Connecting moment: Recently I spoke with a beloved woman. I have known her for almost 25 years, yet 15 years ago we slowly drifted apart as sometimes happens when life is rearranged. Several years back we slowly reconnected on Facebook – a comment or like here and there – always in the energy of simply picking up where we left of, regardless of how much time had gone by. Finally, we got on the phone a few weeks ago, and shared our journeys for the past 15 years. Of course we couldn’t cover EVERY detail, which is the fun and intimacy of it all. We have to leave things for future conversations! It’s like digging in rich, fertile soil. As you uncover another layer of earth, more stories emerge unseen and unheard until that moment of connection. In the beginning was story. Without story, we do not exist. The way of story is how we discover who we are in connection to another, to all life.

Learning moment: The human family tree may have a new relative: the “Dragon Man.” A nearly complete, but remarkably strange skull was hidden down a well for nearly a century. A new study suggests it belongs to an entirely new human species: Homo longi, or the Dragon Man—and its lineage might even be our closest relatives. But not all scientists agree with this stunning claim, and the find is whipping up a debate on the increasing number of fossils that don’t readily fit on the limbs of our family tree. Until relatively recently, many different species of hominins co-existed. Today only one remains: us. It is certainly strange to reflect on this because all we can really understand is being the ONLY version of our species alive today. Imagine if there were more than one? Sit and ponder that one for a while! LEARN MORE

Laughing moment: I love putting furniture together – you know, IKEA furniture. I find it easy, rewarding, and I like making things of beauty. Every box of furniture comes with “instructions,” no words, only pictures to follow. But instructions for building IKEA furniture will only get you so far. Especially when they are out of order. Sometimes the instructions are really de-structions. I recently was helping a friend build a few glass curio cabinets, and this was one of those de-struction times. We discovered after several hours of trying to build the first cabinet that the pictures in the booklet were out of order. We spent several hours laughing at ourselves because nothing seemed to be working, and laughing so hard we were crying. It was refreshing, freeing and likely lost all hope of completing the project a couple times. We didn’t care because the laughter saved us, it truly was medicine we needed while surfing this pandemic.

Favorite moment: Listening to the wind howl outside during a rain storm settles me. That may sound odd. I know people get tired of rainy days, but I don’t. I live on the 4th floor of an apartment building and for some reason, the way my building is situated lends itself to hearing the wind as a living, breathing, ever-changing force in my world. Listen to the wind, there’s no end to it’s offerings. Listen to the wind for its laughter that transforms. Listen to the wind which insists on howling and disturbing the spirits. Listen to the wind, touch the wind, feel it brush across you. The movement of the wind is a reminder to throw off the last of our tethers and be free as air to express as we will. Unlike the other elements, wind, or air, it can’t be seen, but it is felt, and we can the effects of its presence like the ripples on water, or snow banks. This a favorite moment because wind catches my wings, so I might leave the ground and fly high into vibrantly living the life of my dreams.

Healing moment: I have an “Apology Language.” Many of us know about the 5 Love Languages, I happen to have two that rank equally at the top – Touch and Quality Time. Imagine traversing a pandemic alone with your love languages essentially snatched away. But that’s a different conversation. I learned this week that there are also Apology Languages. Hearing someone say “I’m sorry” has never quite cut it for me. This week I discovered my Apology Language is “Accept Responsibility.” I used to think, because I had been told, I was being selfish or unforgiving because the words “I’m sorry” didn’t quite work for me. Guess what? It’s not all about me. I can hear the words “I’m sorry” if followed up by the responsibility piece, offering me understanding on your impact and clarity on what you’re apologizing for. How healing it was this week to be re-affirmed that I have a great capacity for forgiveness and compassion! I often ask people, “How do I need to be for you to know kindness, or love, or peace or_______?” This healing moment was one of those, “How do you need to be for me to know forgiveness (and vice versa)?” Another call to love me in a way that defies all I have ever known love to be – and I you.