It was early morning when I woke and still dark, but the Grandmothers were talking, so I lay there listening to them until I realized what they were saying was important.  I'd better get up.

"You live in a world of duality," they said. "Light and dark, up and down, rich and poor, front and back, good and bad.  Well...," they drawled, dragging the word out, "there's actually no real 'good or bad.'  All of it is just the play of duality.  And by the way," they said, shaking their heads as they looked at me, "you won't change that.  That's the pattern of life on Earth.  Life was created to be this way and you, through all your efforts, will not change it.

"You must live right here in a world of seeming right and wrong, a world of seeming good and bad.  You must take the ride through this life of dualism.  However," they said, their faces lighting as they smiled, "we are surrounding you with a nimbus of light.  And we will carry you forward inside this cocoon of love and light.  What's so 'bad' about that?" they asked.  "Within this world of duality with all its drama you can live in joy.  Why not?" they asked as they peered at me over the tops of their noses.

"We challenge you to open to joy and to do it right now.  Yes," they said, their heads nodding steadily to get my attention.  "We know there's an endless supply of drama on Earth," they laughed, waving their hands to simulate the disarray in our world.  "It goes on and on," they said, "but the storms and dramas of life are nothing --- only the play of duality.  The love you carry inside you, the love you feel for one another and for all life ... now THAT is real!" they said.  "Put your attention on that! Choose that.

"At the Net of Light Gathering in the desert we upped your capacity for joy," they said.  "There you were covered in love, permeated by joy.  And you allowed this to happen, you let yourself receive it.  Keep that up," they said.  "Keep on saying 'yes' to joy, saying 'yes' to love. You can live within this nimbus of light now --- and you can do it right in the midst of this dualistic world. Turn toward joy," the Grandmothers said. "If you want to, you can let go of everything else --- all the drama, all the angst.  Haven't you had enough of that?" they asked, boring their eyes into mine.  "Hey!" they cried, laughing gaily, "try joy now. Go ahead!" they challenged me, "do it because you can!"