it's getting us out of the drought.

Suchi, You should come play in the snow with us! Now, where did I put that worldwide travel-wand?

I've got to go get some zzzzz's.

Maria

Oh, do I hab do? I hab a cold, you dee. *aachoo*

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Carrie, I should say he's awesome and the whole thing is pretty awesome in retrospect. But yeah, this snow? Sheesh, it's got to be the snowiest winter in the 11 years I've been here. At least, they say, it's getting us out of the drought.

Suchi, You should come play in the snow with us! Now, where did I put that worldwide travel-wand?

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Yeah, it sounds like it was awesome.

I'd believe it has been the worst snow season for the entire time you've been here. I happened to follow a link for snow amounts on the ground for Christmas in Colorado in past years, and the trend, it looked like, is that every couple of decades or so you'd see 13 inches, 15 inches, etc... Just very outrageous numbers. So, hopefully this will be the last time this happens for another couple of decades. I guess I came at the right time for snow.

And yes Suchie, you SHOULD come visit us! Cold or no. I'll send some fairy dust your way and make you all better.

Maria, what an honest and beautiful communication... no wonder your nic is WriteOn!

(btw, I guess you would realise that NOWHERE translates to Now, Here... meaning that to be Nowhere is to be here, now - Eternal Now, ever present, no-time type place)... shucks, I already know you will know that... but couldn't resist as when you mentioned your conversation with Michael G you mentioned:

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I did not take notes on our conversation, because note-taking requires you to split off a part of your brain that trails a second or two behind, directing your hand, and I wanted to be entirely present, 100 percent "here, now," in the conversation.

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I am looking very much forward to reading your book... I read everything LG ever wrote, I believe (well, everything published, that is) and I still pass her books around. What an awesome energy being she is/was...

Just wanted to share that with you. Thank you for giving my soul a lift...

Love and light, Jools xoxox

Thank you for the same, Jools.

Maria

Hi Maria.

I'm sorry if I caused you a lot of commotion by asking the question about Linda all that time ago. I hope things are ok now.

Love & Light

Originally posted April 6, 2007, at 3:31 p.m. MDT, and transfered to new software.

Oh! Sweetie, not at all. You got me off my butt. There is so much work to be done to be able to express it all well. And posting, of necessity, leaves out a lot of ambience. I'm sorry if I freaked you out with anything I said.
Glad to see you. It's springtime in the rockies.

Maria

Originally posted April 6, 2007, at 9:14 p.m. MDT, and transfered to new software.

Thanks. Spring time is my favorite time!

You didn't freak me out. I believe that every human being has his/her strengths and weaknesses. I can accept both.

I can't help but ask questions- that's the nature of a curious Gemini. I will always be most curious about that/those most dear to my heart.

Do you know who will write a book about Linda? Is anyone going to? Will you and Michael work together?

Love & Light

Oh, love the graemlins!



Originally posted April 7, 2007, at 12:22 a.m. MDT, and transfered to new software.

You know, I didn't think I freaked you out, but Michael thought maybe I had and was concerned for you in a sweet way. Kind of cool to know that Linda Goodman's son was thinking of you kindly, eh?

Yes, Evelyn and I will keep on keeping on and working on this book. We have tons of material we've been through, and we have detailed treasure maps for people and places and things to visit. It's all good. Beyond that, and what I know about Ev and me, heaven knows.

Anything is possible.

Love & music,
Maria

Wow! It would be such a wonderful gift if Michael wrote a biography for Linda. We will have to wait until they are ready. That is just so cool (can't think of another word), to have a conversation with him, in sharing the Love we All Feel for his beloved Mother, our Linda

Susan67Aries...
what a great ideal that Linda's baby Scorpio son write a bio on his own mother... I'll let him know he has your vote of confidence!

And I can't wait to see his view on the rest of this thread...

Listens to Trees...

Found your chart over here. Wow... your posting that started this thread above really stimulated a reaction! Bet you never thought you were going to get that answer? I'm going to have to give this some thought...