There is an inner river roaring through me which quickens my life and makes me confident in what I believe about myself. This bubbling stream I call enthusiasm. It refreshes my every thought, word and deed. It establishes what I make out of my life with inner joy. The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek enthos  and means god within.
   A glorious reflection of my enthusiasm, my indwelling presence, is my fifteen year young grandson Marcello, son of my daughter Mariella living in Lugano, Switzerland.
   For the first time this summer, Marcello visits America. What a delight for him. He and his family immediately leap off the plane to visit me in Southern California for a few days. Before he begins his precious week with me he visits a family of five children in Oregon. A family like his own including five children.
   The purpose of his one month visit with an American family is to learn English while playing and communicating with these children. During these four weeks Marcello brings his natural enthusiasm to test, as life here in Oregon is quite different than he is accustomed to at home.
   When I visited Marcello in Switzerland, I watched him give a performance as he played with more than 20 neighbor youngsters, boys and girls of all ages, all coming to his house. A born leader, he is brimming over with playful ideas and enthusiasm. He sets the course for each game and makes it to an exciting play time for himself and his friends. Each of his companions respectfully follow his   direction. He is admired for his fair play.
   Living in Medford, Oregon, however, there are no neighbor kids to play with. Only Marta, Jim and Ken are at home to share some playtime with him. At this point Marcello’s bubbling attitude could be challenged as those kids have different interests than his. Their major concentration is on television shows and computer games. They find little enthusiasm for Marcello’s usual sports of playing and running in the yard, or climbing trees, riding bicycles or to go skateboarding. They would rather act mentally on TV and computer games-challenging for Marcello.
   Marcello is a top student, computer literate but far and away an outstanding sportsman. This young teenager knows his course in life. His natural enthusiasm drives him to the top of his world. Arriving in America as a novice, just a beginner speaking English, He is unable to communicate with words. This does not stop him, he uses remarkable facial gestures, his hands and feet-and a few English words-his leadership qualities are put to the test.
    Marcello is a star in every sport he plays and he plays them all. He loves  soccer, baseball, skating, hockey, swimming, skiing and so much more. He misses being able to talk in Italian with his Swiss friends whom he guides in every sport. But this young sportsman lives under the motto: Everything has a solution. I am the creator of everything in my life.
   Already the first day after he joins the Smith family, he is invited to participate in a tennis tournament. In Switzerland he rarely plays tennis. However, being a universal sportsman he accepts the happy offer from the tennis teacher who gives lessons to one of the Smith children. Instantly Marcello is ready to take part in daily tennis training. His enthusiasm for everything he does exudes his selfconfidence. He turns out the Winner of the tournament. He brings home a prized silver trophy and a pair of new costly tennis shoes. His physique is normal. It is the awareness he has of himself that his greatest training is his mental training.
   Marcello’s enthusiasm is channeled by his inner guidance which leads him to know that his secret dreams are possible.
   In no time the one month vacation in Oregon is over and Marcello has made lots of tennis friends. He flies to San Diego ready for another adventurous time. He does not know what to expect being with his grandmother after such a successful sporting sortie in Oregon.
   I am excited as I pick him up at the San Diego airport. I am curious how he will look in his black cowboy hat and a blue cowboy suit given to him by his friends the Smith family.
   Though I had seen him a month before for a few days I almost do not recognize my young Swiss Italian teenager. He is stunningly handsome. To flow with his macho cowboy attitude and outfit, I buy myself a fine cowboy hat, a matching jacket including western trousers and shoes. I imagine us like two teenagers. We leap into our sporty convertible, the UNI’s diamond blue Miata. We head for the high desert of Campo in the bright June sun. Giggling like two giddy teenagers in our fancy well admired mini cabriolet, we drive hundreds of miles every moment bubbling with happiness and enthusiasm.
   Marcello comes to the UNI campus as my grandson and a guest. An intrepid sportsman, this teenager knows the importance of following rules. Immediately he accepts the campus rules. He voluntarily and eagerly listens to the rules of the Absolute Monastery and becomes an honorary monk, acting as all other monks.
   Every morning at 3:30 he happily gets up. Together we walk a quarter of a mile from the Citadel to the Embassy. The deep silence of the high desert wraps the campus in an atmosphere of reverence under a magnificently illumined star filled sky. Among the billions of tiny glittering lights, Marcello discovers one star, he calls it HIS reflecting light, his consciousness. Every morning we recognize the same bright star. It is a mirror of his inner purity and innocence. Daily we watch for his fascinating symbol of purity and perfection.
   The blackness of the early morning does not hide the light from the Great Cathedral in the Embassy-our focus, where we are going. It is still dark when we arrive at the Embassy where we join the other monks in their morning lecture and introspection. We take our seat on one of the meditation chairs eager to listen the daily morning talk of the dean, Dr Herbert L Beierle, Thought for Today. Before the dean speaks one of the monks gives a ten minute talk. To include Marcello, I simultaneously translate all the inspirational thoughts in Italian.
   Soon Marcello understands the principle of our philosophy and consciously starts to use the Law of cause and effect for his personal purposes. He has lots of fun doing it.
   One morning after breakfast he eagerly climbs on the little mower tractor to finish his field and lawn cutting work from the previous day. Turning the key of the engine, the tractor remains mute. Once more Marcello turns the key, but again silence. Then using the Law he listens within and hears: Marcello, surround the tractor with your pure white light of love. Instantly he is quiet. He follows what he has heard within. He speaks to the tractor and says: I surround you with my pure white light of love. What a joy. He turns the key and the tractor engine responds. Triumphantly Marcello drives away, confident in the principle. Once again ready to proceed with his exciting work. His inner belief, his attitude, his enthusiasm is to do each job perfectly-it is the motivation and solution to his miraculous experience.
   Marcello was ready. He came to the Monastery not only as my guest and my grandson, but also to let his inner light shine forth revealing who and what he really is. Before he was born I called him a remarkable genius. Every day of his life he proves he is a genius. He expresses it most magnificently.
   I am proud of my reflection, my super creation, my grandson Marcello for he is to me a pure reminder of what enthusiasm does to life.

-Dr Ellen Jermini