Ahhh, there are no coincidences…

Back when I was a freelance bookkeeper in Santa Barbara, CA, my good friend and client Kalia Rork plopped down the classified section in front of me. She had circled an ad seeking a bookkeeper for a local flower essence company. Kalia shared my interest in alternative healing modalities and thought it might be a good fit. Sure enough, she was right.

Thus began my several year working relationship with Star Riparetti, owner and inspiration of Star Essence. I offered her bookkeeping and technical assistance. She offered me an introduction to flower and gemstone essences, and more importantly, what a divinely guided life might be like. She manifests her dreams seemingly effortlessly. She just goes and “does it,” though ironically, she is her own foremost sceptic (she comes from the very “practical” background of physics.)

She is also a natural storyteller. I found such inspiration in her stories because even though she’d have all kinds of doubt, maybe she’d be trudging along in the rain and mud in the jungles of Peru, she’d nonetheless persevere, and lo and behold, magical and wonderful things would always happen! I think she may have been her own best customer for her “Let Go & Trust” essence.

Many of the ‘gems’ I learned from her came from observing her journey as a bystander–and I think this is one of the aspects I most appreciate about her as a teacher. She is simply on her own journey, i.e. she doesn’t “teach,” she doesn’t take herself too seriously. In fact, I wonder if she actually sees herself as a teacher (besides in the obvious settings of leading Flower and Gemstone Practitioner trainings–which I have completed 2x–or teaching the Star Essence Teachers.) Her kind and joyful spirit has had more of an influence on me than I am able to consciously realize–an infectious influence infused with much laughter.

One day I walked into the office to see a sheet of paper taped to the window with the words: Let it be Easy. Many people talk of the “ah-ha!” moment–one of those special awareness moments when you’ve finally found that metaphorical Key–well, I’d call that moment of reading the “Let it be Easy” sign a “duh” moment. What did I do? I started laughing, the kind of laugh that recognizes futile effort and represents emotional release. It put the ultimate lifestyle choice in my face. I.e. I can let a problem tie me up in knots and confuse me, or I can let it be easy. I can worry about finishing on time, or I can let it be easy. I can hold tension in my already tight shoulders, or I can let it be easy. “duh.”

Thank you, Star, for being the joyful inspiration that you are, for bringing the essences to us, and for the fantabulous Angel Rejuvenation Spray! “I am so Grateful!” (a frequently heard Star-ism down at the shop.)