I recently received the infamous “box of childhood" we all eventually get when our parents clean out and downsize and decide we have reached the age where they should no longer be storing “our stuff.” The box that is chock full of photos, ribbons, and report cards—all those odd yet very tangible reminders of what your life was really like as a kid. I found this reminder of my time as a Girl Scout, which is kinda funny - I do not remember that fondly , a free spirit from birth I never have liked to be told what to wear , what to do or how to do it . When I saw these pictures and handwritten notes from the troop leader it made me giggle that even then at the age of 10 I was doing my own thing .The majority of the troop was in knee socks and short sleeve dresses and I am sock less , wearing clogs and a jumper with a turtleneck . I also appreciate the fact that I was getting badges and awarded a ribbon for getting" second most votes" for the second friendliest girl at the "camporee" ...who knew!Grateful for the reminder that my free spirit and sense of self has been firmly intact all these years and I survived girl scouts by earning full collection of crazy badges.
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Happy Father’s Day, dad! Sharing some napkin love to celebrate all the big and little ways you have shown up for me always with a sense of humor, compassion and love . I love and appreciate you!
As I was walking this amazing labyrinth this morning, I was feeling incredibly grateful for living in such a heavenly place and for all the craziness I had to go through to be here. I remembered it is officially "Gratitude Day," which is celebrated annually on September 21st.
The celebration of Gratitude Day allows us to celebrate the broad meaning of gratitude in a variety of ways.
The celebration started in 1965 in Hawaii at an international gathering where it was decided that it would be a good idea to have one day per year to formally express gratitude and appreciation for the many wonderful things to be found in the world.
The benefits of having time in one's life for gratitude, appreciation, and positive reflection have become increasingly apparent. The hope of the founders of Gratitude Day is that by taking time, one day a year, to reflect on the many amazing things we have in our lives, it will positively impact our well-being and make us happier, more content people. Wow, compound that by 365 days, and imagine what might happen.
Wishing a happy gratitude day to all and a gentle reminder to stop, appreciate, and honor what you are grateful for, and of course pass it on with love.
Living in a small, funky coastal town, you never know who you might meet. We have forged some great friendships with complete strangers who have had incredible life journeys. One of our favorites is Dorothy Rooney, a high-energy, super-sparkly soul who has lived 96 years of full-on joy and unimaginable adventures.
Today we were lucky enough to be seated next to her and her amazing partner Liz at breakfast at the local hangout. Lucky for us, Dorothy was decked out in full regalia with her WASP wings and her Congressional Medal of Honor ID badge. They had intended to go to the Memorial Day service at the local cemetery, , unfortunately the dates got mixed up so she didn't get to mingle as she had planned . Dorothy, with her usual enthusiastic smile and twinkle, declared that she was looking for adoration today and had hoped that somebody would notice the hard earned WASP wings pinned to her shirt. Of course, we already had and were thrilled to run into her under such auspicious circumstances. As always, she was beyond inspiring, sharing her life experiences as a pioneering female pilot at the age of 25.
So grateful to have Dorothy and Liz in our universe and to be reminded of all the amazing women that have paved the way with such grace, gusto and relentless courage. Most importantly Dorothy, please know and remember you will always be not only adored for your service but for who you are.
Dorothy, you are a truly inspiring hero and pioneer, and we wish you much adoration and appreciation today and every day.
Driving down Highway 101 along the coast to Santa Barbara has been not only a beautiful very familiar but comforting happy place for me most of my life. I remember mucho fun, water play, and camping as a kid, and chilling at Refugio and El Cap beaches at many different phases of my life.
As I was driving this route on the day after the devastating oil spill, the air was thick with the stench of oil and there was mass chaos in the sky as the pelicans and seagulls were circling in large numbers, clearly confused and impacted.
The sky was filled with helicopters supporting the frantic containment effort in the water below. It is beyond heartbreaking to think about the impact this will have on the environment. The most shocking thing was to see the hazardous materials trucks and containers everywhere and the large force of "helpers” in white suits on this normally spectacular stretch of California coast.
As traffic was slowed by flashing lights, orange cones and emergency vehicles everywhere, the cleanup efforts and wildlife rescue were clearly in full force. I passed mile after mile of teams of Helpers and equipment being dispersed and focused on the brilliant wisdom of Mr. Rogers:
“When I was a boy, I would see scary things. In the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially In times of “disaster" I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers, so many caring people in this world.” —Mr. Fred Rogers
Grateful for the reminder that life as we know it can change in an instant and another huge thank you for the "helpers” that seemingly appear out of nowhere to help restore and repair in tragedies around the globe .
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These are the caring hands and one of the snuggly "grand bunnies" of the amazing Anna Deis . I was lucky enough to stop by the farm on a few occasions, just a few days after they were born. Anna was beyond adorable in her excitement and had clearly put a lot of love and preparation into her role as "grand bunny mother.” Her enthusiasm was delightful and infectious.
I will always remember her this way, which even makes me smile as we grieve for Anna, who was recently taken to heaven. She left tragically and unexpectedly while she was cycling. There is some comfort knowing she was doing something she loved, with someone she really loved, her fiancee Jason.
Today is Anna's wedding day, and she was certain to be a breathtaking bride while marrying the love of her life on a beautiful sunny day on the coast. It is incredibly heartbreaking that this will not come true; the grief felt by her family and a very large tribe is palpable. We miss her glow and her pure delight in living each moment.
The sweetest synchronicity I have found is this very inspiring Facebook post that Anna did a month ago—a lovingly written and perfect message for today. Grateful to you, Anna, for the amazing person you continue to be. for the sweet reminder of the joy found in a box of bunnies and, most importantly, for taking nothing for granted.
One of my favorite people will be celebrating his 93rd birthday tomorrow, and in true style, he will be having his party in the ICU as he recovers from a "bump in the road," which is what he would probably call it.
Emil Dockter is a total bright spot and one of a kind; he radiates joy and continues to be a huge support to my parents and family.
I will always appreciate a fun dive into the conversational waters of chakra healing, Hindu deities, and other random stuff we covered one night while eating great cheese and drinking wine. Emil is a truly inspiring student of life and a believer in the power of soul connection, still writing books, teaching, and creating avenues for authentic communication. We need more people like Emil in the world.
Happy Birthday, Emil! I am so grateful to have you in my life!
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I have always been a softie for lemonade stands and was very happy to discover this one a few doors down while heading out for my morning run. This is Murray and his baby sister Maya, and they were the team behind this pretty amazing lemonade stand that was formed to celebrate the summer solstice last week.
The adorable, enthusiastic, and quite brilliant Murray probably thought he enticed me over with his sweet cry of “free lemonade." Of course I would never pass up a lemonade stand, but he didn't know that. As I was getting money out to leave in the donation pitcher, I was delighted when he sweetly "up-sold" me, sharing that "If you give me all the money you have, you can also have a piece of taffy.” Funny, I started to babble about my sugar intake with a 4-ish year old who promptly pressed a piece into my palm and declared, "If you don't want it now, you can save it for later," as I was happily and clearly dismissed for the next customer.
I was grateful as I walked away with a delicious cup of home-grown lemonade. A great kickoff to the summer and a deeper appreciation for the evolution of lemonade stands.
Thank you, Murray! I just found the taffy in my pocket. You made me smile all over again.
It has been a very long week since my mom left for heaven, but only one week. As I finish going through photos for her "life celebration service," I keep coming back to this one. I love this photo and believe it represents their marriage and relationship beautifully.
This photo was taken about 6 weeks into a 7 week intensive naturopathic protocol to treat her very aggressive cancer, which, unknown to us at the time, was rapidly taking over her body. As she grew weaker and needed more support than she wanted, they proved to be an even more amazing team.
I believe the sweetest thing about this photo is she is walking on her own, although weak and a little wobbly, and her dad is holding her up gently by her pants. He is letting her be on her own, yet ready to support her in any way he can, and they did that beautifully for each other for 52 and a half years.
This experience has been a gift wrapped in sandpaper, as I learned more about my parents, my family, and myself during this journey than at any other time in my life.
It was a privilege and delight to support her and them as a couple and I am incredibly grateful that I had these last two months with them.
Happy one week in heaven, mom—we miss you more than you could imagine!
I went home to visit my parents three weeks ago for a seemingly casual visit, there was nothing on the horizon to worry about. As it turned out, I was there when my mom, after not feeling great the previous weekend, went to a routine OR appointment which would prove to be not so routine, and after swift action from an efficient team of ORs and many tests and procedures, less than two days later we were given a stage 4 cancer diagnosis with tumors in the pancreas, liver, and lymph nodes.
Of course, we were all in shock, as mom is known for extreme self-care and is in great shape, and yikes, this is serious news. I extended my visit, and our newly banded and very determined tribe of 3 (my parents and I) began a thorough tour of the Ors offices with little good news about treatment options, total overstimulation of information, and the consistent reminder to move fast on treatment. My brother had also planned to be there over the next week—another crazy coincidence—and we pooled our family strengths, knowledge, and incredibly supportive medical connections to move into action with a sense of humor and grace.
As the information continued to unfold and connect us, we were able to find a great doctor and team at a holistic cancer clinic with a treatment plan and protocol that felt good and right for her. Looking back, it all lined up so quickly and powerfully that there is no doubt now that it should have been any other way.
Mom is now in her second week of an intense and complex treatment that, to greatly simplify, creates conditions in the body that cancer cannot survive and thrive in. A huge part of the success of this protocol comes from nutrition and juicing. I believe this label says it all: “Not for Sissies (Hardcore)” Mom is drinking 4 of these a day, very strong I could barely get down half a bottle. Yes, that label captures not only the taste and strength of this very potent microjuice but also the experience of being diagnosed with cancer, weighing all the options, and moving forward to take responsibility for your healing.
The photo above shows mom on day 5 with a full juice in front of her, an empty one beside it, and a sweet "bring it on" kind of smile. I bet she will not like this photo, but I believe it captures the experience perfectly. I remain inspired and impressed by her gusto, her open mind, and her spirit towards the whole experience; it has shown and taught me a lot.
I am incredibly grateful for all the loving support we have received on this journey and that I was there and able to be a part of what will no doubt prove to be a powerful healing experience for mom and our entire family.
I recently returned from a 5 day silent meditation retreat deep in the back country of beautiful and very serene Ojai, California. Going into silence after a busy year is an annual ritual that brings me peace and clarity to wrap up the past year and jump start the new one. I always gain insight, usually in the most unexpected ways , yet one of the most challenging aspects of meditation for me is to consistently bring a beginner’s mind and childlike wonder each time I sit.
My new year’s day began with the perfect reminder as I was spending some down time hanging out with the eclectic mix of peacocks, geese, roosters, and chickens. They were the sweet noise in our silence on this historical family house and farm we were staying on, based at the entrance to a very secluded park with rugged terrain and great trails.
As I was standing there, a local hiker and his toddler son approached the pen, as this very spirited peacock started doing his peacock thing and got beautifully puffed up, animated, and loud. I found and listened with my delighted beginners mind as the questions started rapid fire and dad calmly explained "when the peacock gets all fancy like that he's trying to impress the girl peacocks" .... dead silence from the boy who continued to stare and try to understand .... dad continues after a few minutes with "kind of like when daddy wants to make mommy really happy he puts on a suit and brings flowers" . The boy seemed to get that easily, with no further questions. Then the peacock turned around, started shaking, stomping, and showed us his other side. Dad quickly and easily explained, "As you can see, this side is beautiful too, like when Daddy is grumpy and wears his sweatpants and Mommy loves him anyway, everybody has other sides, and you can just see his clearly." With that, Dad got no more questions.
In our mutual silence, we were then treated to a great peacock show, and I walked away with a shiny new view not only on peacocks but on the two sides to everything. Grateful to start the year with a beginner’s mind.
One of my favorite things about Europe is the thought provoking street art found all over the continent. I particularly love this series, which I found in several spots in Amsterdam recently. It seems the artist was enticing the casual passerby to pay attention and follow the trail. Grateful for the creative and thoughtful effort and, as always, the message.
I woke up Sunday feeling kind of off, but I made my way into the dance studio as usual anyway to move with Kari Winn, one of my favorite teachers. Kari has this incredible gift and always brings the right insight, wrapped in the right package, at exactly the right time. Kari created the intention to celebrate Memorial Day, and our movement today would honor Zach Sobiech and celebrate his gift to the world.
Zach Sobiech was 14 when diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Zach underwent many surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. At 17 and with only months to live, Zach turned to music and posted a video on YouTube to say goodbye to his family and friends. Zach's song, “Clouds'” went viral and has touched millions, 'Clouds' is available on iTunes and other online music stores. The proceeds benefit the Zach Sobiech Research Fund for Children's Cancer Research.
Zach Sobiech was 18 when he left this world on May 20, 2013. Our hearts and prayers are with his family and friends. We are forever touched by his wisdom and his story Thank you for sharing your life and music with us, Zach.
We celebrated your life as we danced and bounced around our beautiful space with big joy and arms up up up, rare sun streamed through the windows and Zach's catchy yet incredibly profound song Clouds blasted, I am certain he was feeling it . Grateful as always for Kari for continuing your tight focus on all the amazing things happening in the world and giving us space and freedom of movement to come together.
I just returned from an inspiring and pretty magical trip to Scandinavia, and a good friend asked me for the highlights of my trip. There were many, of course, and as I was sorting through photos on the long journey home, this experience really made me smile, an afternoon at Louisiana, an amazing museum of modern art in the Danish countryside outside of Copenhagen.
Everything about the place, the location on the water, the space, and the vibe is perfect. I happily stumbled upon a great art show with lots of rare Warhol and many other great pop art icons. Very inspiring indeed, but I have a passion for kids’ art and love watching them create with totally open minds. I found pure joy in the kids’ wing, especially this great space and this impressive wall of paper/scissor art.
I could not resist and had to sit in the pink chair next to my new friend and make a few just to represent my ever-present inner 5-year-old, grateful to be reminded of the power and beauty that the simple tools of scissors, colored paper, and a glue stick can create.
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I recently attended an offsite for work, and when we were packing up to leave, we had lots of fresh fruit, yogurt, and "healthy leftovers.” I took most of it to give to a local homeless shelter I support, but I never made it that far. I found myself driving through Portland with a front seat full of food to give away and gained even more awareness of the intense homelessness crisis here. It was a bitterly cold day, and at almost every corner was a person in need; most were young and appeared broken and hopeless, and sadly for humanity, they were very grateful just to be acknowledged.
I passed out food and drove on until I met Zach and Bella. I got out of my car, and Zach and I talked for a bit, and he shared his story with me. I was so touched by his vulnerability, his honesty, and his energy that I asked for his phone number so I could check in and help as much as possible, and I went home with a gnawing tummy.
I have been watching for Zach and Bella ever since, and they were on my mind a lot today, so I texted him to check in. They seemed shocked, and I was happy to hear that all is "ok" and that they are now living in a car with his girlfriend and Bella, trying to get back on their feet after losing a job and thus their apartment. We hatched a plan to meet in the morning so I could drop off a care package and check in. So grateful to be in a position to help and to have a chance to support with compassion and a new awareness. After all, every person standing on a corner with a sign is a human, has a story, and a soul, and sometimes we need a reminder of that... Thank you Zach and Bella
I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Europe for business, always a welcome and refreshing change to be out of the country, and with the impending presidential elections, this trip took on an all-new twist.
Sleepless in Germany I turned on the TV to find the second presidential debate under way on the BBC. I watched in disbelief as the "binders of women" and other crazy facts and phrases were dropped like weird little grenades the potential leaders of the country would later use against each other. Then the somewhat harsh but seemingly objective BBC commentary began. No wonder the rest of the world thinks Americans are crazy. Almost everywhere I went after that, I was coaxed into somewhat intense political conversations about my voting preference, the candidates, the election, and what was going to happen to America.
One night, a tough taxi driver wouldn't let me out of the car until I promised I would vote for Obama, as he appeared to be convinced that if Romney won, the whole world would collapse instantly. He seemed quite certain that my single vote might make or break the election. It's fascinating to experience firsthand how humans across the planet perceive American culture and lifestyle. In India last year, as I was confirmed as an American, the common response was "Yes, America—a black man living in a white house,” followed by a mocking chuckle and head bobble.
The progressive nature of Amsterdam seems to have the perfect outlook, as there were quite compelling posters plastered everywhere showing the morphing of both candidates’ faces into one and advertising the "Presidents’ Night,” which was billed as a giant party including comedy and, of course, an all American breakfast.
Although I am not at all a political heavy, I am painfully aware there is a lot at stake here, yet something about my recent international travel experiences makes this whole nonstop election mania seem a lot less serious. Just think while we are waiting for election results on Nov 6 people all over the world will be watching and potentially even celebrating in ways we cannot even imagine, And at this point a heavy dose of comedy and a big breakfast just might be the best approach.
As I was completing a project in India recently, I had a unique opportunity to witness the Monday morning arrival and energy in a corporate office in a radically different culture. I sat in the lobby early for a meeting and watched the usual rush of somewhat hesitant people swipe their badges and dash upstairs to begin their week. There's nothing different about that.
Soon a man arrived with a huge smile and a box of flowers, marigold garlands, incense, and prayer beads and began a ritual at the abstract Ganesha altar in the corner at the base of the stairs. Ganesha is one of the deities widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as the Lord of New Beginnings and the Lord of Obstacles. I can’t think of any office that could not use that fresh perspective each day!
It was beautifully fragrant, and instantly the energy of the office and the way the new rush of people entered the building and started their week was calmer and more aware as they each stopped and took a moment with the altar.
Grateful to experience the Monday morning ritual in a different world and take note of the importance to stop and take a breath and a moment each morning.
I am in the midst of a huge life transition. ... just moved from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon, and everything is new and shiny. I am going from a house with huge gardens that I lovingly grew over the last 7 years to a temporary apartment with stunning views of the rooftops in downtown. Many have amazing very unique rooftop gardens that most people don't even know of - from the street.
I am particularly grateful to see the chef across the street come up and harvest the herb garden several times each day—a big slice of joy in my all new world and a rooftop perspective I would not normally have.
“If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits.”
by Elliott S. Dacher M.D.
I have this wonderful teacher, my granddaughter. She is a little over two years old. Her mom called the other day to say that little Zoe was waking up at night crying from nightmares and would not sleep in her room. It seems there were cows running all over her room? That would be frightening for any of us.
As I thought about this, I realized that Zoe didn't yet know what a dream was. She did not realize that it was all in her mind and not in her room. So when she was awake, the fear did not go away. The cows were just hiding someplace in her room, perhaps playing peek-a-boo.
Of course, as adults, we all know that nighttime dreams are in the mind, and when we awaken, we do so with a sigh of relief, knowing that dreams are not real but only the product of our imagination.
But as an adult, I similarly act as if my daydreams, whose source is also in my mental imagination, are quite true. My fears, anxieties, judgments, and limitations are a result of my inability to awaken from my adult "dreams," from the over activity of my mental imagination, making the past the present.
One day Zoe will realize that her nighttime dreams are not real. She will be freed from the fears and limitations of her unruly imagination. With grace, perhaps one day I will also be similarly freed from an enslavement to my daydreams and be able to live free in the present moment, as it actually is.
Thank you to my dear teacher, Zoe.