Recently I enjoyed an evening with a young woman I have known for several years. She has blossomed into an incredible individual—filled with spark and excited to be a part of his planet earth.
As we were sharing I was reflecting on all the truly remarkable individuals I have been honored to connect with in person. The list includes Gary Zukav, Dr. Bernie Siegel, Deepak Chopra, Esther Hicks, Eric Pearl, and John of God. I have studied extensively with Dr. Richard Bandler, and was mentored in Healing Touch™ by Janet Mentgen. I share this not to impress you, but to acknowledge the awe life holds.
When I was with Pine Island Writers on “author’s row” in Fort Myers, Florida at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival in March (2014), where I got to hear Sue Monk Kidd speak. Authors can seem bigger than life, but what impressed me about her is how down-to-earth she is. Some of the most memorable notes from her talk include:
“The job of a novelist is to take a bad situation and make it worse.”
“The story starts in the ‘ordinary world’ then comes the call to adventure.”
“Well-behaved women never make history.”
Also while in Florida, I enjoyed riding bikes in the sun. I rode underneath eagle nests and along the canals. I met some truly wonderful authors. Plenty of time was spent playing dominoes, taking boat trips, and sharing meals with friends. Chance meetings with like-minded others dotted the landscape.You could say I spent my time in immersed in nature…. If you would like to see a short video of seven manatee in the canal, send email because I am glad to share.
After a rather leisured winter, the past few weeks have been very busy. Before leaving Florida, I was organizing, packing, and loading. We were intentional about making our trip home a journey: beginning with a day of bike riding along the rim of Lake Okeechobee before going on to visit our friend Linda Allen, in her lovely condo in our beloved Port Saint Lucie. We enjoyed brunch with my nephew, Scott, and his delightful friend, Heidi. Dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant was as delicious as we remembered.
Landing in middle Tennessee Monday, April 7, I had the joy of sharing time with some of the remarkable healers I get to call friends. An entire week of savoring moments with our daughter and her family included yummy meals, fun evenings, and delightful days.
On the drive to Michigan, we squeezed in lunch with friends in Indy on Monday, April 14—just in time to get our income tax return into the mail on Tuesday!
Since mid-December, hours have folded into days, days into weeks, and weeks into months: each moment leaving it’s indelible mark on my heart space. That process continues…
As I settle back into my Michigan routine, the joy of reconnecting here rings deeply in my soul. A hug from my sister, Janis; meditation with the St. Joe Sangha; Thursday morning book club at Full City Cafe; getting back to work at Borgess Health & Fitness Center; and being welcomed back to Parkview Hills by Joel and Bobbie and McGee (Joel is my faithful business partner of 15 years, and Bobbie and McGee are his two cats that I have loved since they were frightened little kitties).
Amidst all of this outer activity, my inner journey has been tender and at times raw. Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home! Follow the yellow brick road….
