On New Year’s Day, I returned to a parking lot and discovered the rear corner bumper of my car had randomly been crunched—ouch. Not even a random note that said,“I hit you and, oops, I am sorry?” As a self-proclaimed "waver" and a huge believer in karma, I was more than a little irked and disappointed.

I had come to "embrace my dent" each time I saw it without getting angry, and unlike myself, I decided to live with and love it until it was convenient to get it fixed. Yesterday I had a minute so I took it to a body shop to get the dreaded repair estimate: “…not an easy repair and blah blah blah..."$1180". Bam! The anger is back.

Today - for a variety of reasons - I woke up with a calm, different awareness and ability to flow with and accept all the seeming chaos in the/my world right now, and I embraced it, like my dent.

This afternoon, a very kind and professional man randomly showed up at my home and told me he could fix it right there in an hour for 10% of the estimate I received yesterday. There must be a catch. Nope..I checked him out; he was more than legitimate, and he proceeded to do an incredible job with a sweet, nurturing energy and smile. 

The power and lesson of letting go were made visible to me today. Always grateful for perfect synchronicities and seeming mishaps with happy endings.

If 2012 was a door…

I bet it would look like this pretty amazing one in Jodhpur:

grand and substantial in scale
and shape
bright and rich in hue and texture
clearly appreciated
beautifully adorned with lots of
thoughtful detail
the promise of more beauty
just through the door and
down the hall…

I have always been a big fan of fresh starts and new beginnings, and the first week of the new year is always sweet with possibilities.

May all your doors and new beginnings be this special.

I woke up to the terrifying sound of my huge oak tree whipping against my roof and house in the sudden severe windstorms we had in Los Angeles this week. I got up and kept an anxious watch (but wanted to hide under the bed)  as the power lines snapped and sparked around the street and the extreme wind gusts made intense howling sounds I hope never to hear again. In the morning, the entire neighborhood and area were out early surveying our homes, yards, and cars and openly sharing our experiences of fear from the night before, even though many were total strangers that just happened to live on our street. 

Many had extreme damage. Huge trees were literally uprooted and now lay across cars, houses, and streets, and it was a shocking and emotional scene. We all skipped our usual morning routines (no power makes that pretty easy) and got to work on cleaning up with a sense of comradery and purpose I had not experienced before. It turned out to be an incredibly sweet day and experience despite the seeming chaos and devastation, and it still fascinates me that within this random weather twist there was a huge perspective shift for all. I am grateful for the simple reminder that we really are all in this together and appreciate the magic and convenience of electricity in a way you only can after you lose it for awhile.

I just returned from an amazing trip to India, where I was exposed to a way of life and way of being I could previously only imagine. We wandered and discovered all kinds of people, places, and things, and the joy, harmony, and peace that we found in utter chaos at every turn continues to inspire and amaze me.

Everywhere we went, the perfect guide appeared and enthusiastically led us through areas we would not have had access to or felt comfortable with. This particular day we were wandering happily, although somewhat lost,  looking for the tannery in the slums of Dharavi when a perfectly dressed, handsome young man adopted us. Abdul Jawwad was thrilled to show off his great English and showed us around while giving us the real deal on the culture as he took us to the tannery. There, he was eager to talk and asked great questions about our lives. He was compelled to get out his brand new laptop (which his family had saved up for six months) because he wanted to share his dreams with me.

I was blown away by his clarity, drive and enthusiasm to share so happily and openly what to most would be considered unachievable dreams given the conditions we were standing in. He had a profound impact on me, and I have no doubt that he will achieve everything on that list... and much much more.

fathers day

I have always loved this photo and seems appropriate to share it on fathers day

This is a photo of my dad and I sitting side by side last year, and it captures the essence of our relationship and what he has given me. I got his long, lean legs, and I am eternally grateful for that! Although not so much in my earlier years while he cheered me on and supported me through the gangly "daddy long legs" stage, pants were never long enough and too tall for the cute boys’ often angst-ridden tween and teen years.

That support, of course, continued into my adult years, as he walked me down the aisle to my husband of five years in my favorite running shoes to meet the Elvis impersonator as we renewed our vows for my parents in Las Vegas the night before a marathon we were doing together. I am almost certain that was not his dream for me, but I never would have known it as he laughed, got into it, and cheered those legs on the next day and many races after.

I witnessed fitness as a priority from an early age and was always encouraged to explore that realm as he celebrated my first jump off the high dive and countless other milestones and received clear course correction only when needed:)

He supported me with a word, a shoulder, or even a check (or ten) as I progressed through the corporate world, always with sound advice and loving support. I continue to embrace and use all the leadership and good human qualities he demonstrated through thoughtful action throughout his career.

Thank you, Dad, for all you have given me, the strong legs to stand on and the grace to move forward in my life. You are an amazing human, and I love and appreciate you very much!

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.

What I am grateful for by Kathy Russell

I am grateful for my neighbors, Ian Kelsey and Megan, whose ages range from 6 to 9 years old. They continue to remind me of innocence, joy, and laughter, and that as an adult, I have learned to take myself much too seriously.

As we spend time together hiking or playing go-fish, they remind me to live in the moment and be happy as they are, because you never know when that moment will be taken away.

I have been watching this tree grow up through the concrete sidewalk and the confines of this sign post for almost six years. It has been slow and steady growth, as you would expect given the conditions it has chosen. It is on the route to one of my favorite hikes, and I am grateful for the powerful reminder that anything is possible with trust and perseverance.

Chele Mckee grateful for it all at 47