The end of the year

Dear Ones,

Does it seem as if time is passing quickly? I suppose it is for all of us - after all, our lives, our important time to live and breathe and have our being - goes so quickly when we think about all those who have lived and died before us.

Mary Oliver, the poet, asks: What is it you will do with your one wild and precious life?

I like those words: wild, precious.

Wild because we get to make up our lives. We get to live them as fully ourselves as possible. We get to peel away the layers, live less with the expectations others have for us, and more with our own desires for ourselves. While we may not have complete freedom, we are free to know our feelings and to have our feelings and to express our feelings, and to allow that for others. It takes some work to get to the wildness of our lives, but the work is worthy work.

Precious because this is the one life we have, for now, as far as we know it. Some seem to know that we've lived before, and who we have been, and what important or unimportant things we have done. They may be right - I'm not willing to question their understanding, if that's how it is for them. But as far as we can discern, it seems as if all we have is this moment, this important moment.

At the end of the year, reflect on your life. Have you been living its wildness, its preciousness? If you have, then continue, for you are following the path you were meant to travel. If you have not, then how will you live from this day forward?

Kindly,

me

Something so ordinary

Dear Friends,

Something so ordinary as the birth of a child. So many babies have been born in places unremembered: on the road, in a ditch, in the desert, in a car on a city street. Maybe someone, hopefully someone has told each child their story.

Something so ordinary as the birth of a child. People are still telling the story. People are still recounting the time of the child's birth. This was the long-awaited child, the birth of the Christ-child.

Something so ordinary as the birth of a child. Know this birth, in you, also. Feel the gentle movement of the child, now, born in your heart. People are still telling the story of the child, born in your heart, because the child has been born in theirs, as well.

This is Christmas. Something so ordinary, and wonderful beyond words.

meb

For today

Dear Ones,

For today, give thanks. Give thanks to the Universe for providing you with life. Give thanks for what you have - a warm bed, a warm house, food on the table, a job, health care. Give thanks for the people in your life, for those you love: your partner, your child, your friends, the person who checks out your groceries at the store. Give thanks for services: for the green light, for the cross walk, for the post office. Give thanks for the things you can see: a little bird at the window, chirping for a partner, alone, early in the morning; a lovely cloud, changing shape; the sliver of a new moon; a little boy missing his two front teeth.

Give thanks for all things. As you walk today, give thanks simply for giving thanks. That's it. You only have to make this your practice today.

These are the holidays. So often the holidays don't/can't live up to our expectations. Shift your focus from the fun you're supposed to be having to something deeper, and much more practical.

Ah, yes, thanks! Thanks, all, for being here, for you are a part of my world.

Kindly,

meb

Finding Peace

Dear Ones,

Maybe you're a manager. Maybe you're a parent. Maybe you're an administrator. Whatever your role, it is up to you to find peace in the middle of hard times.

Conflicting news reports and the reality of our lives and the lives of people we know tell us that these are hard times. We each have our own way of handling hard times. What is yours? Tell the truth! How do you cope with difficult times? Do you deny them, and act as if things are the same as they always have been? Do you get strident and simply march on? Do you hold up your fist and blame the government, or the leaders, or anyone else in your way?

Find peace. That's your role today. That doesn't mean that things aren't tough. What it means is that you will make finding peace your goal for the day, come what may.

Warmly,

meb

My heart is at Peace

Dear Friends,

Like you, I am concerned, frightened, and sad about the things I see around me. I want to make a difference, yet what I am able to do seems to be so little. I think about the little ones, afraid in their homes. I think about the people - even in the United States - who must make the decision not to get medical help because they cannot afford it. I think about neighbors who are angry with their neighbors. I think about the hungry. I think about those people - this moment - who are living in violent homes. I think about those people - this moment - whose streets have become the places of war. I think about leaders who want to destroy some of the people who have entrusted them to lead.

Like you, my list goes on and on. This is a difficult world, and for many, many, many human beings, this is a world that does not bring them what they need to live.

Can I make the world better by laying out the difficult places? I struggle with this. How can I make the world better?

I trust that even those whose lives are simple, devoted to prayer, are making this world a better place. Their hearts are at peace. My heart is at peace. Your heart is at peace.

As you go out to be in your world today, remember your peaceful heart. Enter your world with a heart of peace, come what may.

meb

There but for God's grace

Dear Friends,

This past year I have often answered the knock at the door of my office and discovered someone with a long story, asking for help. Help means a few dollars. I confess, I am conflicted about how to respond. I listen to the story. I ask the person's name. I give them my name.

Most of the stories have a thread that sounds somewhat the same. Most of the stories are convoluted, too difficult to follow. Are the characters in the story real or not? Sometimes I walk across the street and pay for a room for the night at the motel there. One woman, after seeing the room I'd paid for for her, refused to stay there.

What is help, really? And is it really the grace of God that separates my life from these lonely people?

I don't believe that we "pick ourselves up by our bootstraps." It takes some privilege to even do that.

These days when so many of us are complaining that we have to watch our spending over the holidays, I don't know what to think. And these days, many of our neighbors are hungry. A woman overseas sits on the ground even as I write, flies flying around her head, her baby, hungry, in her lap.

meb

All Shall Be Well -

Dear Friends,

“All shall be well.
All shall be well.
All manner of thing shall be well.” - Julian of Norwich, Christian mystic

This past spring I came into conflict with a woman in the congregation I serve in downtown Oakland. The season of the conflict came quickly and unexpectedly. I was caught by surprise, although I was able to gather people who were available to listen to the offended person, to treat her with care, to hear her complaints, and to also invite her to her own place of responsibility.

This is not to say that I did not find myself thrown off-center! In the past, however, my way of being thrown off-center meant that I would become depressed, unable to be present to the congregation and to the community we serve. Instead, this time I began to ask the question in prayer: “What does this person do that is hidden in my shadow?” When I asked the question, responsibility for the answer belonged completely to me. In that responsibility I would also find freedom.

“What does this person do that is hidden in my shadow?” What came clearly to me when I stayed with the question was: anxiety. As I traveled deeper into anxiety, holding that part of myself with care and also trepidation, I discovered fear and anger. I decided to learn from the fear and anger, long-time companions on my journey. I sat with fear, spoke to her, and learned what it was she wanted from me. Then I sat with anger, spoke to her, and learned what it was she wanted from me.

From anger I learned that I am the one responsible for my own setting of boundaries. Boundaries provide safety for me and for others in my life. From fear I learned that I am the one who must provide for my own emotional grounding.

This past spring I came into conflict and I grew. I grew in my ability to stay centered, even during the storms of fear. What became clear to me: “It’s all good. It’s all good.”
This was the Moment of Illumination! “It’s all good.” I shared this idea with others around me who were struggled with their own demons, demons inside and out. “It’s all good.” Sometimes the points of interest in our journeys are places that hurt; sometimes the points of interest involve people we would not have chosen to make this journey with us; sometimes the points of interest involve our looking at parts of ourselves we wish would go away. They don’t! “It’s all good!”

In early November of this year I traveled to New Orleans to work on a team rebuilding houses for families who lost their homes in Katrina. Our team inherited the home of a couple who have spent most of the last 4 years living in a small trailer, living on the generosity of family and friends, waiting to go back home. As our team worked, we were supervised by Phyllis, who coordinates the work, materials and tools for the rebuilding of at least 60 houses at any time in New Orleans. Our team was not a team of experienced, hands-on workers. We made mistakes, and we saved our questions for Phyllis, who showed up once a day to bring supplies and to see our progress with a mind to preparing for the next team of people. Whatever we shared, Phyllis listened, nodded, and said: “It’s all good! It’s all good!” That’s what she has learned from her work after Katrina: “It’s all good.”
In the African American Christian tradition, there is a saying: “God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.”

The Yellow Tree

Dear Friends,

The tree outside my window is yellow again. I'm waiting. I'm waiting for the little birds to arrive to have their feast for the harvest. Yesterday I saw a jay, threatening and strong, sit on a branch. Soon a hummingbird came along, taunting the huge visitor.

But the finches have not yet arrived! I'm waiting. How will I wait for them? I'm impatient for them to come here to my window for my viewing pleasure.

The wise ones say those who travel far fail to receive wisdom. Wisdom and joy are right here, right now.

Take a look!

meb

How to let go

Dear Ones,

How do we let go? Living the life of surrender - the acceptance that all things are as they should be, that all is well - is the center of our spiritual journey. We do not "do" letting go! Surrender is not a "do" thing. Surrender is simply acceptance.

Not many of us are good at this. We are accustomed to making things work out, making them work out the way we want them to work out. We are practical people, after all. We know what needs to happen, and when it needs to happen, and we know how it needs to happen. We are the craftspeople of all that happens around us and in us - and around others!

Today, breathe into each moment. Practice "being" rather than "doing." Give thanks in each moment; this is the season of thanks, after all!

Surrender to what is. What does this mean?

Warmly,

meb

Make Your Plans for the Day

Dear Friends,

Make your plans for the day. Decide what attitude you will have today. Will you be grateful? Will you feel good about yourself all day, come what may? Will you be kind, to yourself and others? Will you be full of joy today? Will you find yourself to be free in every moment?

We actually get to choose. If life has been throwing you some hard balls lately - and who hasn't had those times? - then decide for yourself that today will be different. Choose your plans for the day.

Try it! It works!

meb

Learning to Give Thanks

Dear Friends,

At least we get to talk about "giving thanks" at this time of year! The harvest festival of Thanksgiving is a time when we culturally give thanks. Who among us is connected to the harvest anymore - that time when we stop to consider the bounty of the gifts we have received, quite apart from our own work and labor? Giving thanks seems to be a long way from the way we live, when for most of us a trip to the grocery store provides what we need. The work of our hands, and bodies, and all of our energy - is a long way from the days most of us spend at the computer or on the phone or driving in our cars.

Still, the spiritual practice of giving thanks is an important practice. It may be the most important spiritual practice there is. Today, give thanks. Give thanks for the beauty all around you. Take a few moments to see the beauty there, and then, give thanks!

Today, give thanks. Give thanks for the bounty of people in your life. Give thanks not only for those you love but for those you do not love, those you would not have chosen to be in your life.

Give thanks today. Simply, give thanks.

meb

What We Rely Upon -

Dear Ones,

So many of the institutions we relied upon aren't standing up to the changing times. Think about your life a few years ago. How was it different? How is it the same? How quickly has technology changed? Has technology made your life better than it was before?

Newspapers and online news feeds remind us that those things that we thought would sustain us aren't working as they once worked. The banks, our employers, the government, the churches - none of these things is working as it once worked. Maybe things were never perfect, but in hindsight they did once seem to be better than they are now.

What do you rely upon? Who do you rely upon? If you've relied on others to be there for you, you often discover that others can't be there for you when you need them. Others - after all - have their own lives to live, their own problems to handle, their own crises to attend to.

In the end, we must each learn - often through the difficulties of life - to find our own center, our own way of building strength that can take us through difficult times. For me, that way has been prayer - reaching from myself to an unseen but very present power that is always there, as it always has been there for me. My prayer returns me to that place of acceptance and peace, regardless of whether things turn out the way I want them to - or not.

Who - or what - do you rely upon? On what do you stand when times are tough, as they are now for so many of us. These days, what we relied upon can only be relied upon to be different than it was before.

On what do you stand?

Warmly,

meb

What Do We Need?

Dear Friends,

Everything seems to be falling apart. The people, the institutions, the systems that served us don't seem to be working very well anymore. For example - is politics important, or is the welfare of people important? We seem to be looking frantically for states-people, people who have a will for the people and who can rise above partisan bickering to see what is needed.

I am disheartened when I think about the public schools. I am disheartened when I think about the media and the hype we receive rather than news. I am disheartened when I think about young people who live their lives knowing they won't live past 20 years old. I am disheartened when I think about people - all over the world, and whose lives are our lives - who do not have food, who do not have shelter.

Everything seems to be falling apart. And another voice inside me says: "It's all good." How do I put these two apparently different voices together? Are they related? Is one voice crazy, the other sane? How do I make sense of this?

I may be naive, but I continue to think there is a way to live our lives that makes a difference. I continue to think that it is up to us to be the good the world needs.

And that takes work. We don't want to do the work. We want to put our little "fixes" together. How do we help the world? When we look at all of what needs to be "fixed," how do we really become part of what is good?

Today, I am filled with questions.

meb

With the Cat Gone

Dear Friends,

Waking up this morning, I want to make my cat sounds from the bedroom, where I know she'll hear me in the yard. Sometimes she answers me, sometimes not.

Yesterday afternoon when I drove up to the house, my eyes went automatically to the left hand corner of the garage, where I'd see her little black and white body appear as soon as she heard the garage door open. She'd never come for simply loving - she'd only come for food - but that was the little one.

I think I especially loved talking to her. That little black and white kitty brought forward a part of me that doesn't often come out. I had special names for her. From the time I walked out the back door until my car pulled away, I would be talking to her, whether I could see her or not. I knew she's hear my voice, and maybe it was a comfort to her. It was a comfort to me, anyway.

I guess she's not really gone, at least inside of me. I still expect to see her, paws up on the window, begging to be fed.

Every loss brings up other losses. When I mourn the cat, I mourn all the others who are gone, as well. My parents, my beloved aunts and uncles, my dear friends Sue and Harvey and Marilyn.

May your day be rich - filled with mourning, the tears of mourning, and the joy of today.

Joy to you.

meb

Ever

The Little One

Dear Friends,

Yesterday my husband and I buried our "little one," our little black and white cat, the shy-est cat in the world, who had been our little one for 7 years. Squeak came to us as a shy cat, and she died a shy cat. We were unable to get her into a box to take her to emergency after she developed convulsions. Finally, after enticing her with a can of tuna for a long time, she put half her body into the cat box and we pushed her in and snapped it shut.

At the vets, our little one was as calm as she gets for a few moments, until the doctor attempted an internal investigation of affairs. Then the cat got furious and squirmed her way out of the helper's grasp, onto the floor, and hid in a tube that was part of the x-ray equipment at the vets. There she stayed, on her back paws, until over an hour later the vet injected her through her back paw and pulled her out of the tube. Not before the staff had to take part of the equipment apart, however.

Squeak was a sweet cat. That's the best word for her - sweet. Whatever she carried with her from her birth or from her early days never left her, but she had a sweetness about her that was hers alone. For the past 4 years she's lived as happily as she ever got in the shed in our back yard, having proved herself unable to live in the house. In our years together, she spent several months scrapping for food after she fell out of a second story window, already having been confined to the front hall. We were completely confused about how to take care of her, even then.

Squeak was shy and even kind of sad. She knew how to receive but not how to give very well. But she gave us herself, her sweet, sad presence. I am grateful for the joy she brought me, and now I am taking in her leaving us, so quickly and so quietly.

Warmly,

meb

Getting Real

Dear Friends,

Part of this journey of life is to "get real" - to be honest with yourself about yourself and who you are, what you're about. To "get real" takes some work, because most of the world is set up to make sure you don't "get real." What things seem to be they often are not!

How do you "get real?" First of all, you tell yourself the truth. If you want to help someone so that they think you're a good person, then help them - and admit to yourself your motivation. If you want to help someone because it seems to be the "right" thing to do, then what does the "right" thing mean? Why do you want to help at all? Does the other person want your help?

How do you "get real?" You discover how you feel about things, because how you feel is part of the reality of any situation. You can rationalize all you want, you can be completely clear about how you think about things, but if you haven't included in your understanding how you feel about things, then you don't have the whole picture. You really don't.

"Getting real" begins with you looking at yourself, and looking at yourself as you are, not as you like to think you are. It's important that "getting real" requires that you look at yourself, and turn your attention from looking at others. That's the work.

Life is a journey, and on today's wing of the journey, you get to be real, honest, true to yourself. This may hurt a bit - honesty isn't always fun! - but in the end, how else do you want to live your life?

Kindly,

meb

The Princess

Dear Friends,

When I was in New Orleans last week, I was privileged to meet Princess. When I was introduced to Princess, her other told me that her name was Niya, but at that moment, Princess stepped forward and announced: "I'm Princess!"

I believe her! Princess stands about 3 feet tall. She holds her belly out and puts her hands on her hips. She has pigtails that stand out from the side of her head, held in place with sparkling bobbles. Her eyes are bright, and her teeth sparkle.

Princess is, indeed, a princess. Some day she may forget that she is Princess, but I hope not.

Today, I'm holding the thought of Princess in my mind. I hope I have something of her in me, too. I know I did, once in my life. I hope she's not gone.

Warmly,

meb

Let your heart lead

Dear Friends,

Place your hand on your heart. Feel the beating of your heart. The beating of your heart is something you do not have to make happen. What a relief!

Place your hand on your heart. This is your practice for today. Let your heart lead.

Watch your mind. Notice your thoughts. "Don't believe everything you think!" But lead with your heart.

When you lead with your heart, you are leading with the source of Love that is within you. Your mind can judge all it wants! Your mind can divide all it wants! But Love will lead.

Kindly,

meb

New Orleans, 2009

Dear Friends,

I've returned from a trip to New Orleans to work on the completion of a house for a family who lost their home in Katrina 4 years ago. I traveled and worked with a group of 8 people, 4 men and 4 women. Thankfully, several of our group were experienced and talented at building and remodeling homes.

We traveled over the Halloween weekend, when New Orleans is alive with celebration. The contrast of seeing people reveling in the streets as others live in trailers not far away, waiting for their homes to be rebuilt after the loss of everything, is astonishing. For those who survived the storm, to be alive means that not everything has been lost.

Our group stayed at the North Rampart Community Center on the edge of the French Quarter, next to St. Mark's United Methodist Church. We traveled to the home on which we worked each morning and worked through the day. We were fortunate to have arrived at the home after months of work by other volunteers, and the place was ready to be painted. In the middle of the week the family arrived to walk through the nearly finished house.

I was privileged to be present for the outpouring of gratitude from the woman and man whose home was being rebuilt. I knew I did not deserve the thanks and praise, but by the grace of God, I was one of those who was gifted to receive the thanks and praise.

Sometimes the gift is simply to observe the gift being given.

Warmly,

meb

Ebb and Flow

Dear Ones,

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Jesus invites the disciples, as the people, hearing of the great miracles that this man and his followers perform, to get away from it all. “Sit,” we think to ourselves, “the dishes can wait, the floor will be swept, the garbage will get taken out, the bills will be paid, the phone calls will be answered.” We make these demand of ourselves, especially when we want to sit. And we make these demand of others. We want our emails answered right away! We want traffic to move faster, so that we can make it quickly from one important activity to the next! We don’t want to get to that quiet place. Or are we afraid?

It has only been in the past couple of years that I have discovered that the quiet place Jesus invited to disciples to join him is not a place I can go to in mind alone.

I know well how to spend time in my mind: the mind is a place of action!

I must take my whole self to that quiet place: the longings, the fears, the painful feelings I do not want to feel, the shame, the anxiety, the rage. I must take all of these things to the place of quiet, that place of reflection. Most of us will keep on keepin’ on – anything – to avoid that quiet place!

In life there really is an ebb and flow. We live in a cycle of night and day, spring and summer, autumn and winter. Plants rest. Our pets rest. God invited people to join God in the Sabbath – a day of rest from all the frantic activity of the week. There’s the calm before the storm, when the storm is gathering. The sea ebbs and flows.

Trust the ebb and flow of your life, whatever comes. You, too, have a quiet place that trusts completely.

meb

Moments

Dear Friends,

Today is a day of moments. Perhaps today will hold one of the moments of your life, one of the moments that you will never forget.

We tell our moments to each other often. And the moments we tell are not the moments of high success, of momentous honor. Mostly, these moments are the quietest, simplest moments.

One of the moments of my mother’s life, which she never forgot, and which she relayed to my sister and to me many times, was the moment she met my father’s mother, Martha, for the first time. My father had gone off to Milwaukee to find work, and he drove home every weekend to stay with his parents. He was in his late 30’s! And I suppose when he told his family he was going to marry this Mary Markowski, a divorced woman with a child, this was probably not the woman my grandmother would have chosen for Frankie. But when my mother stepped out of the car to meet Frank’s family, Martha, my grandmother, stepped forward and hugged my mother. That hug was the moment my mother felt accepted into the Bahlert family, not simply as a daughter-in-law, but as a daughter.

Today, remember the moments of your life as you go through your day. Enrich your life!

Warmly,

meb

Our Feeble Reason!

Dear Friends,

We are a people of reason. We want to know the reasons for the actions that are taken. We want to know that reason was used to decide the action, even when we are clamoring for truth! Not long ago, I heard two linguists speaking on National Public Radio. They were discussing the leadership that is required in order for people to be open to a variety of opinions. What they suggested is that the engagement of both emotions and reason are necessary for leadership that includes differing points of view. In other words, the leader must be comfortable with discomfort – with her/his own discomfort. “The part of the human brain that reasons is feeble compared to the part of the brain that works on emotions.” And yet we are people who clamor for reason, and who not only seek to disregard but to discredit emotion; emotion is a more potent part of our make-up than reason!

Today, notice what you are feeling, as well as your thoughts. That's all - notice. Include your feelings in the equation!

meb

Walking Fast In Life

Dear Friends,

I've always walked fast! Even now when I go for a walk with my husband, he has to remind me to look up and slow down. I can remember walking home from school as a child, looking at the sidewalk, and knowing I could walk faster than anyone else.

Sigh...

Walking fast in life is a way to not be present in the now. Walking fast in life is a way to push past the feelings. Walking fast in life is a way to avoid the real that is here, now.

What if we all slowed down? You've heard of the "slow movement?" Slowing down is spiritual practice. When we slow down, we begin to notice. Yes, we begin to notice all that is around us - the sunlight in the trees, the early morning sounds of the birds, the train in the distance, the feel of the brisk morning air. We begin to notice the sadness that is in a friend whose greeting appears happy. We begin to notice the light in someone's eyes: what's that about?

And we also begin to notice all that is in us - that nagging feeling that needs attention, that sore place that needs my attention so that I move just a little bit, that lingering thought that reminds me to call a friend on her birthday.

If you are wanting to find meaning in your ordinary life - and who among us does not have an ordinary, ordinary life? - slow down. Begin the practice now. You'll still get where you are going, but you will have given yourself - and the rest of us - a gift.

Warmly,

meb

Choosing

Dear Friends,

You get to choose. We are not driven to hurt one another, to harm ourselves and other human beings. We get to choose. When someone responds to you with anger, you get to choose your response. You can respond with deep listening and respect for them as a human being. You get to choose. When life does not give you what you had wanted or expected, you get to choose. You can stand firm in your faith, you can trust in God’s goodness, and make your way through the deep journey of grief to the other side. You get to choose. When those around you are thriving on their fear and panic, you get to choose your response. When you choose, you may go on your way alone, or you may not.

You get to choose. You get to go deep into yourself, to that deeper place where truth lies. “Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Salt is something elemental, basic, powerful, potent. “Have salt in yourselves.”

You get to choose to live from the elemental place of salt in yourself - or not.

meb

Step off - now, JUMP!

Dear Ones,

Imagine jumping off a cliff. Oh – before you do that, though, put on a special contraption, gear that is designed to cover your body and to give your arms what they need to become wings. There!
Now – imagine jumping off a cliff! You feel yourself drop, drop, drop off the edge of the sheer mountainside. You are 7,000 feet up, and you’ve climbed for a whole day before putting on the special gear and jumping off the edge of the cliff.

At first, it feels as if you are still. Then, you feel that momentary feeling in the pit of your stomach that tells you that you are falling, falling, falling into the embrace – yikes! – of the earth, 7,000 feet below, calling to you with the energy of gravity. A waft of air rushes into your face, and then – then! – then! you are lifted by the wings that are part of you. You drift close to the sheer cliffs. You can begin to look, to notice your surroundings, the almost purple sky above and surrounding you, the slate of the cliffs, the distant trees and green of the fields below. This is it! You are being held – by the air, by the wings, by the rush of energy that is you and is around you. This is it!

Warmly,
meb

The Green Couch - a time of transition

Dear Friends,

Let me tell you about my green couch. During a time in my life when I was going through a transition, I think I sat on that green couch for most of the day, every day. When I think of the green couch - a bright green corduroy couch that sat perpendicular to the front windows of the house in Tracy - it seems as if I sat on that couch all the time, for about 2 years. You can tell me that couldn't be true - and of course, it isn't completely true - but that's how long I sat on that green couch, at least in my memory.

I'd had a difficult couple of years. I had conflict in my work - the work I was certain I was chosen to do in this life - and my husband, Jeff, and I had been waiting for a baby girl we were adopting from Guatemala. Her name was Anali Julia - "little Anali," I called her, and still call her - and we had traveled to Guatemala in the autumn of 1990 to meet her for the first time. When the blanket over her face was opened, she smiled up at me, our first meeting as mother and daughter. The nurse who was caring for her in her own home in Guatemala said: "Zu mama," "your mother." I fell in love that first evening when Jeff was gone on an errand and Anali and I were alone for the first time. She was fussing a bit, and I was uncertain what to do for her. So I said a prayer to the Mother, the Mother of us all: "Help me!" As I said the prayer, little Anali looked into my eyes, and I knew we were meant for each other.

And we were! Jeff and I returned home to California to wait for the adoption to be processed in Guatemala so that we could return and bring the baby home. We waited a long time - longer than the adoption agency had suggested we'd wait - until we heard that little Anali's birth mother had taken her back with her. Two more times we completed the paper work for a baby girl from Guatemala, and two more times our efforts failed. The third baby girl died of a heart condition in Guatemala.

The day of the news about the baby's death, I raised my hands into the air and said: "Ok, God, I let go of the wheel of my life!" I didn't know what else to do.

What did I do then? I sat on that green couch until the day I had to get up and get moving again. Grief takes all the time it needs. Grief has its own life.

Maybe you're sitting on a green couch today. Don't despair. Your sorrow, your transition, your waiting is moving you in a direction you cannot yet see. Don't get up from the green couch until it's time.

meb

Lead with your heart

Dear Friends,

Look around you when you go out today. Watch how people walk and how they "lead." Culturally, we lead with our heads. That leading leads (!) to our linear thinking dominated way of doing business.

The world needs people to lead with their hearts. Why not be one of those who starts the process?

Right now, place your hand over your heart. Feel your heart beating. There. Breathe. There.

Feel the warmth of your hand. Feel the heaviness of your palm on your heart. There.

When you take your hand away, don't forget. Don't forget that your heart is the center of your being. Your heart contains all that you are, all that you will be, all that you have been. For today, shift your focus from leading with your head to leading with your heart. See the difference it makes in your life.

What do you notice?

You won't do it perfectly. Just do it. Like the rest of life, you're not intended to do it perfectly.

Simply practice.

Lead with your heart.

Warmly,

meb

Don't Forget to Breathe

Dear Friends,

It seems too simple, really. Breathe. If you're feeling anxious, breathe. The awareness of your breath is simple, and very, very powerful. Breathe. Now!

Breathe brings you back into your body. Your thinking mind distracts you from the wholeness of who you are. Your wholeness rests in your body.

Listen... what is your breath, your body saying to you? What memories are hidden there, waiting to be remembered, and then released?

Make this your spiritual practice today: breathe.

Warmly,

meb

What You Want is Already Here

Dear Ones,

A long time ago, I looked up at a beautiful, star-lit winter sky as I left my office after working all day. I walked to my car with a friend. "I wish it was still light out," I said, innocently enough. "You're wishing your life away," she responded.

Many times through the years I've thought of her response. Many times I've thought that she answered out of some distant place in herself, a place that had heard those words many times, perhaps as a child. What child has not heard those words in response to a simple wish?

Other times, I think she was right. She is right. When I live my life wishing for something else, or wanting something else other than what I have now, today, in this time and place, I am wishing my life away.

I can choose to simply begin by being grateful for what I do have, for what abundance I am privileged to receive this moment, for all the simple and marvelous gifts that are part of every single day. If I have desires, so be it. I can be grateful for the simple and very human gift of desiring what I do not have, and I can relish in the desire itself.

What I want is already here. There is no where to go, there is no where to be except here, now.

Warmly,

meb

Beginning to see differently...

Dear Friends,

I am beginning to see differently. Maybe you can do it, too. If I can, you can!

This morning we have an early fog, which is typical for the Bay Area in Northern California. A few moments ago I looked out at the world to my east and deep fog covered the tops of the trees, the eucalyptus towering overhead. The smaller trees were turquoise beneath the fog.

Now, the sun is beginning to light up the tall trees, and the deep green is gone. Yellow glistens on the background of my life-view. A light breeze sways the bamboo right outside the window, which has been growing fast this year. Sunlight appears to reflect onto the branches of the deep green giants.

From moment to moment, my world is changing. It's up to me to make sure I see it as it passes. I don't want to miss a thing!

Warmly,

meb

A Gift

Dear Ones,

Yesterday as I sat at my desk, I looked down the long hall that my office faces. Christmas Tree lights still hang in the hall since last Christmas-time - our nod to fun! Betsy, who volunteers in the office, was slowly coming down the hall, holding a cup of coffee, the precariousness of the situation heightened by her limp. Betsy uses a cane ordinarily, but this time there was no cane.

I watched her silently. Betsy was silent, too. I wondered if she was going to take her cup of coffee into the room with the computer?

She walked into my office. "Is that for me?" I asked. I guess it hadn't clicked. "Yes!" she said. Betsy is not one who often gives gifts, in my memory. "Thank you!" I hope the glee and gratitude showed in my voice.

A gift.

Will I be the giver or the gifted, today?

Warmly,

meb

Thinking - or not?

Dear Ones,

I think a lot of things. That's what the mind does. The mind thinks. (Whatever "the mind" is... but that's another post...!).

I saw a bumper sticker: "Don't believe everything you think." But we do! If we think it, we think it must be true! Even those flitting thoughts, those ideas about people and events and thoughts we call "feelings," that aren't really feelings.

That's the job of the mind. To think. So go ahead and think. That's what your mind is doing, anyway.

And at some point today, do this, also. Be aware that you are more than your thoughts. Someone, something, somewhere - ! - lives an awareness that is more/less/other than your thoughts. Let that awareness lead. Just let it lead you for a moment, or two, or three. Where is it? What is it? Ask it!

When you are in touch with this awareness, notice your thoughts. Yes, they are still there, doing what they do. How small they seem, in contrast to this awareness. They are part of the whole.

Enjoy!

meb

A Day of Thanks...

Dear Ones,

I spent a lot of time traveling to return home today, after attending the funeral of Harvey Stower in Amery, Wisconsin. I am so grateful for the opportunity to leave my active life here in California, supported by my husband, Jeff Kunkel, my community, and many dear ones as I traveled a long way to honor a man who has been very important in my life.

Today when I awoke in a hotel near the airport in Minneapolis, I went to the window, where I had seen snow falling every time I had awakened during the night. When I sat by the window this morning, cherishing my last few minutes of quiet before a busy day of travel, I loved watching the snow continuing to fall, straight down. Ahh... no wind today.

When I went to my rental car, I had to dust about 4 inches of large white flakes off the windows before I started the car. Years ago, before I left the Midwest for California, dusting/scraping the snow off my windows drew angry words under my breath: "why would I live here???" Today, I cherished the moment. Today, I honored the feelings, warm and deep and sad, that accompanied the smells and the feel of the cold and the snow. Today, I took a few minutes to watch the 3 little girls who were making snow balls out of the wet stuff to throw at their uncle. When he'd had enough, their dad called out to them: "Come on, ladies, let's go!" I loved hearing their high voices and watching how each of the girls related to the new fallen snow.

Then I got into the car and drove to the airport. Upon arriving, I learned that I would not make my connecting flight in Chicago because the snow had slowed things down in Minneapolis. When I arrived in Denver, re-routed, I discovered that I had just - by about a minute - missed my connecting flight, the flight that would have brought me right into Oakland.

I was rattled. I walked anxiously to the Service Center for the airlines. Today's line was long, of course, with flights all over the country affected by the beautiful storm. As I walked to the end of the line, I started to give thanks: Thank you, God, for this, whatever it means. Thank you, thank you.

Then I took out my cell phone and called a friend in New Mexico, and as I stood in line I had a long and deep conversation with a friend I had been missing.

Thanks, indeed.

Warmly,

meb

Restlessness, Jealousy, Fear...

Dear Ones,

Have you felt these things: restlessness, jealousy, fear, anger, panic.... etc? etc? etc?

I've noticed that when I tell someone I have one of these "unpopular" feelings, they usually try to talk me out of them! But who are we besides ordinary human beings - with ordinary feelings - as unpopular as some of these feelings might be.

I don't know what my friends unwillingness to hear my feelings is about for them. I know that for me, it is freeing to acknowledge my feelings, and then to move on. Acknowledging my feelings is important for me - and I've discovered that the acknowledgment is for me, not for someone else. In other words, I have to accept my feeling, whether or not it is shared.

This acceptance is part of the larger acceptance of all things, big or small. Acceptance is another word for "surrender," or "letting go." I surrender to my feeling of restlessness, of jealousy, of fear.

Ahh... what freedom lies in letting go???

Warmly,

meb

Every moment...

Dear Ones,

Some of you may know the spiritual classic: The Practice of the Presence of God - Being the Letters and Conversations of Brother Lawrence. Brother Lawrence worked in the kitchen of a monastery. To Brother Lawrence, every moment was the time to pray. As he worked, he prayed. He found himself getting angry when there was a call to prayer, because it interrupted his continual prayer!

Brother Lawrence taught me, a long time ago, that there is never a time when I do not have the time to pray. Brother Lawrence taught me that life is a prayer. Whatever I am doing, whoever I am relating to, life gives me the opportunity to pray.

Pray, pray, pray!

Begin to think of your life as a prayer. Your life as a prayer does not mean you will "do" it perfectly, or always be nice, or always get it right! Even in a life of prayer, conflict, difficult people and situations arise. And in each situation, in each moment, you will know that you are connected, that this is the perfect moment, that all is well.

Have a wonderful day. Pray, pray, pray!

Warmly,

meb

Days of Heaven...

Dear Ones,

The evenings are cooler here in northern California. Autumn is definitely here. When I woke this morning, I saw the steam rising from our neighbors' house - the heat's on! When I sit in the living room, I turn on the fire.

Now's the time to be cozy. How can I bring heaven down on myself today? What small pleasure can I give myself in changing times?

The news is filled with things to be fearful about. We can choose - or not choose - to not be fearful. That's up to you and to me. We do get to choose. LIve in fear, or live in hope. Act out of fear or act from a hopeful place.

Yes, these are the days of heaven. All may not be well with you, but these are still the days of heaven.

Warmly,
meb

Gratitude

Dear Ones,

Last night was the harvest full moon. A small group of us walked a labyrinth in a church courtyard. The moon never rose over the buildings, but its presence attended to the night. Traffic sounds, a hearty wind, the tinkle of a small fountain at the edge of the labyrinth, leaves on the cement - all contributed to the symphony that accompanied our walk.

I wanted to walk in my stocking feet. As the wind came up ahead of time, I wondered about the wisdom of this, but I took off my shoes and was surprised that the concrete labyrinth was still warm from the day's sun. Ahh...! What a relief to walk and feel the warmth!

Beauty surrounded me - the wind and the sounds and the crisp air - as well as the walking women, one wrapped in a long blue blanket.

As usual in the labyrinth, I had to shorten my steps and I had to make sure I stayed focused. Some say that walking the labyrinth is like life, and focusing to stay focused is surely my life! One moment I almost fell off the track, thinking about something else. Otherwise, I was there! I shortened my steps and didn't even think too much - I think!!!!

As I left the center, a moment of gratitude descended on me. Where did it come from? All of a sudden, there it was! I felt it, strong in my heart, and relished in it.

Warmly,
meb

What True Thing Remains...

Dear Ones,

The coming of autumn - that slight change in the air, almost palpable - brings with it a feeling of nostalgia. I grew up in Wisconsin, and the coming of autumn meant that the precious time of summer would be gone for many months. The nostalgia that accompanied this knowledge pulls at one's heart.

As the years pass, time seems to pass much more quickly. Events happen, illnesses come and go, friends pass, accomplishments are made, new people come into our lives, we work from day to day and week to week, and month to month. Sometimes there seems to be no time to reflect.

But reflection is needed for a life of meaning. Sometimes it is good to ask: what true thing remains? What true thing has always been part of us?

One day I asked a wonderful woman who was nearing 100 whether or not she felt 100. "Inside," she said, "I have always been the same - me!"

That is the one true thing. Who you are is so much greater than your accomplishments. Who you are is the one who has always observed, without flinching, your life.

When you reach 100, this is who you will be, too.
Warmly,
meb

Loss of a dear One

Dear Ones,

Late yesterday evening I learned that a person who was very important to me in my spiritual journey has died - Harvey Stower, of Amery, Wisconsin. Harvey was a charismatic, caring person who touched many lives with his generous spirit, his keen mind, and his ability to bring people together - "across the aisle," as the saying goes in Congress.

Harvey was a young adult minister when I was a young adult, struggling to connect in the world. I was afraid. I was lonely. I was in search of meaning. I didn't know it, but I needed a community of good folks. Many times I called Harvey's house on a Sunday after church - Sunday afternoons are often the worst time of the week for lonely people - and when he answered he'd say: "Come on over! Good folks are coming over!" I'd arrive at his home, where Marilyn was already cooking a huge meal, her baby Katie on her hip, and people would begin to arrive. I later learned that when I had called, there had been no plans for others to join us. A crowd gathered.

One night I stood under the vast sky filled with stars in Amery, where I was visting Marilyn and Harvey for the weekend. "I have no faith," I confessed to Harvey. Always present to the moment, Harvey said: "If you can just think of Jesus as your friend."

And so began my walk with Jesus. And so began the great adventure that led me to study theology, serve as a pastor, and and a great adventure that has led to a life of meaning and purpose.

When I read the email that Harvey had passed, I stood for a long time in my kitchen, wanting to call someone to share the news. Everyone I thought about is gone, too. So I called a friend, late, in Wisconsin, and she said: "Oh - it's hard to lose a good friend." Then I called my sister in Hawaii, and she listened, too.

One grief brings up other griefs. Like you, I'm still trying to make sense of life. And I am very, very grateful for the gift of having known Harvey Stower, a giant of a person in this world.

Warmly,
meb

Ahhh....

Dear Ones,

In your life, there are times when it simply is good to be alive. I hope that you choose to have at least one moment every day when you breathe, sit back, stop, and say: "ahhh..." for this moment, however brief.

Because you can choose to have such a moment. Regardless of who, regardless of what is in your life today, you can have an "ahh..." moment.

Your mind will not give you an "ahh..." moment. That's not your mind's job! Your mind will give you instead a to-do list, or judgements about who and what you are experiencing. Your to-do list and your judgements have their time and place, but they are not all there is!

You are the only one who can give you an "ahh..." moment today. Go ahead, give yourself an "ahh...." moment right now.

This "ahh..." moment may be just what you need to make a big decision, or to clarify what it is you need to say to someone.
Don't go ahead without the "ahh..."

meb

A new day

Today is a new day. However you feel today, really feel it. That's it! Don't try to push your feelings away, whatever they are. Feel what you feel.

Now, do it. Simply feel what you feel in this moment... sad? happy? restless? content? depressed?

Feel this in your body. For a moment, shift your attention away from all the thoughts that are swimming in your mind. They'll still be there when you return! Instead, drop yourself right into the feeling you are feeling.

There! Was that so bad? Practice this every day.

Ahhhhh....!

What Forgiveness Is -

Dear Friends,

These days, people seem to have made forgiveness into the category of a "nice" thing that religious people are supposed to do.
The truth is, forgiveness is a powerful life force - that you and I and other human beings are capable of - that can actually change the world.

What is forgiveness? To say it clearly - forgiveness is the "retelling of the story." We all tell our stories from a certain point of view. When we tell our stories as if we are the victim - "they" did this to "me," - then we are in a place of non-forgiveness. The problem with non-forgiveness is that it has the ability to bleed into all of our other relationships and actions. When we have not taken the power to tell our own story in a way that is empowering to us, then we have not forgiven, and that lack of forgiveness hurts us and everyone else we come into contact with.

What is your story? Think about those times or people about whom you still have a "charge" when you think about them, or when you tell someone else about them. These are the stories that you need to re-tell in order to get rid of the "charge."

Forgiving does not mean that you need to put yourself into peril. In fact, once you forgive - especially those old, old stories that have infected your life for a long time - you will free yourself from putting yourself into peril. Your mind will be clearer, your choices cleaner, your ability to love yourself and others more free.

What is your story? What are the events in your life that still have a "charge" when you think of them? What is the story you tell yourself, and sometimes find yourself telling others?

The power of forgiveness is that it frees you to really love - to love yourself and others, even those who have hurt you.

We are all simply reflections of one another. When you re-tell your story, you will love yourself and others more deeply, more freely, more completely. Who doesn't want that?

Blessings to all of you.
meb

A beautiful place

Dear Friends,

When I'm feeling stressed, when I'm too lonely, when I'm afraid - I am learning that I can "redirect" myself to a lovely, calm, beautiful place - much as I'd direct a child who needs to have their attention redirected.

Here's what I do.
1. I acknowledge me feeling - yes, I'm "stressed" right now.
2. I remember a time (I have a particular time and place which is special to me in mind) when I was peaceful and calm and happy, a place in nature with someone I love dearly) and I capture that moment in my thoughts.
3. I hold that place over my heart, remembering the feelings, the smells, the sounds, the colors, the beauty of that moment.
4. I say a silent: "thank you" for that time and place.

Carry a beautiful place with you all the time.

Blessings to you all,
meb

Be sure to ask

Dear Friends,

Be sure to ask for what you need or want today. Go ahead - ask.

Ask yourself: what do I need today?

Ask for help: ask a friend or your partner if you think you need help. Go ahead - ask.

And ask God - ask the Universe - ask the Buddha - ask Mary - ask Jesus - for what you want. Go ahead - ask.

What you need is on the way!

Warmly,
meb

"God is good, all the time, All the time, God is good."

Dear Ones,

"God is good, all the time, All the time, God is good."

This expression is common in African-American worship. I have found it to be true in my life.

As you make your way today, as you begin this week, look for God's goodness. Find signs of God's goodness wherever you go, whatever you do, whoever you meet.

As my mom used to say: "keep your eyes peeled." Keep your eyes and your heart and your ears peeled to the signs of God's goodness.

Enjoy the goodness!
Warmly,
meb

It is absolutely true!

Dear Ones,

It is absolutely true: we are reflections of one another.

If you are searching for peace in your life, then you must first find that peace within yourself. If you are looking for someone to like you, then you must first like yourself. If you want the world to be a friendlier place, then you must be friendlier. If you want the people in your life to be more loving, then you must begin to love - yourself, your closest family and friends, and others.
If you want people to smile when you pass them on the street - smile!

It is absolutely true: we are reflections of one another.

Warmly,
meb

The fast of winter is over...

Dear Friends,
The fast from the light is nearly over. The days are longer, the rain is coming farther and farther in between, the roses and the lilacs are coming into bloom. Easter is nearly here, that day of light and life and new life.

I hope you are alive with Easter this year - with the spring that arises in you, the spring that gives you hope and allows you to breathe and give thanks. Give thanks for all that is - whatever that may be for you.

The night is past. New hope arises in you. Whatever your loneliness, whatever your lost dreams, whatever the demons that seem to hinder your life, all that is past.

Live!
Warmly,
meb

A New Time

Dear Friends,

All the news seems to be bad. Turn on television or turn on the radio just to hear how bad things are! During the most difficult events - 9/11 was an example - we can be assured of 24/7 bad news. Choose your own way to connect to all of this "bad news." A few months ago, I did a 30 day "fast" from television. I can assure you, I missed nothing!

When we approach "bad news times" through our faith or our spiritual practice, we know that there is another way to look at these things. We can quietly discern that something new, something we cannot make happen or something we cannot not make happen, is surely coming.

I hope that as spring approaches, you are seeing "the new time" in your own life. I hope, as well, that as your eyes are opened to the new time in you, you have the ability to see "a new time" in all that is around you, and in this world.

Step forward now - into a New Time!
Warmly
meb

Simply ask...

Dear Friends,

Jesus' words: "Ask and it shall be given" are 100% true.

Ask to go inside, to the deepest part of yourself, and it is already given. Simply ask to be taken to that larger place, that place that connects to you all of humanity, that shining light, and it is already given.

So often we want to use thoughts to go into ourselves. But all it takes is one thought: "please..." and you will find yourself there - home!

Sigh...!

Warmly,
meb

What is your image?

Dear Friends,

What is your image for this time of your life? Give this question a few moments' thoughts, and see if a picture comes into your mind, or a word, or if a particular feeling arises.

At this point, I am like a little red robin with a bright red breast sitting on the branches, soaked with rain, and singing its wild and beautiful song into the wind. I can see the little heart beating. And I can see that - though its song is beautiful and vivid - the little robin is not yet ready to leave the familiar branches to fly off into the larger world. For now, this is the place to sing its song.

What are you like?

Warmly,
meb

There is a place of silence

Dear Friends,

There is a place of silence. Find it now. It is here, with you, in you, and around you. You are in it.

Most of the world is noisy. Maybe your life is noisy. If there is a lot of drama in your life - and who hasn't had drama - then you know noise! And of course, your mind - my mind, everyone's mind - is noisy.

But all of this is held in Great Silence.

Warmly,
meb

Go outside

Dear Ones,
So many of us have lives that are focused indoors. We forget to get outside even for a few minutes to enjoy the sun, feel the rain, know the cold, see the movement of nature, the birds, little animals. Those who are close to God are often close to nature, as well.

Today - make some time to be outdoors. If you are ordinarily active, stop for a few moments, see, hear, smell, taste, feel what is around you. If you are not active, make sure you go outside just for a few moments. Sit if you must. Enjoy.

Look around. See if you can know the absolute silence that accompanies every living thing as it grows, blooms, dies for the winter, and waits to be born again in the spring.

This, too, is the absolute silence that accompanies - and is creating - you.

Warmly,
meb

Remember there is more -

Dear Friends,

When times are tough, when we have worries, it is easy to be trapped into thinking that this is all there is.
It's true: financial markets have crashed, many are worried about losing their jobs and their healthcare,
lines for job openings are longer than ever before, and many among us have lost their homes. It seems as
if the world as we knew it has crashed around us, and we're sitting in the middle of the heap. All of this is
true.

Whatever your problems today, whatever hard task you must do because times are tough, remember that there
is more. There is an unseen - and very real - reality that may hold the answers to some of your hardest problems
and worries.

Speak to that reality now. I know, and many who have gone before us know, that your prayer will be answered.

Listen:

Warmly,
meb

Fear and freedom

Dear Ones,

As we all know, and as we are reminded every single day, these are times that are filled with fear for all of us. While many of us have lives that continue as before the world financial crisis began, none of us is separated from what is happening all around us. We are all affected by the pervasive atmosphere of fear. The fear around us connects with the fear we each have inside of us, and we are all impacted.

We do have a choice, however. We can allow the fear to determine our choices and motivations. We can allow the fear to impact our attitudes. We can live in a state of fear. Or we can be free, remembering that the life we have been given has never really been dependent on the financial markets. We live in a much more grace-filled world than that, as big as the financial markets may seem.

Choose today. "Go slowly amid the noise and haste," trusting in Someone or Something greater than all the fear that can be rounded up in the world.

In fact, these times are good times for us all to grow in faith and in service to one another. They are another opportunity to be truly who we are.

meb

That deeper place

Dear Friends,

As you travel through this day, find that deeper place within yourself. Find the place that is deeper than the ever-present "noise" in your head.

Most of us are accustomed to listening to the thoughts in our heads, and following them. Our thoughts will lead us back and forth, over and around, but they will not lead us to the center. Find that center, that deeper place. Learn to notice your thoughts, to thank them for being there, but keep looking for the deeper place.

One place to begin is to find the quiet that is in your body. Sit. Notice your busy mind, but keep looking for the quiet place, that deeper place.

There it is!

Warmly,
meb

What quality will you hold?

Dear friends,

What quality will you hold in your intention? For example, you may choose peace. Let "peace" be your mantra every day. Or you may choose light. Look for "light" in each person, in each day, in yourself. You may choose joy. Watch for "joy" as you go into your day and into your life.

You can make of life what you choose. Most of us are simply accustomed - say, in the habit of - choosing what we want to eat, what we want to wear, what we want to buy, who we want to spend time with. How often, however, do we choose the quality of our lives?

Begin today, then. Decide on the quality you want to be present in your life, and make that your intention, your mantra, your prayer, your song.

Choose love.

Warmly,
meb

P.S. Until the 21st of January, I'll be taking a break in Hawaii! Look for me on my return!

What kind of a day will I have?

Dear Friends,

Today, before the busy day begins, I'm deciding what kind of a day I want to have. I choose: beauty. I want to have a day filled with beauty.

This is my prayer, and this is what I will be open to seeing unfold in my day.

What kind of a day will you have?

Warmly,
meb

At the holidays' end...

Dear Friends,

Every year, I hate to take down the Christmas tree. I did the job today. The way I do it is to remember that in less than 12 months, I'll have a nice green tree with pretty colored bulbs in my living room again.

When I sit by the tree, I seem to make a space inside of myself and out for the winter. I like to watch the tree best on foggy mornings. This year I've been honored to even see some frost out on the lawn - unusual for these parts of the world.

Getting ready for Christmas is sad, a time of memories, of remembering those who are no longer here. And dismantling the Christmas tree is the same. Maybe in a way this small ritual is a way of honoring those I've loved, who are gone. I think of their faces, of their voices, of the small actions that touched me in their lives. Those are the things we can each be best remembered for, I think.

I've come to understand that for me, the holidays are a time of sadness as much as a time for celebrating. And in their own way, a time of honoring those I love.

Warmly,
meb

Stay in touch

Dear Friends,

Stay in touch with your body. Your body is speaking to you all the time, and it may take some practice to listen to it on a regular basis.

Love your body. Treat it gently - and well. If it's hungry, feed it something that's good for it. If it's tired, take a rest. If it needs more air, give your body more air. Move your body.

Enjoy your body. Listen to it when it speaks: do you feel anxious in this person's presence, happy in another's, sad in another's? You can even choose your friends - who you will be safe with - by paying attention to your body.

And pamper your body, too! Look at your body in the mirror and tell yourself how wonderful your body is! Take a long soaking bath in some fragrant bath salts.

Give your body thanks - every day!
Warmly,
meb

What is your dream?

Dear Friends,

One way to approach the New Year is to wonder about what your dream is for this time in your life. For example, I have a friend who retired from her career at a young age. As she considers what to do with her life next, she asked herself what she would really love to do with her time and interests and abilities, something she would really enjoy.

That is a way of looking for your dream.

When you know your dream, flesh it out in as many details as you can. Write this down. And write it in the present tense: " I am a teacher of young people, ages 12-15, teaching them how to know their feelings through movement and dance." Write as many details as you can in the present tense.

Ready? Set? Go!!!

Happy New Year!
Warmly,
meb