The Shadow of Your Smile, by Rev. Staci Hylton

Today is my grandmother's 102nd birthday. Lavinia Twyne Hylton left this plane in March of 1995. Lavinia (Lou is what I called her) left when she was only 75. That is the age of most of my community members. She was a smoker, and lung cancer took her too soon for me. It seems as though it was just yesterday when she made her departure, and that is partially due to my inability to accept her leaving for so many years. Yes, this was the grandmother that was a Practitioner and her father the Founder of Eastside Church of Religious Science which is now known as L.A. 3rd. Lou was a handful! She was a world traveler, had her master's degree in education, and was a teacher that went on to be an elementary school principal. Owned several homes and investment properties; she was a foodie, had a great sense of humor, loved to read, was up to speed on all things political, and loved her cigarettes, milkshakes, and gin and tonics. She was a staunch believer in the teachings of Science of Mind. She believed in education and children and paid for my schooling from Montessori-6th grade and eventually for me to go on to UCLA. In my sharing of who she was, it comes to mind that she was perfectly imperfect and flawed. As much as she did right, there was a side that was judgmental, harsh, unforgiving, closed, not accepting, and she had no tolerance for what she might call "fools." Lou was my teacher. And me being the consummate student, I learned. So much of my good as well as my flaws come directly from her influence. She didn't show up on this plane perfectly, yet I have learned that my transformation comes from the flaws well as the good. Lou still lives and always will in me as my champion.

As Spirit would have it, another important event happened two years ago on the same day, and it was the departure of a very dear friend named Les.

Les would want me to let you know that he loved pretty women, whiskey, champagne, and Frank Sinatra. Those that knew him (and you did not have to know him that well) to know those things to be the truth of Les. As a friend of his for over three and a half decades, I will tell you that he was so much more than that. He is what I consider one of my life-long friends. He was a man that loved his family, his friends, football, boxing, politics, and music. He was funny, smart, never met a stranger, loved to cook, and had the gift of gab. He was probably my first male friend I met moving back from Northern CA to Southern CA. The night I met him, I remember he had to drive me home from the Valley to L.A. because my father's car broke down, and I was not supposed to be in the Valley with my father's car. I lived with my grandparents at the time, and he walked me to the door and explained what had happened to my grandmother. It was such a kind gesture on his part to take the time to try to make things right with her. That was the beginning of our friendship. We laughed about that story many times. I learned a lot from Les. Through our fun and crazy times hanging out, I learned even more, when our friendship took an unexpected turn. During that time, I learned that friendship takes work. It takes communication and sometimes just forgiving and forgetting. As the saying goes, people are in your lives for a reason, season, or a lifetime. For those that are blessed enough to have lifetime friends, there are, of course, times that you will disagree, fuss and fight and if you have enough love in your hearts to set ego aside and make an effort to practice communication, forgiveness, and unconditional love that is what lifetime friendship entails. Therefore, in a few brief words, that is what my friend, Les Roberson, gave to me. I was blessed to be a part of his life for not only a reason or season but a lifetime. Thank you, Les, for your friendship! Until we meet again!

My intention in writing this is to honor these individuals for all the many gifts they shared with me. The most significant gift is the love that is always within me. Yet, so much more was received by them being a part of my life. So often, when people move on to another plane, we speak of our departed as if they were angels while they were here on earth and don't speak of their messy humanness. As Religious Scientists, the "bypass" is real and so unhealthy. The truth of humanity is that people often don't show up as their best selves, and the realization of that keeps me from unrealistic blame and shame. The realization of that keeps me from feeling guilty when it is beyond my band-with at any given moment to be my best self. The truth is that transformation comes through making it through a shift. Once the feeling of transition happens, and it can be seen and felt in mind, then true evolution is a real possibility.

Sitting in deep contemplation about the gifts truly embraced through my awareness of who these beautiful, imperfect people have been to me. I feel their presence and essence in the bright sunlight that shines upon my face; I feel it as a tap on the shoulder before a talk from time to time; it is ever so present when a remembrance of an inside joke or experience tickles my soul. Though they may not laugh as loudly as I do, I can envision, as the song says, the shadow of their smile. When I leave, I would like to be remembered and spoken of for not only the good but even more so the bad and the ugly, which allowed the consciousness within you to stop, think and shift so that you might transform and evolve into your next best version of yourself. Happy Birthday Lou! Thank you for all you have done for me to become the best version of myself. I trust that wherever you both are at this moment, you are both smiling in my realizing how much more you are than I ever expressed while you were with me here on earth. Cheers! And So It Is!



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Staci Hylton is Co-Senior Minister with her best friend Rev Cheryl Bell at the Las Vegas Center for Spiritual Living. Staci's Great Grandfather was the founding minister of what was once known as Eastside Church of Religious Science in Los Angeles, CA and that community is now known as LA 3rd which is still in existence in Los Angeles today. Staci grew up in the teaching however did not begin taking classes until 2007 under Rev Cynthia Clair the Founding Minister of the Las Vegas Center for Spiritual Living. After her first Science of Mind class is when she really realized the gift of the teaching. She decided to move forward with her studies becoming a Practitioner in 2010 and completed ministerial school at Redondo Beach CSL under Dr. Moira Foxe in 2014. After becoming ordained in 2017 she was elected to the CSL's Minister's Council and is enjoying her various duties as an elected representative for the organization. Her responsibilities at the Las Vegas Center for Spiritual Living are focused on teaching, community outreach, and facilitating growth for her community's spiritual leaders which includes Ministers as well as Practitioners. She is proud to say that she and Rev Cheryl are in the midst of Creating the Beloved Community in what is known as "Sin City".