Thanks

No, really, thanks. Thank you for spending this past year with me and my blog. My very first post and leap into this adventure was on Thanksgiving weekend one year ago. My experience of it has been all over the place, just like life I suppose. I have found it helpful, terrifying, surprising, comical, joyful, real, and often just plain fun to write out loud how I am processing life. It’s a funny thing writing something and then sending it out into the universe with no idea who might end up reading it. While I know that I know some of you quite well, I know there are others who I do not know at all. Either way, I have no idea who has read my meanderings unless you happen to comment on it. And that’s fine. I trust that what I share and whoever it is shared with serves us both in mysterious ways, and I love that about it. At the same time I have received quite a few deeply heartfelt reflections back to me, both through virtual and real world comments, and those reflections have without a doubt kept me going and believing in working on connection in this way. So again, whoever and wherever you are, thank you for being here with me. I am happy that we are all in this thing called life together.

Speaking of thanks, here are a few other things I am thankful for. First off I have to say life in general. I honestly do love it. It’s not only the happy stuff I love either. I mean happy is great, but so too are sad, frustrated, angry, fired up, crushed, and beaten. True joy is found in those places every bit as much as it is found in happy, silly, carefree, light, laughing, and triumphant. My bitter is almost always served up with some sweets. I also tend to prefer my sweets be a little less sugary and a whole lot of authentic, deep flavor (think dark instead of milk chocolate). That’s life. It’s a wonderful adventure no matter what happens to be happening.

The next thing that I am thankful for, as if that last one didn’t cover the whole shindig, is people. As in humans, yourself included. We don’t suck, contrary to popular opinion. We are really quite beautiful things, lost as we may be. There is something in that lostness, in our vulnerability, that is endearing. I can hear the entire Universe sighing for us. It’s not because the All That Is feels sorry for us, it’s because the All That Is is particularly fond of us, to borrow a line out of the movie “The Shack” (which is a great one in case you have never seen it or read the book. And to be clear without giving too much away, the All That Is is particularly fond of absolutely everything in existence). I share that fondness, which is why I am pulling so hard for us. We are worth it. I believe there isn’t a thing in the Universe which wouldn’t prefer for us to stick around at least long enough to realize our full Selves.

Now for one last big thing that I am thankful for- Gaia. Mother Earth. Thank God she is so damn smart! More than smart, she is wise. More than wise, she is pure love. Make no mistake, she loves us. She wants us to stick around too. She enjoys our company. More to the point, we are an expression of her. In so many ways, what this moment is calling for is simply for us to realize that the world is not a hostile place after all. Gaia, and all that she entails, is not our enemy. To think so is akin to thinking that our body is our enemy. Of course many of us do think that. It’s not true. Our bodies are as wise and loving as the Mother Earth who birthed us, who nurtures us, of whom we are a part. If only we would lay down our swords so that we might see, and more than see- experience. We are here to be at home in the world. To be at home is to belong in the deepest sense. It is to be connected, integral, relevant, loved.

Now I would be remiss if I didn’t list a few specific things that I am grateful for, so here goes in short order. Shannon: for her bravery, persistence, willingness to do crazy things with me, authenticity, entertainment of most of my whims (while somewhat keeping me in check when I am overextending), sensitivity, dedication, depth, eagerness, and true love for all things (myself included, which she expresses by supporting me in becoming more of who I truly am in the world). Family: for perfectly delivering not only myself, but also the lessons I came to learn so that I might evolve. Houston: for the story we have been writing together… may it end, or not end, well. Vermont: for inviting me into your story… let’s make it a good one. Finnegan and Greta: for keeping me grounded in what matters… like when it’s time to eat, or give butt rubs, or get outside, or howl, or snuggle. Friends both old and new: for the laughter, the support, the sharing, the caring, the keeping it real, the pushing each other along, the pulling each other up, the honoring of connection. For anyone and everyone who has crossed my path: for the reflection… thanks for showing up.

Now for a couple of gifts to help you along your way. I just finished reading a new book called Spirit Hacking by Shaman Durek. I first came across Shaman Durek on a podcast somewhere, somehow this past spring. I found what he had to say to be spot on in a deeply insightful and frank sort of way that I appreciated. What I am talking about is a rare depth that comes from somebody who has been given behind the scenes (veil) access. The guy knows what he is talking about. So I was curious to see what he would say in book form. I was not disappointed. I would have everyone read it if I could. That said, know that it will likely challenge how you see the world. If you are sensitive to profanity, be warned that he speaks in a way meant to relate at a ground level and to a primarily younger generation. It’s worth putting up with if it bothers you. Again, his understanding of the situation is spot on. What’s really awesome is that he gives many “spirit hacks” to help each one of us show up to the situation at hand. I have already incorporated some of those hacks into my daily routine and plan to do more so.

One of the hacks that he gave reminded me of one that I shared with you all earlier this summer. I originally got this hack from Thich Nhat Hahn’s book Reconciliation: Healing the Inner Child. In Thich Nhat Hahn’s version of this “hack,” we greet any tough emotion that shows up by name: “Hello, Anger. You are welcome here.” Then we invite wisdom (the higher Self) into the room: “Wisdom, please join us.” Then the three of us talk out the situation to better understand what it is really about and what it is showing up to help us with. Shaman Durek’s version of this hack is called “Responding with Love,” and he gives a slightly different version of essentially the same hack with some specifics about how to incorporate your body into the hack as well. The two versions together have given me a fuller picture of what the hack is about and how to best utilize it.

You might be wondering why it is called a “hack.” That doesn’t sound very gentle, does it? I assure that it is, in both cases. It’s called a hack because it is aimed at breaking us free from old, entrenched patterns that no longer serve us. Until we face these patterns and do the work required to shift gears (which takes many repetitions), they rule us. There is no way around this if healing is what we are after. There is furthermore no way to heal the planet until we heal ourselves. That is why I wholeheartedly recommend both books. Well, that, and I also happen to care about your own wellbeing. I want to see both you and me live into our full potential. That would be fun. Being stuck in survival mode is no fun. That is the equivalent of playing small, when we are much, much bigger than that. I would have us all experience our bigness.

Now for one last thanks. You may not be aware that Thich Nhat Hahn has retreated to Vietnam, his home country which he was exiled from, to transition out of this life. He is 93. Very soon he will move on from within the monastery where he first took his vows. There are so few elders in the world, at least relative to the number that we could use right about now. Thich Nhat Hahn has been one of those for a very long time now. He non-fought alongside Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement as well as in opposition to the Vietnam War. He changed the way we understood Buddhism in this country by bringing it down to earth and into our everyday lives. If you have any sense about mindfulness in your life, that understanding can probably be traced back to Thich Nhat Hahn whether you realize it or not. So to Thich Nhat Hahn, thank you for your service. Thank you for being our teacher and for showing us the way. Thank you for leaving behind so many great resources to guide us through humanity’s great transition. What a blessing you have been. Thank you for showing us that each and every one of us is a blessing as well.